facts:
2006 2LT a/t 122k miles
tires inflated properly
tires have even wear
car drives straight, normal with no sign of suspension problems.

description:

I have a loud "road noise" on my 06 2LT

I cannot isolate it.
122k
tires have even wear, no OOR issues, drives smooth and straight.
Tires have 18k on them(all 4)

hard to describe, so here goes:
it sounds like when a large 4x4 with knobby tires is next to you.
at freeway speeds around 70 mph it is more pronounced and increases the more distance I drive.
when slowing down to a stop at a signal light(45-0 mph) it sounds like the truck tires as a truck slows.
when at freeway/or any speed over 40 mph if I shift to neutral, noise remains constant and only changes in pitch as car decelerates.
if I shift to neutral and rev engine while at speed, noise remains unchanged.

I suspected a tire issue...as if a tire is under-inflated.
such is not the case

the noise appeared suddenly, not progressively over time.

noise does not change in pitch or volume if wheel is turned/when cornering.

any suggestions?

 

Sounds like the typical GM Wheel Bearing problem
I have replaced a bunch on other GM's.Could be something else but I would bet that is what the noise is.

 

I have the same sound on my 2006 1LT.

It has gotten worse over the last month so now it can be heard at speeds above 35mph.

The sound is only related to the speed of the car, downshifting, neutral, etc don't affect it.

I jacked the front up and pulled on the tire, but there is no play (which is usually present with worn bearings) in the bearing.

When I go down a (deserted) road at about 40mph and briefly swerve to the right (slightly only!) the noise disappears for a fraction of a second. When I swerve to the left, the noise gets louder briefly. This makes me suspect the driver side wheel bearing. I'll replace it as soon as I have a chance in the next few weeks and see what happens. The plan is to buy a Timken hub from Rock Auto for about $110.

Steve

 

I agree with the others. It's a bad wheel bearing.

 

hey thanks both of you.
I'll dig deeper when I am at my buddy's shop to replace the front rotors for the 3rd time in 80k miles.

it sounds exactly like a worn wheel bearing just as it is starting to begin the phase of failure.

This place rocks.

I'll report back if/when I replace the bearing IF that's what it turns out to be.
I no longer drive the HHR as a daily driver-my GF Brenda does and she mentioned it last week the moment she heard it.

EDIT:
Bigjack's...from one PINKS ALL OUT racer to another, thank you.
also, ironic, my buddy's shop is called Big Johnson's Auto
Google it, and check out youtube results for his 9 second wheel-stander.
(I have a 11 second S10 we have run on PINKS...not as a chosen few, but we did get 1.18 seconds of fame from the Bakersfield race in 2009! )

http://www.bigjohnsonsauto.com/testimonials.html

thanks again.

 

That's a lot of fame, might need an agent ??

 

Hey Smoke Wagon Sounds like you where treated better than we where back in 2010 at Pinks All out.
The staff at Maple Grove Raceway was awesome but lets just say what you see on tv is not really what goes on at the race.
Your S10 sounds like a fun ride
here is a quick video of my Studebaker with the smaller motor in it.As you can see the suspension is not handling the torque to well with the adjustment we had in it .Looking to dial in the new motor I built last year a little better and setup the chassis a bit better
Of course the best part of the video is watching the Starter. LOL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UR3cmIofUZQ

 

I just resolved this same noise issue,after new struts, lowering springs, sway bar end links, I replaced both front bearing hubs, problem solved, my ride a 2007 has under 100,000 miles so GM did this under warrenty so the cost was $0.00.

 

trust me...I went to 3 PINKS ALL OUT, after the 2nd one I swore I'd never go again.
But, the 3rd one was at my home track(Infineon) so for $35, why not, right?

The show is a joke. in 2008 our good friends(and the guy I bought my S10 from) was one of the 2 El Caminos at Infineon.
in 2009 he and the girl Sharon, also a good friend, were both chosen again! hell, 12 out of the 16 were "repeat appearances" which swayed a lot of people.
all 3 shows were "10.20-10.40" cars.
not only is it NOT what you see on TV, it's ALL about TV and what 'makes a good show'

OK...time to go watch your video.

OldBlue...thanks for confirming the problem.
I'll get a bearing for both sides and have peace of mind before it gets worse/unsafe.

 

man, I'd nick-name that Stude "the Pretzel"! lol
we call our truck "The Peanut Truck".

why?

it was supposed to be a 12.20 "street truck with a pump-gas peanut motor" and when we made the first few passes we knew it was more of a 11.40 drag truck...but the nick-name stuck..."the Peanut Truck"

11.50's at Pinks ALL OUT makes you a spectator every time.