REPLACE WHEEL HUB or CV JOINT? NEED HELP

I have a 2001 olds alero w/ 70k on it.

I hear a "humming" noise coming from the front passenger side when I drive. It gets louder when I make right turns. When making left turns I don't hear it.

Are there any tests I can do myself to determine what the problem is?

I don't know whether to replace the wheel hub or cv joint? If I have to replace either part, can I do the job myself?

Welcome to AF.

The humming or airplane sound is mostly a bad hub bearing. Bad CV joints normally do not make that type sound.

If you turn the wheel to the left and the noise gets louder then it is the right hub bearing. Vice versa for the other hub bearing.

You can replace a hub DIY but some special tools are needed like a 35-36mm axle nut socket, torque wrench, breaker bar and possibly a hub puller if the hub is hard to remove.

Let me get this straight if I turn the wheel to the right > and hear the hum, that means that I must replace the left hub, correct?

:meant:

If the wheel is turned to the left and the noise gets louder or stays noisy but is quiet when turning right then right hub bearing. Vice versa for the other one.

thanx, I'll post when I do the repairs. Hopefully it's just the hub which I think I should have no problem replacing

No luck :banghead: . I change the left bearing b/c when I turned to the right the sound "humming" would get louder. I'm thinking it's the rotors. I'm going to have to change the brakes in a couple of months so I'll just deal with the sound till I have to change the brakes. Hopefully, changing the rotors will make the sound go away.

Question: at what speed does the humming sound start? Because of the N body chassis doing the steering test can be deceptive and it may be the opposite one. Rule of thumb is to replace both front hubs at the same time unless you are sure it is another problem like the brakes.

Bearing hum normally starts around 30 mph and gets progressively worse as speed increases.

First off, thanks for taking time to respond. Change the left front bearing. I notice the hum at speeds greater than 20mph and yes it gets louder when I go faster and make right turns. When I make right turns its not a steady hum more like a waWAwaWAwaWA

By the way changed the brakes about 9 months ago and have 14k on them. Thinking about changing the brakes anyway just to see if that will correct the problem.

not sure if this problem has been fixed yet or not, but just in case.
have u thought of looking at the rear hub assemblies? that was 1 of my problems.
also, another "trick" to check the front bearings is to put the wheel straight (car can either be on or off, i found it doesn't REALLY matter) and place ur foot on the top of the tire and "kick" by pushing in, if the wheel moves in and u hear/feel a sort of "springy" feel too it then VERY good chance THAT is the bad bearing.i've replaced my front bearings a total of 8 times (mostly due to getting bad parts).
again, this isn't a sure fire way to find out, but its worked 8/8 times for me.
also, if it is a rear bearing the "tire kick" method won't work to well as it an be very deceptive and may turn out to be a control arm in the back.
good luck.

i've replaced my front bearings a total of 8 times (mostly due to getting bad parts).

8 times. :rolleyes:

What brand(s) hub were you using? Another problem that causes bearing failure after hub replacement is improper torque values or not using a new axle nut. Also, the hub manufacturer may specify a torque figure to use.

But typically for '99-'04 Aleros to include Grand Am there are two different axle nut torque values depending on which axle nut you have. There are two designs. 1st and 2nd. The first design axle nut is a PAC type nut so the torque value is 284 ft-lbs. The second design axle nut which is a gray color is torqued to 173 ft-lbs.

Before pursuing this common failure......this was available from the factory w/ Goodyear Eagle series tires. These are great tires for cornering, high speed, though a bit twitchy, as might be expected in a high performance tire.
At some point in their wear, while still looking quite serviceable, they become harsh in ride, as if having exposed a harder compound. When this occurs the tires become noisy to the point one is CERTAIN the problem lies elsewhere. In the last 25 years I have seen many servicable bearings, axles, both front and rear, transmissions, third members, ect, replaced trying to eliminate a noise created by these tires. While it may be a hub assy........the tires, as a source of noise, grinding, thumping, or propeller like sounds are SOME of the noise one could expect.

Before pursuing this common failure......this was available from the factory w/ Goodyear Eagle series tires. These are great tires for cornering, high speed, though a bit twitchy, as might be expected in a high performance tire.
At some point in their wear, while still looking quite serviceable, they become harsh in ride, as if having exposed a harder compound. When this occurs the tires become noisy to the point one is CERTAIN the problem lies elsewhere. In the last 25 years I have seen many servicable bearings, axles, both front and rear, transmissions, third members, ect, replaced trying to eliminate a noise created by these tires. While it may be a hub assy........the tires, as a source of noise, grinding, thumping, or propeller like sounds are SOME of the noise one could expect.

Welcome to AF.

Thanks for your input but please check the date and do not resurrect old threads. Basically any over 3 months old. Thanks. Thread closed.