I've started to notice lately that my rear, right tire is humming... The faster i go, the higher, and more audible the humming gets. I have Kuhmo 712s, with around 10,000km on them.

My friend just go 2 new front tires on his Accord, and now his car is humming too (but from the rear tires). The mechanic told him that it's a normal wear and tear on some "ball bearing"?

Is this the case? Or are there another other things that we should be looking out for.

Cheers,
Matt

 

whats the tread look like?

 

look for camber/toe wear or any uneven wear.

Personally I dont think the Kuhmo is that great of a tire, I had them and I was not pleased with them at all, better then stock, but that isint saying much. For the price they arent bad, but I dont really consider them a high-performance tire.


[Modified by 97blackteg, 12:00 PM 12/23/2001]

 

hehe ive seen the unidriectional going to wrong way before

 

The tires are facing the right direction, and there doesn't seem to be any abnormal wear.

I'm guess it's the bearing... anyone know how difficult this job is? What it involves?

 

If your absolutely sure about your tires being in good shape and in the right direction. Then its 100% most likely that your wheel bearings are going bad. If its been happening too long all you have to do is repack the bearings with grease. But if it has been a long time then you should replace the bearings. The job is very easy to do, it just invloves taking off the rotors and tapping out the bearings.

 

it sounds like wheel bearings.... I had the same sound on my 94 GSR, and had no clue what it was, than Acura figures out I had a bad wheel bearing.. Once it was replaced the sound was gone...

 

Thanks for your help guys.

 

I had a similar problem. I thought it was the wheel bearings, so I replaced the front ones, but that didn't solve the problem. However, I was getting new tires at around the same time and when I had them put on, the noise went away. Your tires might be out of balance. At least that's what did the trick for me.

It sounds like wha-wha-wha-wha-wha and is more noticble at lower speeds than higher

 

Yes it could be either one. Your tires might be worn and worn threads are not always visible when they start to make noise. Or it could be your bearings too.

 

Yeah, I've got a similar problem. My tires hum too, and hum louder when there's a lateral force on them. I can't figure out what the problem is. They are also Kumho 712's, but they didn't make the sound originally. This sound has been around since I had my car lowered with springs. At the time of the lowering though, I had the car's camber and alignment adjusted properly. Also, there's no vibration in the wheel at any speeds. Could my bears have suddenly gone bad when I lowered the car? Any other ideas?

 

Suggestions please...

I'm strapped for cash... and here are a few of my options.

I talked to Honda, and they said that they could replace my rear wheel bearing for $160 labour and $250 parts (1 wheel, $CAD). I can't afford that right now...

I spoke with another mechanic, and he said that it was possible to replace the bearing itself with an aftermarket one ($50 parts, 1hr labour @ around $70)... is this an alternative, or should I avoid this route?

When does it become unsafe to drive around with a worn bearing? And what the best way to check if the bearing is excessively worn? Will jacking the car and spinning the wheel make a distinct sound, if the bearing is worn?

Cheers,
Matt

 

I got aftermarket bearings over a year now and they are fine....cost me $250 but they charged me more cause its ABS and that crap. My bearings made more noise at lower speeds and didnt sound like a hmmmm it sound like grrrrrr. I personally think its youre tires....cheap tires make noise when they start wearing down.....especially if youre camber is off. I could barely talk to someone in my car with my Toyos. If I had to bet $$$$ I would put it on your tires making the noise....