Noise

Wheel bearing?

Does the noise change as you steer left or right?

Well the term "noise" is not very descriptive. How about buzz, wine, high or low frequency, steady or changing, metallic, ringing, etc.

Did it start AFTER you had the wheels aligned? Why did you have the wheels aligned? How far out were they?

Just a guess, I would go with tyre wear, because of the wheel alignment. I would also not object to the possibility of a wheel bearing or even a CV joint. Something vibrating in the wind like some loose plastic baffle is also possible.

Wheel bearing... i'm 99.9% sure.

-Lee

I'd agree. Is is something like a whirring noise? Like "rrrrrrrrrrrrr..."?

Some mentioned turning left and right and seeing if that changes the noise as the offending wheel's load changes, but I didn't really notice any change in my '91 GTI when I had a bad bearing and turned left or right so I'm not sure if that test is all that reliable.

If it's a more scrape-y sounding noise it could be something like a stone trapped in the brake pads somehow but it's likely to change (worse or better) when you brake.

I'm primarily betting on wheel bearing.

:>I have a noise... it gets louder the faster I go and it starts at about :>30mph... it sounds like it's coming from the front passenger side but i'm :>not exactly positive. :>

:>Step on the clutch and let the motor wind down and the noise is still there. :>

:>It's a 86 GTI normally driven by my teenage son. :>

:>It also seems to be getting generally louder over time.... :>

:>Wheels are recently alligned, car tracks straight and the tires are new all :>around.

: Wheel bearing?

: Does the noise change as you steer left or right?

Ah, your right, i noticed the sound goes away when making turns to the right on the highway... left and straight it's there.

I called one mechanic today who said they were hubs and not bearings, said

Terry Solomonson wrote: : Sounds like a wheel bearing unless: : The sound is more like thunder than screeching metal, in which case one : of your new tires might have a defect. : As Tom pointed out, when you turn to the left it should get worse (if : it's on the passenger side) - if it's not too bad yet it should go away : on a slow turn to the right.

It goes away turning to the right... think i'll avoid the interstate for a bit with it...

I got the allignment because you could feel the steerign wheel shake

Find another mechanic as he's already confused! We charge 4.5hours labor for doing both fronts + alignment

Did the person who changed the tires use a big hammer and prybars to get the alloy wheels to come off of the axles? That preceded my need for wheel bearings.

I have nine-spoke wheels, and a 3-pronged wheel puller works *so* nicely.

Had a wheel bearing replaced yesterday on my son's 1986 Golf after the same symptoms....

: Well the term "noise" is not very descriptive. How about buzz, wine, : high or low frequency, steady or changing, metallic, ringing, etc.

sorry, hard to describe, but kinda a rrrrrrr which becomes RRRR on the highway...

: Did it start AFTER you had the wheels aligned? Why did you have the : wheels aligned? How far out were they?

No, I thought/hoped new tires/alignment would take care of the problem, but it didn't. (The car had 4 mismatched tires on it of questionable age so I figured new tires and a alignment were in order since i've owned the car for more than a year now.

: Just a guess, I would go with tyre wear, because of the wheel alignment. : I would also not object to the possibility of a wheel bearing or even a CV : joint. Something vibrating in the wind like some loose plastic baffle is : also possible.

I bought goodyear eagle gt-hr's when i got the alignment just so I'd have some idea how old the tires were... due to cost, i only replaced the fronts and then had a blowout about a month later from one of the rear tires... i was in front of a firestone dealer so ended up with a pair of lemans-hr's on the back, but at least I know how old they are now.

Woodchuck wrote: : Find another mechanic as he's already confused! We charge 4.5hours labor : for doing both fronts + alignment

Well... it was $204 for the right front bearing... not sure if i could do it myself and with us having 36 hours of snow and now cold this week, I'm not sure i'd wanna try.

I'm hoping to test it out tomorrow since they are getting the roads plowed pretty good now and see if that fixed the noise I heard...

For labor *and* parts? Amazing. Care to share your mechanic, or don't want word to get out?

:>Woodchuck wrote: :>: Find another mechanic as he's already confused! We charge 4.5hours labor :>: for doing both fronts + alignment :>

:>Well... it was $204 for the right front bearing... not sure if i could do :>it myself and with us having 36 hours of snow and now cold this week, I'm :>not sure i'd wanna try.

: For labor *and* parts? Amazing. Care to share your mechanic, or : don't want word to get out?

That was out the door price (tax and so on)...

Join your local vw club (in my case NIVA or Northeastern Illinois Volkswagen Association) and ask other members for who they recommend in your area, thats what I did...

The newsletters are fun to read as well...

I'd like to do more of my own work, but space (and right now temperatures) are a issue for me... last January I did change the upper radiator hose outside on a 10 degree day... wasn't too bad until my frozen fingers dropped the screwdriver while tightening a clamp and I had to crawl under the car in the snow to find it.... I finished, but it was downhill from there. The only hose I didn't replace that winter was the lower hose, it was worth it to pay someone else to do that one... (all the hoses were breaking due to age).