Our 2003 SS makes a holwing/semi-grinding noise from about 30-35mph. Seems like wheel bearings as it changes tone a bit with small steering movements, but I just changed the wheel bearings and its the same. Any ideas?

I've jacked up the front of the car and run it but then I dont hear the noise. However the way I jack it up the suspension is hanging down, even though I put the stands under the suspension arms (the stand to pavement kind of locks the suspension in place from moving side-ways so it cant lower anymore). So maybe this isnt a good test? I've spun the rear wheels by hand but no noise. In the car when driving is sure sounds like front end.

Coincidence or not, the sound seemed to get louder when the tires were rotated.

 

When you are driving 30-35 and you hear the howling/grinding is the sound being made while the accelerator pressed? I mean if you get to the 30-35 range and slip the car into neutral will the car still make the noise? I'm just trying to rule somethings out.

 

Are your tires in good condition? If rotating the tires changed the noise, I would be suspicious that your tires have some weird wear going on...perhaps they are cupped? I had a rear tire get cupped, and it was causing a howling noise around 50, I also thought it was a wheel bearing at first, then realized it was a cupped tire. Which is probably cupped from worn out struts.

 

accelerating, crusing, deceleration, and in neutral the sound stays the same. When I had the tires rotated they were rebalanced, but they may be cupped - although there is no sign of odd wear, they are worn. Maybe a bad one was rotated to the front? I may re-rotate them back and see if things change.

So saturday morning I put new pads up front as they were pretty warn, just to rule out brake noise. I bedded them in, getting them pretty hot (they stunk), and now it acts like my discs are warped when I brake from high speed!

 

turned out to be the tire rotation. rotating them back fixed everything. I've obviously got one or more corners with worn out suspension as the tire wear is different.

as a side benefit, replacing the front hubs/bearings got rid of the pesky traction control malfuntions

 

Yep, thats what fixed the howling sound in my car...tire rotation. And now as i'm putting more and more miles on the car since rotation, the noise is slowly coming back. I'm guessing its the same location wearing the tire weird again. My struts need to be replaced, so before I put new tires i'll get all new struts.