need help identifying sound while driving

[Roger Stokes]

I have a 2001 forester with 97,000 miles on it. How do you know when the wheel bearings are bad, because it`s making some road noise?

Thanks,

Roger

[idosubaru]

How do you know when the wheel bearings are bad,

as soon as you say this:

I have a 2001 forester

 

:lol::lol:

 

just kidding, but foresters are notorious wheel bearing eaters, particularly rear wheel bearings.

 

of course rotate tires or otherwise make sure it's not something else, but it's wide spread - i fixed a 2000 forester rear 2 weeks ago and helped a friend do one around the same time.

 

might want to describe the noise? sometimes helps to have someone sit in the back or drive slowly past someone outside if you can't get a good grasp from inside the cabin.

[nipper]

as soon as you say this:

 

 

:lol::lol:

 

just kidding, but foresters are notorious wheel bearing eaters, particularly rear wheel bearings.

 

 

Thats about right.

 

But do rotate tires first, it amuses us

 

(one side at a time).

[Allpar Mod]

The guys are right. Road noise can be the result of a number of things.

 

You should make an effort to figure out from which wheel(s) the noise is originating from first. The type of noise can be telling, though often hard to describe in writing. Does the noise get worse during turns? Is it constant or rhythmic? Does anything make it worse or better? Is it only noticeable at higher speeds or all the time? Is it worse on braking? These are just some of the major questions that get asked during diagnosis.

 

You cannot make a simple diagnosis without all the facts. I had an issue with my F-150 last year where it sounded like the differential was going while we were towing back our camper from North Carolina. The sound seemed like it was coming right from the pumpkin. Turned out an axle bearing went fubar and started chewing up the race on the axle. You gotta delve into it a bit to know for sure.

Edited July 9, 2010 by Allpar Mod
Additional stuff

[lone500]

it could be a few things but when my wheel bearing went out on the front it made a whirring sound that got worse with speed. you could hear it on the interstate and thats loud lol.

[nipper]

it could be a few things but when my wheel bearing went out on the front it made a whirring sound that got worse with speed. you could hear it on the interstate and thats loud lol.

 

 

Fronts tend to make more noise then rears, as they have a lot more work to do and are stressed in all axis.

 

Raers are just followers and hard to pin down at first. A stethescope comes in handy but that requires somewhat knowing what you are listening for. If no long hard trips are planned you can wait for the noise to get louder to find out what it is. Sometimes things have to wear more to find them.

[lone500]

Fronts tend to make more noise then rears, as they have a lot more work to do and are stressed in all axis.

 

Raers are just followers and hard to pin down at first. A stethescope comes in handy but that requires somewhat knowing what you are listening for. If no long hard trips are planned you can wait for the noise to get louder to find out what it is. Sometimes things have to wear more to find them.

 

ya i agree with you. if its in the back i would definately get a friend to sit outside while you do drivebys back and forth to at least see which side its coming from

[Roger Stokes]

Ok, thats gentlemen!