Wheel Bearings?

[cwsigmund]

There is a humming noise and low-level vibration coming from the front end that I've pretty much narrowed down to the front passenger-side wheel area. When I'm going up a hill with a gentle righthand turn I get no noise/vibe at all, when going down a hill with a gentle lefthand turn I get the highest level noise/vibe. Is it wheel bearings? If so, is the wheel/hub assembly hard to replace? Can shot bearings have damaged something else?

[marcusa]

Yep, souns like your front-right bearing. Shot bearing will sound annoying and eat up your tires, and I'd think after long enough probably wear out tie rod ends from all the vibration/shaking. I did my right one about a year ago and now leftie is going south quickly. I'm an idiot when it comes to repair but hub wasn't so bad, just takes some muscle. Check out or buy a repair manual or you'll confuse yourself if you're like me. Hardest part was removing/installing the brakes.

 

 

I found them for a steal on ebay from the seller roadiron1 ($100 inc. shipping vs. $300 for the DELCO I got a year ago) but am reluctant because I don't know the quality of an Atlas brand hub, much less the ABS speed sensor that comes with it. Maybe someone here can say.

 

 

 

[cwsigmund]

Took it to Sears for a free front end evaluation, and they say the noise is the power steering pump, and all the smoke is coming from a hole in a power steering fluid line. I hesitate to buy this because the smoke seems to have gotten worse, but I don't feel like I am filling the power steering fluid any more than I have been all along. Would a bad power steering pump be making a noise like I described?

[marcusa]

If your power steering fluid isn't getting any lower then it cannot be leaking. Plus power steering is more of a "groan" in my experience. I can't imagine what is smoking though, and you didn't mention it at first.

 

A couple of questions: Is it worse at low speeds (0-20 MPH) medium (20-50 MPH) or high (50+ MPH)?

 

Also, kick the suspected tire on the side at the top end with the car parked. Then the other (for comparison). If one is moving/shaking ratyher than tight on it's a bearing for sure.

 

BTW Sears is probably not the best place to take it, they usually can't diagnose much. Try going to the AAA website and finding a certified mechanic near you. Also check him out on the BBB website. Doesn't hurt to get a second opinion to say the least. Also, if it's smoking I would drive it much, it might catch on fire.

[cwsigmund]

I didn't think Sears was the greatest either, I'm probably going to end up taking it to the local Chevy dealer for an appraisal. When I first got the car, a small amount of smoke would rise from under the hood, which I assumed was from the power steering fluid leak dripping/spraying onto hot engine parts. Lately, the smoke and a burnt smell has gotten worse, but I don't seem to be filling the power steering fluid any more often. Also, when the power steering fluid gets low, a humming/groaning sound can be heard, and it gets louder as I turn the wheel. The humming sound I'm curious about is a different sound, one which can always be heard at least for a bit when the car is driven, even while the power steering is making a different humming sound. It's not a constant humming, it can't always be heard, but it can be heard at least once every time I take the car out, and more often than not, it can be heard most of the time the car is being driven. It gets louder as the car goes faster, it gets louder if I'm going down a hill and/or around a lefthand bend/turn. If this were just the power steering fluid and pump, I wouldn't worry about it so much... I can still steer and I can easily keep adding fluid. Admittedly, I don't know nearly as much as I'd like to about cars mechanically, but I suspect there's something else going on.

[marcusa]

The smoke can't be bearing but the changing noise you mention is almost textbook bearing problems.

[SigEpCutlass]

The smoke can't be bearing but the changing noise you mention is almost textbook bearing problems.

 

That is correct. Unfortunately over time, a lot of us have or had this problem with our cars. It's due to the crappy design of the bearings.

[cwsigmund]

I know there's a couple different companies that make bearing/hub assemblies for my car, is one better than the others? Also, from the crappy description of the operation in my Haynes manual, replacing the assembly doesn't seem too aweful complicated....is it something a complete noob could handle?

[SigEpCutlass]

I'm not sure how complex it is, but I agree 100% on the Haynes description. It's part of the reason I haven't changed mine yet. Word has it, each hub costs about $100 from GM if you have ABS. I'm not sure I'd use another part other than GM for something like this because it took 12 years before one of mine started getting noisy.

[TheEddie]

Ive already replaced my left rear wheel bearing 3 times, dont buy your wheel bearing from advance auto part(loose as soon as I installed it), the last one I got from Autozone is working well. Paid less than a hundred with tax. The drivers side front is going but it's only a slight hum and no wheel shake/vibrating so I'll get to it eventually. I just dumped about 700 into the car so im gonna take a break.