Corolla Road Noise

[famlycar]

Thanks alot for all the details. The noise must be the bearings as the noise is there still when I'm in neutral while the car is in motion.

One other thing, does anyone know how often the transmission should be changed? (automatic tranny) I'm thinking every 30,000 miles but not sure. I had it flushed out last time about 30,000 miles ago.

[quick69gto]

The general rule for all auto transmissions is every 30,000 miles.
The noise you're hearing still could be just the tires.
The best way to tell if a bearing is bad is to physically turn the hub by hand.
Checking the rear hub (bearings) is fairly easy. Remove the wheel/brake drum and slowly turn the hub by hand. It should turn smoothly.
Checking the front requires more disassembly. Remove the wheel/brake caliper/rotor/ and CV axle from the hub. Turn the hub slowly by hand. Again, it should turn smoothly.
The front bearings require special tools to remove and replace them. The tool I use is called the Hub Tamer Elite. It runs about $499.
The rear depends on the year Corolla.
Up to 2002, the bolts are located on the brake hardware side (facing outside). 2003 to ?, the bolts are located on the back side of the brake mounting plate (facing inside). They are very easy to change.
When you purchase the rear bearings, you will get the entire hub. The front bearings will be the bearings only.
Out of all the Corollas I've dealt with over the years, the '98 thru 2002 Corollas have the best ride/less road noise out of them all. The 2003 on up Corollas ride like a tank and have lots road noise transmitted through the chassis.

Good luck!

[famlycar]

Thanks for the great information! I was going to let the toyota service do the job but with things as bad as they are with the economy and all, I guess I'll change them myself, especially after you gave me all the details.

You said the '98 thru 2002 corollas have the best ride; does that include all models of corolla? And, since we're on the subject, how about the tacoma pickup on quiet ride? Know anything about those? If not, thanks anyway!

[quick69gto]

I maintain a fleet of about 40 1995 thru 2002 Corollas and one of them is a 2003 (new body style). The mileage ranges from 86,000 to over 250,000 and they all are still going strong.
The '95-'96s ride fair but have lots of engine vibration. As I said, the 1998 thru 2002 (all models) have an excellent ride with almost zero engine vibration. The 2003 rides like a tank but has even less engine vibration.
Most of the Tacoma's I've dealt with were 4X4's (I live/play/work in Colorado) so the older ones ride rather sharply. You can't feel or hear the V6 engine until your at full throttle.
If you used to driving a full size truck (like me), older Tacoma's are a different experience. They are more cramped, have less suspension travel (4X4s) so the front bottoms out more often, and they can feel more "tin canish" on rough roads.
They do track strait and have a smooth ride on the freeway unless the road surface is rough.
New Tacoma's, I would bet, feel a lot more solid.

[famlycar]

Thanks alot! I was thinking of buying a used tacoma in future, hopefully one with a back seat