Our Community is 940,000 Strong. Join Us.


Mysterious front end noise


tripletdaddy
11-07-2007, 05:15 AM
My 95,3.8,135k has developed a noise that from inside the van sounds like it is coming from the right front tire area. It ONLY does this when traveling 45 to 65 mph, but not higher or lower. It sounds like a small dry bearing up close to you, where you can hear the high pitched sound of the steel bearing banging into each other and rattlng around.BUT, every test I do says its not the rt frt bearings!?! Wheel play, left turning sound, rough sound, hand spin tire, drive tire off ground, high speed, all speeds. ABSOLUTELY NO indication that that bearing is bad!?! Putting it in neutral didn't change anthing. I put the engine in neutral , changed engine speed, revving, low to see if that had any influencc, none. I also checked with hard slow turns too check cvs, which were fine. I checked just to be sure that the engine accesories were ok and they were.

So, If anyone has some brilliant suggestions, I'm listening, what it could be, where to look, tests, etc.
Thanks

busboy4
11-07-2007, 06:45 AM
Hi
What shape/age etc. are the tires? How about a swap front to rear to see if the sound follows? I have posted here a few times that I have been amazed over the last 10 years or so of the ability of a tire to cause very non-tire like noise and vibration.

tripletdaddy
11-08-2007, 02:28 AM
First off, my tires are in great shape, year old, not much mileage, no abnormal wear, etc., but the plastic hub cap maybe? As said before, the sound ONLY occurs from 45 to 65 MPH. I'd expect there to be sound on a broader speed range if it were the tires and other things involved from trans to the tire. This sound just doesn't sound like a tire sound. It really sounds like a dry bearing or bearing balls bounsing around on something hard.

I thought I really had figured it out. I know I said that I had checked everything out and came up empty, but I listened to the idlers again and decided it was the stationary pulley and while I was at it, I'd go ahead and do the tensioner pulley too. Long story short, I figured out that the idlers weren't it. I even had one that made the sound! Long story, but I had to repack it and reinstall it. It's quiet now, but the other noise still LIVES! On the latest test drive, I determined that it couldn't have been the pulleys because the sound is NOT tied to the engine speed. It is tied to vehicle speed. I guess more time on the jack and under the thing is what it will take!?!

busboy4
11-08-2007, 06:37 AM
Wow,
Obviously you are being very thorough. The specific speed range of the sound reminds me of U joints on an older rear wheel drive vehicle. They would vibrate at only certain speeds, harmonic I guess. I'm wondering then about the CV joints. I know yours are not making the classic clunk, clunk when cornering etc. but since you have checked everything and are running out of ideas...

Add your comment to this topic!