Help me diagnose wheel bearing sound.

WalkingDrunken · May 23, 2016

For the last 1,000 miles I've had what resembles a wheel bearing sound coming from the front of the vehicle. It is more pronounced on whichever side you sit on. The sound increases with speed and does not change with the clutch engaged or disengaged. It also does not change if you are on the throttle or brake or if you make a turn in one direction or another. I am probably paranoid but it seems like it is getting louder each time I drive.

No performance change, MPG has stayed consistent, wheels are not blazing hot after driving like I've experienced with a stuck rear parking cable, very very slight vibration felt through the car and steering wheel.

I have rotated the tires and replaced the driver side wheel bearing since that was the most pronounced location of the sound when I drove. I did not notice any change. Just to cover my bases I have the passenger side wheel bearing being delivered today. The car has been running Redline MTL for about 10,000 miles. I am swapping fluid tonight for OEM fluid.

I am having a hard time trying to diagnose the issue / the next step. I really need your guys help.

~70,000 Miles. Original DMF & clutch. Original Struts and springs. H&R sway bar, CP3, fluidampr.

EDIT: I found many cases of vibration on vwvortex due to axles. In my experience bad cv/axle has only caused clicking not a vibration. I'd be much happier to replace axles than DMF/Clutch/Rebuild tranny. Axle/CV is very hard to find for a 6-speed.

ezshift5 · May 23, 2016

....I also experience this - a rotational sound akin to wheel bearing noise. I'm at 37,500 (yes, am now out of the 3/36000.....but have Geico MBI!!)

A few months ago, the - MHO now - best independent shop in Sacramento indicated "it ain't the wheel bearings..................."

Good enough for me. Sure, the noise is intrusive. Sure, I also worry about the emissions fiasco, the HPFP et al ad nauseum.................

But the vehicle is me. I like it. I really don't look forward to the 1.8 gas JSW equiv. - - mo' o less. But this site + VW Vortex indicate positives. Dude over at 'Vortex' even reported 45 MPG freeway....................

You are not alone. Hope this make you feel better.

best, ez

WalkingDrunken · May 23, 2016

ezshift5: It kind of does but I'm a big stickler for noises. This is loud and intrusive enough for me to switch from not taking the buyback because i've done so much and love my car to taking the buyback and switching cars altogether if I can't find a solution to it.

Then again I get annoyed by putting a plastic bottle in the door and having it rattle.

I'm right there with you on the positives though. I can tow, fit large items in my wagon, and then get an average of 51 MPG on my most recent 3,000 mile road trip.

jfbsaratoga · May 23, 2016

Have you checked your brake rotors? I had some bad rotors that warped and it sounded like a bad bearing.

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WalkingDrunken · May 23, 2016

jfbsaratoga: I did not look for anything specific in terms of the rotor when I replaced the driver side bearing. Tonight when I do fluid and passenger side bearing I will rotate it around a little to see if they are a little warped. I didn't think it would be rotors since the sound does not go away when depressing the brake pedal but I'll double check anything at this point. Thanks for the suggestion!

WalkingDrunken · May 23, 2016

Holy crap I'm an idiot. Posting is a last ditch effort. I didn't think the fluid and passenger bearing would make a difference. Passenger side bearing was bad. Even though the sound seemed like the driver side and rotating the wheel in the air didn't indicate any issue.

SOLVED: Passenger side wheel bearing. Bearing sound is non-directional in my vw.

ezshift5 · May 23, 2016

Señor walking drunken,

Are you saying that your rotational noises - as I label it - are now gone.

If so, I need to return to my award-winning indy amigo..........

best, ez

WalkingDrunken · May 23, 2016

Si senor ez. Noises resolved. Crisis averted. We will now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.

Conrad -JSW · May 24, 2016

WalkingDrunken said:
For the last 1,000 miles I've had what resembles a wheel bearing sound coming from the front of the vehicle. It is more pronounced on whichever side you sit on. The sound increases with speed and does not change with the clutch engaged or disengaged. It also does not change if you are on the throttle or brake or if you make a turn in one direction or another. I am probably paranoid but it seems like it is getting louder each time I drive.

No performance change, MPG has stayed consistent, wheels are not blazing hot after driving like I've experienced with a stuck rear parking cable, very very slight vibration felt through the car and steering wheel.

I have rotated the tires and replaced the driver side wheel bearing since that was the most pronounced location of the sound when I drove. I did not notice any change. Just to cover my bases I have the passenger side wheel bearing being delivered today. The car has been running Redline MTL for about 10,000 miles. I am swapping fluid tonight for OEM fluid.

I am having a hard time trying to diagnose the issue / the next step. I really need your guys help.

~70,000 Miles. Original DMF & clutch. Original Struts and springs. H&R sway bar, CP3, fluidampr.

EDIT: I found many cases of vibration on vwvortex due to axles. In my experience bad cv/axle has only caused clicking not a vibration. I'd be much happier to replace axles than DMF/Clutch/Rebuild tranny. Axle/CV is very hard to find for a 6-speed.

I'm having the same issue that you are with the noise. I lived with the noise for a little while because I thought that it was a bad tire. After rotating the tires the sound didn't change. Finally the car set a MIL and I was able to use my VCDS to identify that the right rear wheel had an issue with the speed sensor. Replaced sensor no luck. I replaced the wheel bearing and that was the source of the MIL. The noise still didn't go away. I'm thinking that the right front bearing is the issue.

Here's my original thread that I started on this. http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=451157

WalkingDrunken, do you have the torque specs for the a front wheel bearing replacement? Thanks!

WalkingDrunken · May 24, 2016

Better than specs. My turbo diesel has a diy. Torque specs at the bottom. Super easy job. http://www.myturbodiesel.com/wiki/wheel-bearing-and-hub-replacement-vw-symptoms-and-noises/

Conrad -JSW · May 24, 2016

WalkingDrunken said:
Better than specs. My turbo diesel has a diy. Torque specs at the bottom. Super easy job. http://www.myturbodiesel.com/wiki/wheel-bearing-and-hub-replacement-vw-symptoms-and-noises/

Thanks! I did see that procedure already. I was questioning those torque specs though. I've seen some other numbers stated and they were quite different than those numbers.

In one of the other write ups that I was reading the lower control arm was not removed. Did you remove the arm?

WalkingDrunken · May 24, 2016

That DIY guide does not show removal of the LCA. You just remove the three nuts holding the ball joint and the LCA drops away allowing removal of the axle from the hub.

It is required to drop the LCA. it takes a few seconds and there is no other way to get the job done.

jetlagmech · May 25, 2016

my daughter's equinox had a bearing noise that 3 people and a tire shop agreed with me was a right front. I changed the right front hub and no change in noise. still sounded like right front bearing. Daughter, being tight on funds, I took the right front hub and installed it on the left front. as soon as I took off the left hub I could feel the roughness by hand. noise now gone. Noise can travel thru the car frame and fool you.

and a good side note, was impressed with the daughters boyfriend who helped me with both changes. He grew up being told you cant work on cars, its too hard. not even check oil or tire pressure. I don't think his family even owns a screwdriver. But he showed a natural understanding of it. just doesn't have the experience for good body leverage positions. He works out at the gym, I am just a little framed guy, but after he got the axle bolt as tight as he could muster with me telling him "come on tighter tighter", I stepped up and easily spun it another 1/4 to 1/2 turn. I chuckled, looked at him and told him it needs to be tight.

ksing44 · May 25, 2016

^^ha, ha, ha... you're old man strong!

Conrad -JSW · May 26, 2016

WalkingDrunken said:
That DIY guide does not show removal of the LCA. You just remove the three nuts holding the ball joint and the LCA drops away allowing removal of the axle from the hub.

It is required to drop the LCA. it takes a few seconds and there is no other way to get the job done.

I could have sworn that I saw a video of someone replacing a bearing but not dropping the LCA. I can't find it now. Oh well.

ATR · May 26, 2016

Conrad -JSW said:
I could have sworn that I saw a video of someone replacing a bearing but not dropping the LCA. I can't find it now. Oh well.

I would think that you'd have to remove the axle from the transmission first in that case.

Conrad -JSW · May 27, 2016

ATR said:
I would think that you'd have to remove the axle from the transmission first in that case.

Nope, he didn't. He was able to get his socket into that area and remove the bolts to the hub. If I find that video again I'll post it here.

Help me diagnose wheel bearing sound.

WalkingDrunken

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