HELP!!! Knocking Noise Coming From Tire?!?! - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

Frank20 · 06-29-2006, 05:47 PM

The other day i was driving and noticed a knocking/thumping noise that sounded sorta like a helicopter coming from my front left tire. At first i thought i needed hubcentric rings for my new wheels i just put on. But then i thought its only coming from one wheel and only when i slightly turn the steering wheel to the left to say change lanes. The steering wheel wasn't shaking with it either it was just noise. And it happens under normal driving conditions not like if i were to hit a bump, just by driving on a smooth road.. I then thought it was a rubbing issue but i checked and its not. What could be making this noise? The strut, the shock...? My dad drove it and said it stopped when he applied the brakes and suggested it might be the rotor? Im clueless! Any info on this prob would be great! I hope its not anything to serious.

***toyomoho*** · 06-29-2006, 07:01 PM

Does the thump, thump, thump keep time with your speed? If so, check your tires for damage or something imbedded in the tread, screw, rock or nail. If the tires were just mounted on the rims, take it back to the dealer and have them look at it. Could be a bad tire or rim problem.

Pull of the tire and see if there is anything unusual there. Check the rotor for damage or excess play.

Drive the car in left and right hand circles, see if the knocking appears, and if so when.

Frank20 · 06-29-2006, 07:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by toyomoho

Does the thump, thump, thump keep time with your speed? If so, check your tires for damage or something imbedded in the tread, screw, rock or nail. If the tires were just mounted on the rims, take it back to the dealer and have them look at it. Could be a bad tire or rim problem.

Pull of the tire and see if there is anything unusual there. Check the rotor for damage or excess play.

Drive the car in left and right hand circles, see if the knocking appears, and if so when.

I think the thumping does keep time with my speed so i will check the tire to see if there is anything in the tread. I hope thats all it is and nothing more serious. If it was a strut or shock problem would the thumping be more spaced apart and slower becuase like i said this noise is like a helicopter, fast moving not spaced apart.

FireEater · 06-29-2006, 09:05 PM

happened to me twice before. both times it was a rock in the tread. i wouldn't worry.

coquibone14 · 06-29-2006, 09:15 PM

i had a previous car to my camry and it had a 4 lug configuration, i managed to rip two of the lug nuts with the part where it screws to, so everytime i was mantaining speed (not accelerating) it knocked from that tire, id check your lug nuts make sure they are tight

thoughthard · 06-29-2006, 11:17 PM

I always hear rocks as more of a clicking sound.

Inspect the tires, inner and outer sidewalls, for damage.

Frank20 · 06-30-2006, 02:00 AM

So i think i figured out the problem. After driving it around the block at 3 in the morning about a million times i decided to stick my head out the window while driving and look at the tire. And yea it was whobbling all over the place. Guess that means i gotta tighten those lug nuts before my tire and wheel go flyin off the car. I hope thats the end of the noises!

Frank20 · 06-30-2006, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frank20

So i think i figured out the problem. After driving it around the block at 3 in the morning about a million times i decided to stick my head out the window while driving and look at the tire. And yea it was whobbling all over the place. Guess that means i gotta tighten those lug nuts before my tire and wheel go flyin off the car. I hope thats the end of the noises!

Yea so i got a bit excited and thought i figuered out the problem. I was wrong its still making the stupid noiise and im scared as hell to drive the car. Got an appt on monday to get it looked at and hopefully its nothing to serious the car is only a 2003.

thapranksta · 06-30-2006, 02:58 PM

So did you inspect the tire for rocks or nails or (in a situation I once had) a bolt lodged in there? As others suggested, that is usually the culprit. But since you said that it is a knocking noise and not a tapping noise, there could be something more serious wrong.

Do you recall hitting a hard bump in the road before the knocking started? You might have bent the rim and it is rubbing against something as you drive. Check the little black flap thing that goes over the wheel too; the wheel might be scrubbing against it somehow. I had an incident with that (after being careless with my bumper) and it made sort of a helicopter-like sound.

My number 1 guess is that your wheel is rubbing against something.

Frank20 · 07-07-2006, 11:38 AM

So yeah i figured out the problem. Apparently i had the wrong kind of lug nut on the wheel. They were the right style but were too long and didn't hold the wheel on tightly enough. But listen to this bs now. I took it to a local tire store figuring they could get the lug nuts for me becuase thats what toyota told me to do. They tell me it could cost 140 bucks for lug nuts. Thats rediculous and is it even possible? But they can't even determine the size they should be and they are scared to order a set and have them turn out to be the wrong kind. I'm really annoyed by how this is such a little problem and i haven't been able to drive my car for about 2 weeks becuase of it now.

nurtlh · 07-09-2006, 08:19 AM

I bought lugnuts for my '02 Camry at NAPA, sixteen of them for $27.00. I didn't replace the locking lugnuts.

RedPhoenix · 07-09-2006, 08:29 AM

I got lug nuts off ebay (those tuner ones for rims) for like $40.

thoughthard · 07-09-2006, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frank20

So yeah i figured out the problem. Apparently i had the wrong kind of lug nut on the wheel. They were the right style but were too long and didn't hold the wheel on tightly enough. But listen to this bs now. I took it to a local tire store figuring they could get the lug nuts for me becuase thats what toyota told me to do. They tell me it could cost 140 bucks for lug nuts. Thats rediculous and is it even possible? But they can't even determine the size they should be and they are scared to order a set and have them turn out to be the wrong kind. I'm really annoyed by how this is such a little problem and i haven't been able to drive my car for about 2 weeks becuase of it now.

That is ridiculous.

You could buy a McGard installation kit for half that.

I bought Gorilla lugnuts from Big O tire for $1 each.

Frank20 · 07-12-2006, 02:18 PM

Wow just kill me now! This might be the stupidist problem i've ever encountered and the hardest one to fix. The lug nuts i have are to long for the thread and don't fully tighten the wheel. They can't find a proper size lug nut. Either to long or to short! This sucks really bad

***eyeball96*** · 07-12-2006, 02:49 PM

That does sucks! seems to me if it were the wrong nuts, all four wheels would be doin it. Maybe the tire has a flat spot on it! Weird!