new tires or steering?

hi i purchased new front tires and have a terrible irritating humming sound. also when i turn the steering wheel left or right it stops. so, im not sure what the problem could be, the steering? or tires? or other. yes i am a female and would appreciate any help. thanks a bunch

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sput
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Well, never let it be said that chivalry is dead ...

You don't identify the model and year but lets assume its a Lancer / Mirage derivative, around 1997 vintage.

I'd guess first up its tire noise. However, if your old tires were generally noisy, they may have been masking other issues.

Take your car to a general workshop (not a steering place just yet) and have them CHECK (only) the front wheel bearings, ball joints and tie rod ends. Also have them check of the rear suspension lower control arm adjuster bolts are not rusted in-place. This will take at most 30 minutes: the front parts are either worn or not and any half-decent mechanic can tell in 1 minute per side on the hoist. The rear adjuster bolts can be moved, or not. This might take 5-10 minutes per side: the mechanic has to remove a nut and try to turn the bolts, sometimes hit them a few times.

Let us know here of the results, and I and others will be happy to advise specifically. In general though ...

Worn wheel bearings can cause the noise you describe, as can loose ball joints. Tie rod ends cause vibration and wheel wobble, but not noise like you describe. If ball joints or tie rod ends are worn, they have to be replaced before a wheel alignment can be done.

If the rear suspension lower control arm adjuster bolts are rusted in-place (common on older cars) these either have to be replaced if the rear wheel alignment is to be done, or else you leave them alone and don't bother adjusting the rear.

Some cars have no rear adjustment eg 90-94 FWD Eclipse. Some steering shops charge for a 4 wheel alignment on all cars, even if there's nothing to adjust at the rear. Others have a lesser FWD only adjustment charge. It pays to ask before getting the job done.

If nothing is worn, and you've never had a wheel alignment done, have it done.

If you take it directly to a steering place, you'll be immediately tagged as an uninformed female, and likely end up paying more than you need.

Stewart DIBBS

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Stewart DIBBS

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