Front wheel bearing noise? Or transmission bearing?? please help!!! 97 Civic DX hatch
 

I have this loud whooshing noise constently when I drive. It seems to be coming from the middle of the car. But I had some others ride with me to get their opions and they said it sounded like it's coming from an outer end. I was thinking it's my passenger front wheel bearing, because when I spun the wheel on a lift there's a rough spot where the wheel stops. But I thought wheel bearing noise goes away when you turn. This whooshing is constantly there even when turning, or going straight. It's defenetly a rotation noise, and sounds like some really really loud tire noise. I changed my pads & rotors, re-balenced my wheels, and changed both front axles. Now my other questions was, if anyone had any experience with a transmission bearing going bad? Isn't there a bearing also on the trans that connects to the axle splines? I was just thinking about that too. The noise starts at about 5mph, and one of my buddies says he feels unsafe riding because the noise is so loud. I'm selling the car, but I wanna get this problem fixed before I can price the car. It's a 97 Civic DX hatch with stock hubs, calipers, and brakes. Of coarse it has a B16 w B series axles, but thats all. Any kind of advise would be great. Thanks!

Re: Front wheel bearing noise? Or transmission bearing?? please help!!! 97 Civic DX h
 

This old post describes the droning noise my 95 Civic ex 5-speed with 220,000 miles has. Sounds like snow tires on the front. Starts at low speed and gets louder as speed increases. Putting it in neutral doesn't change the noise. Thanks for any suggestions.

Mel

Re: Front wheel bearing noise? Or transmission bearing?? please help!!! 97 Civic DX h
 

Sounds like wheel bearings. They can make a noise without any extra play felt. I had the noise, kind of like tires, and the bearings felt great to me and an alignment shop. The alignment man knew it was bearings immediately when he drove it, though he had not felt anything. The hard chromed lining was flaking off the inner race, giving noise, not play.

Re: Front wheel bearing noise? Or transmission bearing?? please help!!! 97 Civic DX h
 

I've got this same problem on my automatic 96 civic. Whirring noise from the left front that gets louder with speed, not RPM. Sounds like a bad tire, but it's been getting louder and louder over the past couple months. I just paid a guy to change the wheel bearing, but the noise is still there.
Any chance it's the axle, or a bearing connecting the axle to the trans? Is this a common problem?

Re: Front wheel bearing noise? Or transmission bearing?? please help!!! 97 Civic DX h
 

i have the same issue but i am pretty sure its the 8 year old tires that i have on my car 0.0

Re: Front wheel bearing noise? Or transmission bearing?? please help!!! 97 Civic DX h
 

a wheel vs transmission bearing is easy to differentiate if its speed vs rpm, as pointed out earlier.

youve located the rough spot, so then its a bad bearing. replace.