MikeRuth

Good day folks, I'm back! and I have a new problem but I want to offer up my experience first. As some of you might remember I have had two 2006 HHR ls model, the first I wrecked with 120K on it and this second one I bought with 43K on it last year.
Both of them exhibited the same noise. That is by all rights the sound of a bearing failing. Oddly enough the level of noise on the 43K is as bad if not worse than the one with 120K.

Now the tough part, explaining noise through words. I think we all know when a bearing has a bad spot on the race or a needle that as it rotates we hear it and it changes as we change speed. Now my background with wheel bearings only goes up to conical bearings, this is my first experience with cartridge types.

So my noise if definitely speed related from start on up to 80 mph, it's always present, "rump, rump, rump" and at higher speeds almost a howling noise. I have no idea if from left or right or both, I, very hard of hearing.

So I have investigated/searched a lot hear, and today I decided to pull the hubs, and actually I found it to be a very simple and easy process. None of the headaches I have read about.

Ok so both hubs are off the car, now here's my concern, both feel incredibly smooth in hand. I mean nada, nothing, smooth as silk. so now I'm wondering is it the half shafts or with these new cartridges can you feel a bad bearing with no load on it? I have dealt with sealed bearings on other things, granted smaller but when one was bad I could feel it.

Now let me also say that I reached in to the coupler on the tranny and frankly I wonder if it's there, I need your input on how this feels. I can feel some what I would say is side play, but then again I don't know.

so I'm gonna stop hear and await your helpful input. I'm not going to get hubs yet until I hear more from your thoughts out there.

Thanks to all in advance.

Mike R

Oldblue

Mine turned out to be hubs, all 4 times, but I've got 212,000 miles!
The trans bearing where the stub shaft fits in has some side play, they CV joints aren't usually a problem until the boot gets cut or torn.

donbrew

If you can feel ANY end play the hubs are bad, don't forget you have the same things in the rear. Compared to a new hub the old ones spin freer.

If this is an old sound could be tires.

The description of a failed hub varies widely; some hear a grind, howl, clunk, scream etc. If your tires are cupping that could be a sign, but could be a sign of other suspension problems.

MikeRuth

OK folks, appreciate the comments. The CV boots at all four ends look real good, no signs of even the rubber cracking and or grease leakage.

I really appreciate "hubs all 4 times" comment. since I have it this far down and a set is only a hundred bucks I'll put them in and see.

when I raised it today first thing I did was try to feel for end play at the tire, nothing that I could feel. As for the rears, a couple days ago I rotated the tires and while I had them off I spun the hubs, again by feel they felt good.Also could not detect any in play in them.
Even though my hearing is really bad these days I do feel that this is from the front.
the bit of thumping/vibration I felt yesterday was definitely felt in the steering column and or floor board. Not something that seem to be emanating from the rear.

Again I really appreciate your input folks. As soon as I get these, and install them, road test, I'll be back with a report.

MikeRuth

Hi Folks, well the new wheel bearings are installed....
BUTI doubt the bearings were really the problem.

After installing them and taking a short test drive, the noise did not appear to be as bad but it's still there. Soooo
I jacked up the rear end, both wheels off the ground and spun them, seemed smooth and no end play.
I decided then to jack the front up and spin those suckers to see what I had.
Well first off it seems as though they spin freely and smoothly as far as the mechanics go but I have RUN OUT. I'm sure this is a major factor in what I am hearing and feeling. Hard to measure that but I'd say at some points up to an 1/8". These fancy looking wheels are really POS's. I shot some very quick video to try and show you folks.





So if this is where I am getting all or most of it from, then I need to do some burn outs and dynamically true them up, Just kidding but you get my drift. I'll burn the tread off these and look for tires and wheels another time,.

Any other thoughts?

Mike R

Oldblue

Move the front tires to the back and the rears to the front, same side! And see if the noise moves to the new address!

donbrew

Did you look at the LCAs? Or any of the front end?

Don't blame tires for uneven wear.

Didn't I mention tires in post #3?

Silverfox

Just a thought but Before checking run out as you show I would take the car out and drive it for approx. 5 miles ...then be ready to jack it up as soon as you get home to take the weight off the tires.
Depending on several factors including Brand and Model, Temperatures and Air pressures your tires can take a slight set (flat spot) when the car has been sitting.

This is just an extra step to get the most accurate results.

SF

MikeRuth

Good morning, well I knew the tires on this car were old(age) but still had decent tread depth. But I didn't expect to see the kind of run out that I did, both side to side and hop.
Yes indeed you said tires, yet having experienced the same noise on two of these cars I really had my mind set on a bearing problem, my bad. I did just rotate the tires and as an experiment to see how much change there may be I'll rotate them back and compare.

What i didn't show in the video was some of that run out is in the wheel. For now I'll see what it sounds like today as I should have an opportunity to run it quite a bit. Nods to flat spotting but hasn't that pretty much gone away with steel belted radials? I knew it was a biggie back in the day of bias-ply tires.

Sorry but what is the acronym LSA?

Everything else in the front end seems to be in really good shape, no sloppy connections/worn joints.

Oldblue

LCA? Means lower control arm.

Are your wheels aftermarket?
Are the holes in the middle of the wheel the same size as the snout of the hub?

Check out this link

https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/tire...c-rings-48853/