'94 Regal Humming noise

[mamasgonnaworry]

I have a ’94 Buick Regal Custom with the 3.8, I really love the car but it’s developed a strange hum from the front. The only way I can describe it is that it’s like the sound a big pickup with huge tires makes as it goes down the road. The sound is getting gradually louder over time.

If I am making a sweeping curve to the right the sound quits until I get straightened out again. If I pull the steering wheel a little to the right at speed it will quit for an instant as well.

I have a friend with a Grand Prix and we switched out the front tires and wheels with no results. I finally took the car to a service center and had the man drive it around the block. He told me he thought it was a wheel bearing so I bought 1 wheel bearing assembly.

Before I tore it down I checked movement in the front wheels. There was none vertically and less than a ¼ inch horizontally. Anyway, each one was the same and I don’t think that is enough play to make a difference. I tore it down to the hub anyway and saw or felt nothing I thought was out of the ordinary. So I'm thinking I will return the ($100.00) bearing assembly.

I really hate to do experimental surgery on the CV joints without knowing more about what I’m doing as this is my first front wheel drive car.

I have the Chilton manual and it talks about the CVs clicking or vibrating and I have neither so far.

At this point I don’t know what to do except drive it until it becomes obvious what the problem is.

Any thoughts or ideas would be most appreciated.

[maxwedge]

It is a bearing, they can be noisey with no play.

[mamasgonnaworry]

Originally Posted by maxwedge

It is a bearing, they can be noisey with no play.

Thanks Max, Can you give me any insight on whether it's the left or right one from the fact that it quiets down on the right sweeping turns? It's hard to tell from the driver’s seat.

I was thinking I could get someone to drive it past me... once on the left and once on the right and see if I could hear any difference.

Again, thanks much for the reply... I was completely baffaloed.

[maxwedge]

Most likely the lt, if the noise is there bearing to the right, but you can be fooled by this.

[mamasgonnaworry]

Yep, it was a bearing alright... and it WAS the right one making all the noise.

I replaced both and it sounds like a new car.

Thx Max