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2002 buick front end noise


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dr.donut
User

Feb 26, 2018, 8:37 AM

Post #1 of 7 (2916 views)
  post locked   2002 buick front end noise  

I have a 2002 buick lesabre with a 3.8 and about 90,000 miles on it , there's a noise in the front drivers wheel that starts about 20mph , " bdbdbdbdbdbdbdbd" and at 45 it sounds like a model airplane , it goes away when the wheel is turned to the right and is synced to the rotation of the wheel any ideas what it might be ? thanks


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

Feb 26, 2018, 9:53 AM

Post #2 of 7 (2909 views)
  post locked   Re: 2002 buick front end noise  

Usually a rough growling that gets better or worse with steering is a bearing as the weight of vehicle shifts. Oh my - to be there and hear it I'm almost always sure and extra sure when it's in my hand that I wasn't fooled that the noise isn't from the other side can do that. Other things possible are the tire and type of wear on it all by itself you can see or feel. Should mark and rotate tires with wheels and see if the noise changes or follow that wheel/tire then it's that.
A CV joint on the list also could make noise but usually begins as a crackle when turning. Describing noises and a diagnosis is difficult by nature if not in person even with a video you don't know if speakers are the same for everyone and trust me they aren't!


Tom



dr.donut
User

Feb 26, 2018, 11:10 AM

Post #3 of 7 (2896 views)
  post locked   Re: 2002 buick front end noise  

that's what I thought , the noise has a rhythm instead of the hum I would expect , like a playing card in the spokes but I guess it's possible , I had someone in the pass seat and it's coming from the drivers , tires are in good shape but I'll check it out anyways , thanks again


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

Feb 26, 2018, 1:25 PM

Post #4 of 7 (2891 views)
  post locked   Re: 2002 buick front end noise  

Let's see how 'verbose' I can get! Bearing is an in stock item looks like this and with air doable or just take it out to check if we get there. Looks like this, hub assembly not just a bearing so can't mess with just bearing.........

Those, notorious to me for a growl like you have one knobby snow/mud tire on the car at first all I dealt with worse on a turn or at least would change that sandy growl.


You MUST rule out the tire! Run hand (watch out for steel belts you don't see they'll cut the shat out of you) for a saw-tooth look or feel on that one if not rotated it plain would have some but even with all the others. No cupping or odd wear on that one vs a quiet one especially which is why I want you to move it to another spot or plain rotate all of them but mark them where from so if you wish put them back - torque lug nuts!
***********************
Arggh? Clothes pin and card in spokes? More like a CV joint is the guess but still a guess. You'd have to take it out, see boot(s) torn or hoist drive wheels up an idea turn hard just idling in gear. This comes with the warning of you absolutely know how to jack up a car and secure it to run it off the ground - level a must, stands a must also.


The bearing requires taking the brake off and it's bracket for the caliper. That's easy enough if you have the tools, bracket is on tight. With caliper held up by a wire then air tools to remove nut (after cotter pin to be new of course) and bearing should come right off you can spin it in your hands and feel the defect not so much while it's on the car as there's no load when off and new is sticky for new grease and seal built in hasn't burned in 1/4 mile would spin free and coast - get me?


Here's where you get in trouble with some with age or rusty situations: The rotor just pushes over the hub blind and some wobble some are stuck there from rust/age and if rusty or maybe dirt that can fall down inside between rotor and hub of the bearing such that the wheel behaves bent! If just a little of that over time the tire would wear all wrong, brakes feel like crap and even see the wobble spinning the wheel and all before you even begin it's off - way too common on some ignored for a long time, wet or corroded AND the rotor free on hub not stuck tight.


None of this is hard - easy for me to say as I have all the stuff and tools but do you? You aren't sure yet and by description is either hub/bearing, CV joint or that wobble I mentioned that would have to have been ignored or wheel just removed and this started right away was obviously not right.


Long missive - sorry. I suggest just pay a tech to diagnose it probably without taking a thing apart so used to the noise/feel combo and a quick look/feel of the tire you'd know and know if you want to do this or not yourself.
That's about the best I can suggest without being there, Tom



Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Feb 26, 2018, 1:48 PM

Post #5 of 7 (2887 views)
  post locked   Re: 2002 buick front end noise  

If you jack up the car in neutral (block the wheels of course) and now put one hand on the knuckle behind the wheel and spin the tire with the other hand, you will feel the grown in the knuckle if that is the bad bearing.



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



dr.donut
User

Feb 27, 2018, 9:51 AM

Post #6 of 7 (2867 views)
  post locked   Re: 2002 buick front end noise  

A new bearing took care of the noise , tires are VG shape , and yes , it comes with the hub and ABS sensor , the old one could have been original and there was a fair amount crud but I cleaned any mating surfaces and the ABS bracket got cleaned and a coat of rust reform . I clean everything up so I'm not torquing dirt , I removed the axle nut when the car was on the ground with a cheater bar and put it on with the same amount by feel , it only wanted to go so far anyway , Be the wrench


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Feb 27, 2018, 11:59 AM

Post #7 of 7 (2862 views)
  post locked   Re: 2002 buick front end noise  

Good, we can close this one now.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.







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