2007 S60 2.5T

I've got a noise that seems to be coming the the left front wheel. As I increase speed the noise gets louder. Around 50 - 60 it's the loudest. Around 80 it is hardly noticeable. While driving straight, if I suddenly jerk the wheel to the inside (as if to start to go right) the noise gets even louder. If I turn to the outside, it quiets some.

I jacked up the car and tried to rock the wheels (both left and right front) to see if it is a bearing. It doesn't appear to be a bearing as I cannot get any movement up and down or side to side.

It seems to be a weight bearing noise as I cannot get it with the car jacked up and the wheels spinning.

Anyone have any clues?

 

Wheel bearing.

 

Thanks for the reply! Even though the sound seems like its coming from the front, I jacked up the rear this morning. Still, there's no play whatsoever when trying to move the wheel form top to bottom and left to right. However, when I spin the wheel freely, there's a pretty loud rubbing noise. Think it's the rear instead?

 

First off, if the wheel had any play from the bearing, you would not be able to drive the car. You will never be able to jack the car and duplicate any wheel bearing symptoms. As YOU stated, it's most noticeable at 50 mph. Can you spin the wheel to 50 mph and add 1000 lbs of pressure to it, then add a torquing G force to it to simulate the right hand turn (all while on a jack stand)?

Look up a picture or look at my video of how a wheel bearing is made. In the bearing assembly there may be 8 to 12 rollers. What happens is, one of those rollers gets a pit or some other damage to it and you get to feel it in the cabin. The issue gradually gets worst until you feel it in the car. 2,000 Miles later the noise is so bad that you can't ignore it.

However, if you are so confused that you can't tell if it's coming from the front or rear, you really need to take the car somewhere to have it checked out. Just about any car place can diagnose a bad wheel bearing.

 

The rubbing noise you hear at the rear is likely the brake pads touching the rotor.

 

The noise from the rear is probably the parking brake shoes. Might be normal or they may have come apart.

The noise you describe sounds like a wheel bearing. Just because there is no play doesn't mean it isn't bad. Water gets into the bearing and damages it. Best way to tell is drive the car on a lift and listen to the spindle with a stethoscope or screwdriver. If its FWD, the ABS light will come on.

 

Thanks all for the feedback. I think you are all right, that it is likely the wheel bearing. I hate to invest in the new wheel hub assembly (Moog - about $200.00) if its not that.

Don't have a lift, although I did put it up on blocks, put it in drive, gave her gas to see if I could hear it. No noise at all. Could be the loss of weight makes the difference. Could be the noise is not a bearing, or its the rear bearing.

 

You may not hear it in the car but if you listen to the back of the spindle with a screwdriver you should hear it

 

Well rspi I have to disagree with you on two of your points, first, I have seen plenty of vehicles with a ton play in the wheel and they drove the vehicle so you can't say the vehicle would not be drivable. Second , "You will never be able to jack the car and duplicate any wheel bearing symptoms" you've obviously never had a vehicle running on a lift because like es6t said you can hear it with a stethoscope and sometimes if its bad enough you don't even need to use one to tell if its bad or not. So don't use the term "never" unless you're sure of it lol.