Car making weird or grinding noise at freeway speeds - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

msrdude · 03-02-2010, 05:36 PM

I have a 96 Corolla. When I drive on the freeway (60 mph +) I hear
this grinding noise sometimes it is hard to hear and sometimes you can
easily hear it. On surface streets, most of the time you cant but
sometimes you can if you are going 50 or 55 mph. I thought it was the
brake rotor and pads so I replaced them, but they were not the
problem. The cv boot and axles are good, and the wheel bearing and hub
is fine. The tie rods and shocks are good as well. The car drives
normal; just the noise is annoying and can sound scary. Can anyone
think of what the problem could be? Thanks

iToaster · 03-02-2010, 05:45 PM

I assume this is an automatic. It'd probably be a good idea to check your transmission and differential fluid.

1jzdreamer · 03-02-2010, 09:42 PM

As iToaster said, and also check your alignment (toe mainly). A car with a lot of toe in or out after hitting a curb or pothole can cause the tire to shudder or a grind at higher speeds.

msrdude · 03-03-2010, 04:27 PM

It is an automatic transmission. I checked out the transmission fluid and it is full. I just did an alignment and my car is driving straight, but the noise is still there. I am stumped

gameguru1360 · 03-03-2010, 05:29 PM

could be that your transmission fluid is dirty. What color was it when you took out the dipstick??

subzerounlimited · 03-03-2010, 08:30 PM

could be your wheel bearings....

msrdude · 03-04-2010, 04:45 PM

My automatic transmission fluid is new; only 2k miles old, and it is a lightish red/pink color.

What is your way of checking the wheel bearings???

KRIS05VVTi · 03-05-2010, 07:40 AM

my honda is doing the same thing and i cant find the problem either.....hopefully this info will help me

msrdude · 03-05-2010, 10:15 PM

Anyone think it could be the calipers? I doubt it but I just want to know so I can rule that out.
I think it could be the wheel bearings and I will check it out on Tuesday/Wednesday.
Are there wheel bearings in the rear of the car or just in the front? And what is your way of checking them

subzerounlimited · 03-06-2010, 05:51 AM

i had a similar type problem with a screeching noise being emitted from my front wheels at highway speeds. i did a brake change out from caliper to rotors and i still had the same problem. its was only after i changed the bearings the noise stopped. the difficult thing about the bearings in front though is that they are kept in place by the velocity joint axle which is fastened with a huge nut. so if you try to rock the wheel you may not get any movement. another way to check the bearing is the lift the car of the ground rotate the wheel by hand and feel for any rough movement in the axle or any grinding noise.
when i did all of these tests i still got nothing. i ended up changing the bearings after doing a risky thing which i will not recommend. i chocked my car in place raised one wheel ,of the ground took off the tyre and ran the car no more than 60km/h without the wheel on that side. when i heard the noise it was definitely coming from the bearing area...
and yes there are bearings in the rear wheels as well...
hope this helps..

msrdude · 05-02-2010, 05:54 PM

Sorry I took long to check my wheel bearings. I checked out my right front one, and when i turn the axle hub (the thing that holds the wheel studs) i can hear like a springing noise; and the oil seals and i think the inner race is all messed up. The left front had been replaced like 2 years ago; I only put like 7 to 8 k miles on it. I am not sure if my rears need to be replaced. I need to check it tomorrow, but my concern is my right rear was missing the rubber boot cover in the back of the drum area, and I drove through flooded areas during rainy days for years and now concerned that the water stuck inside the drums could rust the bearings or take away the lubrication/grease from the bearings.

speedy25 · 05-02-2010, 08:51 PM

+1 on wheel bearings making the noise.

-SP

msrdude · 05-03-2010, 12:02 AM

Does the rear bearing easily breakdown as easy as the front bearings do? It looks like its easy to replace the rears compared to the fronts but that would suck if I have to replace both of the rears too.

Suprawillis · 05-09-2010, 06:02 PM

If your wheel bearings are bad you can always do a physical test by pushing and pulling on the wheel. If there is any movement or play between your hub and wheel, then you have a bad bearing.

I can't remember if these rollas have these, but pull your front wheels off, and if the rotor has a rear dust cover, make sure that is not rubbing against the rotor otherwise it will make a nasty grinding noise. These are very flemsy so you could easily bend them out of the way.

speedy25 · 05-10-2010, 07:24 PM

A bearing can still be noisy and you wont be able to detect any play until one day when it fails big time.

Suprawillis is also right on the disc rotor dust shield. They are easy to bend and can make raspy noises, but thats easy to spot turning a wheel by hand in the air.

Hey, and on the automatics isnt there TWO places to fill with lube? One for the trans and another hole for the diff? If the diff got overlooked on oil level that would make some rude noises too.

-SP