Bad Wheel bearing...opinions

281CI96Coupe

Member
Oct 30, 2006
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I finally figured out what that howling noise coming from the rear of my car at certain highway speeds and regular around town cruising. I have a bad wheel bearing but I dont know where it is because I have a lack of knowledge of what goes on back there. The symptom is that while letting off the gas/coasting the car is dead quiet on the inside, but as soon as i tap the gas I hear it, I actually kind of feel it too in a way but rarely. I heard this can happen at any mileage as well. Can anyone point me in the right direction thanks!

-Nate
 
Well, wheel bearing on rear is located on edge of axle tube on each corner.
Its a $30 parts, and bearing itself is easy to change.


But to get to wheel bearing is not easy. You'll have to remove:
Wheel
rotor
caliper
Axle
and to remove axle, you'll need to remove C-Clip which is located inside of deffrential.
To get to C-Clip, you'll need to open deffrential cover, drain the stinky oil, remove the throu bolt out of defferential itself

While your at it, if your thinking about doing ring and pinion, this would be a great time to do it. Inspect spider bearing, and bearing race.

But before you jump to conclusion, there are host of other things you can check(cheaply mind you), like
Level of gear lube. many many people check level of their engine oil, coolant level, brake fluid level. Some people check their transmission fluid level. But most never check their defferential oil level. Because there is no easy ways to check. If your gear lube is low, rearend can certainly make noise(While on its way to self distruction).

You can also check U-joint. don't just jack the car up and shake it with your hand.
you can pick out extreamly worn U joint this way, but if only some of needle bearing is going, you'll not going to be able to detect that. take driveshaft out, and physically inspect them.

make sure both lower and upper control arm bushing is in good shape as well. Rubber bushing do rut out over the years.
Also check where upper control arm is attached to the car, called torque box(I think?) its known to crack under hard use with our car.

Good luck
 
Wheel bearings usually don't become quiet when you coast. Usually they jut get louder and louder with increasing speed.

Noise getting louder or quieter with load on drivetrain is usually the rear end gears.
 
Wheel bearings usually don't become quiet when you coast. Usually they jut get louder and louder with increasing speed.

Noise getting louder or quieter with load on drivetrain is usually the rear end gears.

They have that symptom of getting louder on the highway with increasing speed. but Im sure it might be a wheel bearing. Can stock rear end gears make noise from age?
Is the best way to attack this problem is get it maintained and go from there...
 
Have you ever changed the fluid? Might be time to do so.

The main thing that makes me think it's not the bearings is because it gets quiet when you coast. Wheel bearings are always spinning, so it should get louder and stay loud. Rear end gears can also get louder with speed, but their overall noise level being dependant on load is a give-away as well.
 
Have you ever changed the fluid? Might be time to do so.

The main thing that makes me think it's not the bearings is because it gets quiet when you coast. Wheel bearings are always spinning, so it should get louder and stay loud. Rear end gears can also get louder with speed, but their overall noise level being dependant on load is a give-away as well.

Routine service shouldn't cost me that much right but, yeah its quiet when I let off the gas, but the thing i don't get rear end gears are always turning...so basically it happens when load is on them. So this could be a stupid 50 dollar problem I had for almost 2 years lol.
 
they are always turning but the loud on the teeth isn't always the same. Gear noise can be caused by misalignment or chaffing that only rears it's head when there is enough force pressing them.

Have a friend ride with you and stick his head in the trunk area and see if he can pinpoint if the noise is on the sides or in the center.
 
they are always turning but the loud on the teeth isn't always the same. Gear noise can be caused by misalignment or chaffing that only rears it's head when there is enough force pressing them.

Have a friend ride with you and stick his head in the trunk area and see if he can pinpoint if the noise is on the sides or in the center.

Yeah I definitely do that soon. If its on the sides what does that indicate? and the center? What would I need to do to fix this problem. sorry if im asking 21 questions..