Bad struts?

Never heard of tires being the cause for torque steer. Torque steer is normally associated with the differences in powertrain components from one side to the other, e.g. the difference in axle length.

It is possible that the tires cause the noise you hear. Check the tirerack.com tire reviews, you may f> My 2006 Maxima SE was damaged by a major hailstorm after only 6 months

...ringing resonance that does not vary with speed on all but the smoothest roads. ... The sound frequency defines: On the smooth road shocks still move a tiny bit, but this up down travel frequency (how many times up/down per second) cannot still be 'very' high. If we assume that shock makes a minuscle move up during one inch moved, and down next we can make calculate its 'frequency' on a given speed:

Approx. 60mph is about 100km/h = 100feet/28meters per second results around 1100herz which is fairly low frequency sound and has to be quite loud for ppl to hear. I guess this could outrule bushings & shocks? (Note that I am not trying to split hairs, but go after the possibilities which are exactly as you say.)

Next if we check the tire and its symmetric structure hitting flat surface, we find out that the thread has uniformity on 1/10 to 2/10 inch "area". This would mean that a certain repetiotious thread notch row would hit the surface at 5000-to10.000 herz higher pitch -range, which may be conducted better to a occupant in the car.

One issue is the road as a sound-reflector: maybe the sound is always there, but 'sinks in' and reflects only on smooth surfaces. (My Jeep-43 seems quiet on snow). Then it could also be brakes or brake splash shields. (Pushing brake lightly outrules brake pads...)

Derived from this, my guess for the sound source is also in the tires Possibly in its 'texture pattern' [if the sound pitch you hear is relatively high].

A 'solution' is to 'tune up' your exhaust or stereos... or drive only on rough roads?

With the SE, the Goodyears would spin so badly, that it magnified the torque steer problem. The Continentals on the SL seem to grip better, in wet or dry conditions, and I've experience little of the torque steer problem.

Thanks, I'll do that.

The noise is actually worse on rough surfaces. like coarse asphalt. This isn't a show stopper for me, but it's annoying nonetheless. The pitch of the noise is comparable to the way a basketball "rings" when it bounces. The noise is constant when rolling on coarse surfaces, and the pitch doesn't vary with speed.

... comparable to the way a basketball "rings" when it bounces... To me this means relatively low, am I right... if so, could point to the axle structure.

- is there any 'directional info' in the sound, from all four 'wheels'??? (=rotate, move head, listen)

Resonances:

- In my 9ton RV there was a standing wave pattern: the chassis had two main steel beams where all was attached [====] ,this created at certain speed a standing soundvawe 2feet above both bars. If one positioned head just 'into' the vawe, the noise was annoying just in a critical cruising speed. The spot was just were driver had to sit. Moving head sideways dimmed the noise considerably.

- The rooftop antenna in some Peugeots used to sit on the edge of the windshield. On certain fog temp/conditions, it would start to 'sing'. Not big issue, but on long trips not nice.

- One vehicle had (sometimes) singing caliper sheet metal shields. On first RV issue, filling the [ -beams- ] got the sound down (this chassis low frequency noise 'rose' to irritating levels after my complete engine noise killer project, resulting absolute engine tranquility. Its big diesel, neigborhood menace, became soundless, u didn know it was idling). On the second, half inch tape in the mid of the antenna killed the vibration vawelenght. Third noise needed drillin a hole to attach a extra spring to cause tension to the caliper shield. Noise killed.

The pic below depicts the shield. One could guess that this metal 'pan' may have equal frequency characteristics compared to the basketball ring plus++ having a loudspeaker membrane. (Shield: See the lower blk arrow start point in the pic below.) Bending, drilling, welding, cuttin, spring load, etc will enhance its characteristics frequency and possibly kill all its vibrations. See my article on killing chassis noises at

see pic at ...maxima used to have two open roadnoise 'amplifier loudspeakers' here; easy to fill and roadnoises kill... see also/ rip out the rear wheel sound amplifiers:

see pic at

Note that you will NOT get any help at stealerships, this is truly beyond of scope of any std maint guide's CAUTION signs... But pls tell me how it goes.