Hi Everyone,
(This is a cross-post from another thread. Sorry.. This forum section is probably the best place to post this.)
It's my 1st post on this forum and I hope someone has run into this issue before. Sorry for the length but I didn't want to leave anything out that may be important.
I have a 2006 Monte Carlo LTZ that I bought recently. It has a noise coming from the front end when driving that sounds similar to what off-road tires may sound like on a truck. I'm all but certain that it is coming from the right-front wheel only.
-The sound is mostly an alternating Wah-Wah-Wah-Wah type sound that changes proportionally with the speed of the tire rotation
-It can be heard at all speeds, but is most pronounced between 45-60 MPH
-It can also be felt through the gas pedal but it can't be really felt through the steering wheel
-It increases in volume when the car is turned right, but not left
-The front tires are brand new, put on by the former owner just before I bought it (I suspect he was trying to correct the same problem).

Since it is more pronounced while turning right and not left I thought that it was probably a wheel bearing going bad. Because I had just bought the car and didn't know the status of the brakes I decided to also go ahead and replace the rotors and brake pads as well as the bearing assembly on BOTH sides while I was in there. When I dug into it I discovered the the wheel bearing assemblies were rusted solid to the drive shaft, so I had to pull a LOT of the suspension out as a unit and replace (I know that there are ways to separate but I just have hand tools). In total I replaced this on BOTH sides:
-Drive shaft
-Wheel bearing assembly
-Steering knuckle
-tie rod end
-rotor
-brake pads
So all that is left original on both sides is the lower control arm, lower ball joint, brake caliper, and the strut assembly.
-I took it to a garage and had an alignment done after all of this.

The sound remained... Hasn't changed..
So, now I'm thinking it's a warped rim or bad tire, right? Nope.... I pulled wheels off of a Grand Prix with brand new tires that rides smooth and silent on that car. Put 2 of these on the front to test and the sound did not go away or change at all. Same symptoms.

So, any ideas as to what it could be from here? Any assistance is greatly appreciated.

Shane

 

motor mount maybe? how many miles on the car?

 

Wow! that sounds like a puzzler for sure.
Normally when you hear that sound it is in the Tire or wheel. Sometimes the rotor will be an issue. When you put these new items back on did you use a Torque-wrench to tighten everything to specs. Keep in mind if you reinstall any wheels and you crank down the lugs, it will warp the rotors. I know I have been there with my kids cars over the years and the dummys in the garage who over tightened stuff or sometimes lose a part.
Mostly has been a balance thing. Or a broken belt inside the tire.
When the tire is cupped it will sound this way also and that usually is a result of poor alignment or balance. If you have the all wheel alignment done they will usually be able to find the issue if there is a suspension part that can't be aligned. At least the guys I have used tell me that.
Another thing to check is youtube sometimes there will be a post there that solves the problem?
good luck

 

Hadn't thought of a motor mount. It has about 125K miles on it.

Yeah, I thought initially that it may be the tire, but with the noise increasing only when turning right I thought is may be the bearing going bad.

I did torque everything to spec when reassembling the new parts, but I simply used the air wrench when tightening the lugs. the guys that did the alignment didn't indicate that they had any issue getting it aligned.

Thanks, for the replies. Maybe something will turn up, or I may just have to admit defeat and take it to the shop.