quote:
Originally posted by waqas
... I've heard the whistling sound from the rear (seems like the right side). It kicks in around 45-55mph and just stays like a constant whistle (kind of like a loud brake squeal). Tapping the brakes makes no difference, and neither does making turns. I'm sure it is not just wind, as it rings much louder when I go through a tunnel or an underpass. It's definitely a whistle and not a moaning sound.
Well, it is quite a sharp, 'tinny' squeel as if two metal objects are rubbing against each other, and it is rather loud. With the windows up, I can still hear it easily and often wonder what bystanders may think. With respect to the bearings, I thought it might be caused by a spinning bearing, but not a worn one (as that is being described as more of a rumble/groan, which this definitely is not: this is crisp, clear, high-pitch and 'on-the-surface, exposed-to-air').
It started about 3 years ago as an intermittent sound. Then more frequently, until now it's about always there, also at (very) low speeds, as in stop and go traffic. It seems to go away at higher speeds, but with the extra road and wind noise it's a bit hard to really tell. It changes with speed, so it is speed related and not engine RPM related. It does seem to come from the right rear but now that I have replaced and cleaned just about everything on and around the axles and break discs, it's hard to believe that it could be e.g. a brake pad. But I may go ahead and replace those now as well; for a few years I have had spare sets front and back sitting on the shelf, but since the current ones are still so new-looking, I have not replaced them. Then again, my sound is like Waqas': it does not go away when tapping either the brakes or applying the handbrake, which is why I thought it would have to be the bearing.
Maybe it is the break disc itself, rubbing against the dust shield, or against 'something' else. But before I put on the wheels yesterday, I spun them around and no noise.
What I am thinking besides the brake pads, as I mentioned in my previous post, is 'something' like an exhaust clamp (I did replace my exhaust system maybe a year before the sound started) rubbing against the driveshaft. Also because the sound barely changes when I swerve from side to side, or whether I am going over a speed bump or what have you, so it seems barely affected by the relative position of the wheels/axles.
The noise is so pronounced that I can't imagine not being able to pinpoint it after more diagnosing, and one of the steps is putting the car on axle stands (such that the wheels are in the same position as while driving), starting the car and putting it in drive, so that the rear wheels and the whole driveline can rotate. I won't be lying under the car then, incidentally. But I did apply this 'procedure' once before to find and correct an imbalance on the drive shaft of my Triumph Spitfire, 30 years ago and it worked perfectly then.
Replacing the bearings can be done by the average DIY'er (I know because I am one) - took about 11 hours in total, which included some lessons learned-time, and I figure that if the springs and shocks would have to come off, that would add maybe two hours. You would need a good spring compressor, but those can be had relatively cheap (I paid something like $60 for my set of three from Monroe, quite good quality) and those come in handy for a variety of things anyway. And it's like anything on our cars: tackling it yourself, provided you are careful and don't cause damage like to the sliding bearing, is very gratifying and you know the car that much better for future reference.
