Scratching noise makes me think brake pads.
Take the wheel off and put a couple of wheel nuts back on to hold the disc in place, then give it a spin... still scratching??
Remove the lower caliper bolt and turn the caliper up and off the disc. Spin again.
If it's still scratching, you may have a rock caught between the disc and splash plate.

For tire noise:
Run your hand around the surface of each tread ring on the tire to feel for cupping.
This makes a roar rather than a screech though.
Video link for that roar

 

A light scratching sound while spinning the tire is normal (the brake pad lightly dragging along the rotor), but if it's not very light then it could be something else, like a rock stuck between the caliper and the rotor, as RichBinAZ mentioned.

My bet would be that it's a bad wheel bearing. Shaking the tire back and forth by hand, and feeling the spring while rotating the tire, are not foolproof methods to diagnose a bad wheel bearing. Bad wheel bearings are tricky to diagnose and can sometimes easily pass those tests, especially if they're only recently beginning to go bad (and they can go bad very slowly over a long period of time). I would recommend you use an IR thermometer and, after a 30+ minute drive, check the temperature of all 4 hubs. If one is significantly higher than the others, that's likely the bad wheel bearing. Worn bearings have more friction, which creates heat.

 

Hello. Thank you for your recommendation. I will check the brake sometime this weekend (hopefully).

I used a surface temp scanner. Here's what the results were:
Front driver side 120.2 degrees
Front passenger side 120.2
Rear driver side 109.5
Rear passenger side 109.4

So basically the front tires matched temps and the rear tires matched temps. Is that unusual?

Additional thoughts?

 

Hello. Thank you for your recommendation. I will check the brake sometime this weekend (hopefully).

I used a surface temp scanner. Here's what the results were:
Front driver side 120.2 degrees
Front passenger side 120.2
Rear driver side 109.5
Rear passenger side 109.4

So basically the front tires matched temps and the rear tires matched temps. Is that unusual?

Additional thoughts?

That's normal. The front brakes do more work than the rear brakes, so it makes sense that they would be hotter. Despite the temperatures looking normal, you could still have a wheel bearing going bad. It sounds like you've definitely determined that you don't have a wheel bearing that is VERY bad and is about to completely fail, but you still may have a bad wheel bearing. They're tough to diagnose. I agree with what fl1000 said above.

 

Just replaced a front wheel bearing on my 09 Highlander..no wheel play, no temp diff. after driving for awhile and could barely hear the noise using a stethoscope on the knuckle with the front end jacked up and the wheels turning with tranny in drive...but after replacing the bearing, all the noise is gone and vehicle is running super smooth...

what is the mileage on your corolla? If the brakes are 'clean' and the dust shield is not rubbing on the disc, my bet is on the bearing...good luck

 

My mileage is 77,000. But I am the second owner. I believe that the first owner was in a solo accident because one tire was mismatched. Over time, the passenger front strut was broken and replaced. Then the wheel bearing attached to the broken strut has been replaced. No accident reported in Carfax. So in reality I don't know history of unreported events.

 

Ok. I took it to a mechanic and had the wheel-bearing replaced... And the whirling noise is still there! Mostly noticable between 40-75mph.
Let me say I think this repair improved the sound. It isn't a loud rumbling noise anymore. But something else that is spinning

I don't know what it is. Not struts (replaced), not bearings (both front replaced). Cv joint? But no cracks or loose grease. Bent axel?
Tires? Well two tires have cupping. This probably happened when I hit a pothole at nighttime. The two tires were moved to the rear (since car is front wheel drive). Maybe one is no longer round (aka it is oval)?

Sigh. I give up. So tired so frustrated.
Thoughts?

 

Do another tire rotation (straight front to rear) and see if the noise moves.
If it moves, check out the link in post #2

 

I forgot to report this. The tires were rotated on Monday (5/13). The cupped tires were moved to the back. That sounds went away. But the whirling sound remained.
Then on Wednesday (5/15) I replaced the wheel bearing. The rumbling went away. The mechanic showed me the bearing they took out. He said " the grease is good, but there's less grease then there should be. Also the groove is deeper than it should be.".
But now I got a new/remaining whirling sound. Happens at 40-75 mph.
I'm going to take it back and make sure everything was put back on correctly.

 

Well, it may be a transmission issue as you have ruled out everything else.
There is a whistle they can make, but that happens at idle too (I think).
Could be a bearing starting to go. They are rare, you would need to be really unlucky.
You could do a fluid and filter change. A look around inside the pan can give you some clues.

 

Did your mechanic check all 4 wheel bearings using a stethoscope?...low mileage on your car for a wheel bearing to go... but you might have another wheel bearing slowly going at another position on the car..good luck

 

No I did not stethoscope it. But the previous owner may have Damaged the car bc one wheel bearing sounded like a helicopter. So now I have both fronts replaced.

 

I was discussing (more like moaning and crying and woe-is-me) with my coworkers. We talked about the cupping and he had a same issue. He's pretty sure it is the cupped tires hitting the road. With the cupped tires in the back, the front will feel a bounce more (due to front wheel drive)
After driving it for two days. I hear noises, but it sounds like 2 cupped tires contacting the road awkwardly. He also said you could drive it in hopes of evening out the cupping. Or buy new tires.
I'll keep monitoring it.

 

Pumping up the tires a few PSI can reduce cupped tire noise a bit. If you are running 32, go up to 35-38psi. As long as that doesn't exceed the max sidewall pressure minus 3-4 psi.