Sounds like a rubbing noise

[Gortreck]

Hi Folks

Was wondering if anyone else had ever come across this situation. I seem to have a noise which increases in pitch the faster i get, which leads me to believe something must be rubbing on something that runs at the speed i am going (wheels or direct to teh ground etc) I havent found anything yet which points to it. It seems to be coming from the front left hand side somewhere.

Any clues as to where to start looking would be greatly appreciated!

Kind Regards
Tony

[CDTi-SRi-Matt]

Wheel bearing maybe? They make a droning sort of noise that gets louder the faster you go i believe.

[Gortreck]

Hi, thanks for teh reply.

If it is the wheel bearing, how soon does it need to be replaced, aprroximately how much would it cost and whats the damage chances if i dont do it immediately? (very skint currently )

Thanks
Tony

[Big-Pete]

Moved to a more relevant section for you

[rushy]

Front bearing is also part of the hub so you have to buy the whole thing. Ebay is your best bet, its where I got mine from, there is a VX specialist on there that does them for about £60-£70. Then an independent will fit it for about £45 (1 hours labor) Its actually easy to fit it yourself, the hub nut is the hardest part. Give LMF a buzz also and tell them your from here or give danboy a PM (he works for LMF) they should give you a good price.

[Art]

If it's speed related ...

Assuming you've checked for the obvious tyre damage, damaged wheel trims, trapped mud flaps, damaged/flapping pieces of trims etc.

That leaves anything from tyres to drive shafts, best get that checked by an expert ASAP, could be a death trap.

[Jezzy]

Before you go buying wheel bearings, check your rear tyres properly. Look for uneven wear on the inside edges of the rears. That sort of tyre wear will cause exactly the noise you've described, and it's more common than worn bearings. You don't want to go to the expense and effort of having new bearings fitted only to find that the noise is still there.

[Gortreck]

Thanks for the replies folks (and for moving to the correct section for me mod )

I will have a look at the rear wheels and see if there is any wear where you suggested. Hard to get under the car properly with all the snow here :s

[Gortreck]

Hi

Managed to give the wheel arches a good clean out etc, there doesnt seem to be anything at all catching the front wheels to create the noise, there is no unusual tyre wear on any of the wheels either.

The noise doesnt get too much louder when driving, when the car is moving at a speed probably greater than around 15 - 20mph the volume of it stays the same, its more the pitch that changes.

I was trying to explain the noise to my wife the other day and the best thing i could think of was when as a boy i used to put a squashed plastic drink containiner on my BMX to make the motorbike type of sound as you were riding along ....... That make sense to any of you out there?

Thanks
Tony

[Exotica]

I have the same problem but from the rear.

Went down to VX and service said its probably tyre noise. I said I know what tyre road noise sounds like , this loud humming noise kicks in at around 30mph and gets louder. So loud I have to turn the stereo up to cover the noise. Got it booked in for Thursday and been told if its not a warranty part I will be charged £45 just for the inspection.