When i drive the front drivers side wheel makes a whowling noise..... i lifted up the front drivers side and shook the wheel side to side - the whole wheel and the disc rotor shakes, but not the brake caliper. looking closer i noticed the axle nut doesnt seem right - the dent of the nut is not in the right position, as if the nut was loosened.

right now i have no tools and will have to drive for 2 hours to get my tools. my question is, is the noise from a loose axle nut or from bad wheel bearings?

 

need some help please. anyone?

 

sounds like your hub

 

I would first say wheel bearing - but that axle nut issue sure as hell is weird.

Get the axle nut off - inspect the situation, it's the only way you're gonna get an answer on this. Just wait until you can get to your tools.

You can drive it for the time being.

Times have changed, in the older days of cars when the wheel bearing went out - the wheel locked up. Now it just brakes a bunch of **** - but nothing locks up - so it's probably okay to drive....although iono about 200 miles...

 

Wheel bearing. A loose axle nut will if at all, allow the outer cv joint to move left to right.

Here are a few things to verify a bad wheel bearing.

1. drive the car in a straight line, when the howling starts turn the wheel left to right, loading and unloading the wheel bearing on that side. the sound of the howl will change. Bad wheel bearing.

2. jack the car up. place on jackstands and put it in drive. let the car idle drive it self. then from the underside ( this is safer on a lift, but can be done on the ground with the proper percautions taken) grab the spring on that side. If the bearing is bad you will feel the vibration in the spring (the spring acts as an amplifier). to verify. stop the wheel from spinning on the first side to allow the opposite wheel to spin. then grab that spring, you will feel nothing.

hope this helps.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by truevietluv636 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">When i drive the front drivers side wheel makes a whowling noise..... i lifted up the front drivers side and shook the wheel side to side - the whole wheel and the disc rotor shakes, but not the brake caliper. looking closer i noticed the axle nut doesnt seem right - the dent of the nut is not in the right position, as if the nut was loosened.

right now i have no tools and will have to drive for 2 hours to get my tools. my question is, is the noise from a loose axle nut or from bad wheel bearings? </TD></TR></TABLE>

i will tighten the axle nut first. a loose axle nut will make a howling noise if loose, how do i know, i forgot to tighten mine once all the way, not to mention, the howling noise is really loud and gives off a vibration.

now if the problem still persists, then it's most likely a bearing. either problem should be reparied immediately.

 

thanks for all of the info. i'll try to tighten the axle nut as soon as i can. hopefully nothing else goes wrong.

 

I'd go buy another 1 1/4" socket and breaker bar than drive on it for 2 hours.
I hope u weren't intending on driving it