Help with bearing noise

[AJK87]

Recently changed the NSF weel bearing on my 2015 scout (107 000 miles) with some info kindly provided by other forum members.

 

Unfortunately the nosie I was trying to fix is still there.

 

I have a bearing drone, fairly mild but defintely present. Hear it most clearly at about 50 - 80 mph. Most audible on smoother surfaces when the tyre noise is less.

 

Tyres are 4 conti cross contact lx2 all in top condition with no feathering to edges. Only fitted about a year ago and not even used during Winter as switched to Winter wheels/tyres.

 

I know my tyre choice isn't the quietest but this noise is definitely a bearing amd not tyre noise.

 

The noise is still present and doesn't really alter if you dip the clutch and coast, which led me to believe a wheel bearing rather than anything more sinister.

 

I'm sure it's the front as can't really hear it in the rear. It gets louder is you jolt the steering rightwards, which made me think Nearside bearing.

 

Having not cured it by changing the NS bearing I'm now suspecting OS, but that doesn't seem to tie in with the turning right making it worse.

 

My question is, could it be the OS bearing and still it get louder when turning to the right? Or is that highly unlikely?

 

Many thanks

Edited 11 April by AJK87

[HeavyMetalRich]

Can you feel any vibration similar to the droning sound through the floor by the pedals as you drive along? Really, you'd need to get the car in the air and spin the wheels. Whether that's one at a time or all four makes no difference.

 

As you spin the wheels, you should hear the courseness of the worn bearing along with any noise from the brakes. I find it's best to compare a couple of wheels to make sure what you're hearing is definitely different.

 

The other possibility is the brakes. A lip or uneven lump of rust on a disc could make the sound.

[TheClient]

1 hour ago, HeavyMetalRich said:

Can you feel any vibration similar to the droning sound through the floor by the pedals as you drive along? Really, you'd need to get the car in the air and spin the wheels. Whether that's one at a time or all four makes no difference.

 

As you spin the wheels, you should hear the courseness of the worn bearing along with any noise from the brakes. I find it's best to compare a couple of wheels to make sure what you're hearing is definitely different.

 

The other possibility is the brakes. A lip or uneven lump of rust on a disc could make the sound.

All worthwhile trying. But it is a lot harder to identify the culprit esp in early stages these days with the integrated bearings. 

 

I had noticeable drone from a wheel. Tried loading un loading left and right sides, no difference.

 

Jacked all wheels up, checked for deflection and spun them, couldn't tell.

 

In the end I took it to a local garage and asked to diagnose.  He struggled even with car in air, driving all 4 wheels and a stethoscope but said his best guess was nsr. He was right. I paid for the diagnosis.  

[AJK87]

Thanks for the advice, all very valid. You can't really spin the wheels up fast enough due to resistance from the drivetrain, especially with it being 4wd.

 

If I had a means of getting the entire car off the ground myself I'd put it in gear and go around with a stethoscope but with the wheels unloaded that may or may not help, it's definitely an early faliure as isn't that loud.

 

The main thing I'm curious to hear is whether people think the noise must be on the Nearside due to it getting worse steering to the right, or could an offside bearing get louder when turning right because of how the bearing is failing (ie which side of the bearing)?

[J.R.]

Usually that is a 100% indication.

 

Did you replace both front and rear NS bearings?

[AJK87]

1 minute ago, J.R. said:

Usually that is a 100% indication.

 

Did you replace both front and rear NS bearings?

No but I can't really hear it in the rear but hear it very pronounced from the drivers seat. Torn between NSR or OSF to try next 

[J.R.]

NSR.

[AJK87]

Just now, J.R. said:

NSR.

Thanks for that. Seems strange that I don't hear it at all when sitting NSR but do in the drivers seat but I'm willing to be led by the advice of someone more certain than me. Thanks

[J.R.]

There is no certainty, like you I find it impossible to spin a wheel up to check for bearing noise against the resistance of the brake caliper, driveshaft and differential, and in the case of the rear wheel rotating the crownwheel, propshaft and planet gears against the other stationary driveshaft, some on here reckon that is rubbish and it can easily be done, I reckon their mechanical experience does not go beyond a keyboard.

 

Steering to the right increases the loading on both LH wheel bearings and reduces it on the RH ones, if I had replaced the front LH bearing my next one would be the LH rear but I cannot be certain.

 

I have what I think is diff bearing noise after making the classic error when changing the Haldex oil but its really hard to track down, sometimes at low speed I hear scraping from what I believe is the NSR but without standing outside while someone else replicates the noise I cant be sure, both rear wheels when jacked up seem ok, brake pads wih plenty of meat, no dragging, backplates not rusted or fractured, I fitted my winter wheels this week while sourcing new tyres, now what I thought was diff noise seems louder, maybe its tyre noise and lack of insulation, I have the rear seats and parcel shelf removed permanently.

[AJK87]

13 hours ago, J.R. said:

There is no certainty, like you I find it impossible to spin a wheel up to check for bearing noise against the resistance of the brake caliper, driveshaft and differential, and in the case of the rear wheel rotating the crownwheel, propshaft and planet gears against the other stationary driveshaft, some on here reckon that is rubbish and it can easily be done, I reckon their mechanical experience does not go beyond a keyboard.

 

Steering to the right increases the loading on both LH wheel bearings and reduces it on the RH ones, if I had replaced the front LH bearing my next one would be the LH rear but I cannot be certain.

 

I have what I think is diff bearing noise after making the classic error when changing the Haldex oil but its really hard to track down, sometimes at low speed I hear scraping from what I believe is the NSR but without standing outside while someone else replicates the noise I cant be sure, both rear wheels when jacked up seem ok, brake pads wih plenty of meat, no dragging, backplates not rusted or fractured, I fitted my winter wheels this week while sourcing new tyres, now what I thought was diff noise seems louder, maybe its tyre noise and lack of insulation, I have the rear seats and parcel shelf removed permanently.

The rear seats being removed will certainly be giving you extra road noise as you know.

 

I presume the scraping noise is seperate to the one you're describing as a diff noise? The scraping noise will eventually become apparent when it worsens I'm sure.

 

Sounds like your possible diff noise isn't bad, so perhaps just tyre noise like you say

[J.R.]

Yes scraping noise seperate, it sounds exactly like when I have had rear disc backplates self compost but these I have replaced and they are good.

 

Diff noise became very bad while I was driving with no oil in the diff, manifested itself on a 200 mile motorway then autoroute journey heavily laden, I filled with oil and flushed twice and was very lucky that everything had overheated but no evidence of the case hardening being worn through, its left me with diff noise but acceptable and 50K miles later its really no worse but as you will probably understand I am now paranoid about transmission noise, removing the rear seats has made that worse.

[rum4mo]

I've only had 2 VW Group cars with wheel bearing issues, first a 2000 VW Passat 4Motion 2.8, I was convinced that it was a front end issue, no swerving Right<>Left changed anything, I asked the VW dealership to investigate and if it was wheel bearings, just replace both sides, got a phone alter saying that they had worked out which side it was - but their advice was to replace both sides, didn't they read my initial request! Either way, that I suppose cut them loose from changing the wrong side, but all good in the end. That was at around the 10 year mark and 65,000 miles.

My wife's 2015 VW Polo 1.2TSI started making front bearing noises when only 8 year old and maybe 35,000 miles, again no extra clues could be derived from swerving side to side, so I just bought a bearing changing tool cheaply via ebay and a couple F A G replacement bearing kits from auto doc - for not much money - replacing both sides sorted out that problem, which I think, went examining the removed bearings, was due to water getting into the RHS wheel bearing assembly, as I had spotted it early and not run too many thousands of miles, there was no roughness that I could detect from the removed bearing, just an indication of water getting in past the seal.

 

My tip is, do that job once and replace both sides with non VW Group branded bearing kits like F A G for instance, and escape this problem for the foreseeable future.

[AJK87]

34 minutes ago, rum4mo said:

I've only had 2 VW Group cars with wheel bearing issues, first a 2000 VW Passat 4Motion 2.8, I was convinced that it was a front end issue, no swerving Right<>Left changed anything, I asked the VW dealership to investigate and if it was wheel bearings, just replace both sides, got a phone alter saying that they had worked out which side it was - but their advice was to replace both sides, didn't they read my initial request! Either way, that I suppose cut them loose from changing the wrong side, but all good in the end. That was at around the 10 year mark and 65,000 miles.

My wife's 2015 VW Polo 1.2TSI started making front bearing noises when only 8 year old and maybe 35,000 miles, again no extra clues could be derived from swerving side to side, so I just bought a bearing changing tool cheaply via ebay and a couple F A G replacement bearing kits from auto doc - for not much money - replacing both sides sorted out that problem, which I think, went examining the removed bearings, was due to water getting into the RHS wheel bearing assembly, as I had spotted it early and not run too many thousands of miles, there was no roughness that I could detect from the removed bearing, just an indication of water getting in past the seal.

 

My tip is, do that job once and replace both sides with non VW Group branded bearing kits like F A G for instance, and escape this problem for the foreseeable future.

A useful approach if you're sure whether it's front or rear. In my case it sounds like it is definitely front but the evidence points to it being nearside which due to the nearside front already having been replaced would only leave Nearside rear. That's why I've been struggling with my next move.

 

As JR has pointed out going with the evidence makes the most sense.

 

If I end up changing all four before I fix it then hey ho. I'm doing them myself so it's relatively inexpensive and as the car has done 107k and I plan to keep for the next 5 years any replaced will serve as preventative maintenance

[indars]

Was lucky that all front bearings on Fabia 1 and Octavia 3 "sounded in test like it should be" when bearing's end was near.
I mean, steering wheel to left > noise gets louder > right bearing dead. And opposite action for left bearing test.

[AJK87]

On 12/04/2024 at 16:55, AJK87 said:

No but I can't really hear it in the rear but hear it very pronounced from the drivers seat. Torn between NSR or OSF to try next 

The bearing noise has got louder now and is a lot more obvious.

 

I'm positive it is front not rear. Gets worse when turning right but have already replaced NSF with no change.

 

Suddenly had a thought today, could it be a bearing on an intermediate driveshaft... does anybody know which side has the intermediate shaft?

 

Cheers