Wheel Bearings/road Noise 96 Ls

[jasonmckinley]

I have a 96 LS 400 and have recently noticed some pretty loud road noise- it begins at 35mph and seems loudest between 45mph and 60mph. There doesn't seem to be any pulling in either direction, just the road noise. Just this past weekend, I took the car on an 800 mile road trip, and it did fine (other than the road noise). I just bought a 2004 LS 430 and am looking to sell the 96- 2 people who have test-driven the car have been concerned about the noise- I thought it was because the car needed new tires, but they seem to think it could be a loose wheel bearing. Sounds to me that the noise is coming from the driver-side front tire. Any other thoughts on what would be causing this noise, how it's diagnosed, and how much it would cost to fix? I have an independent Lexus mechanic who I trust, so I'll get a bit of a break on the labor rate vs. taking it to a dealership. I called Firestone and they said if that was the problem, parts would be $100-$150 and labor would be $175 (estimated 2+ hours). That is also only for one "side" (I'm guessing they meant one wheel). Help is appreciated- I'd like to figure out if it's worth me paying to fix or just telling people what needs to be done and how much it will cost them. Thanks!

[bigste]

Biggest cause of noise is Tyres. If your tyres are due then that is the first option. Even new ones can cause it so do a search on hear for the best ones to get.

[nc211]

Biggest cause of noise is Tyres. If your tyres are due then that is the first option. Even new ones can cause it so do a search on hear for the best ones to get.

How many miles on the car? What kind of tires are on there now? What is the condition of the tires?

In the past, me included, usually start to notice more noise coming into the cabin around the 80-120k mark. And although tires play a very big part, so do engine mounts/tranny mount. As the mounts age and compress, or even crack, the mechanical sounds of the engine or tranny are tranmitted to the frame. Wheel bearings have not been a big repair item on here over the years. Not to say they don't wear out, but it seems to be pretty rare, espeicially on the gen2+ (1995+) models.

When you start the car in the morning, do you hear a single knock sound from the engine right at start up? If so, then that would indicate the driver's side mount, which is usually the first one to go, is close... You can pop the hood, have a friend hold the brakes-put in drive-and gently rev the engine a little. While he/she does this, you watch the engine for movement. If it's shifting around by more then about 2 inches or so, the mounts are close to being done.

But first, let us know the mileage/tires/condition of tires/ and if you've rotated them on time. Wouldn't be flat spots on the tires from the car sitting for long periods of time in this summer heat, could it?

#2: If you like your friends who are interested in buying the car, then I wouldn't let Firestone touch the car! Just my opinion on that one though...

[eatingupblacktop]

Make sure your tires aren't overinlated. Hard tires transmit rough road surfaces to the interior in the form of noise and vibration much more than softer tires. You could try dropping a couple of lbs to see if that makes a difference. Better still, try a different set of tires. If that's not possible, then rotate front to back and note any change. On most tires, the tread has a resonant frequency that creates noise at specific speeds. Some are louder than others. Some brands are known as "singing" tires. You may also have a tire with a bad belt that's hard to see, or one that's gone out of round that's easy to see. With either of these, you would notice vibration as well as noise. If your problem is tires, you should notice a difference doing these tests. If you have bad bearings you should notice some slack when trying to move the wheels while the car is jacked. Check each wheel to note any differences between them. Bearings about to fail would also create a louder roaring sound when making turns as opposed to driving in a straight line. Some shops can mic the wheels and monitor the sound from inside the car to detect the problem. Good luck and let us know how you make out.

[jasonmckinley]

Biggest cause of noise is Tyres. If your tyres are due then that is the first option. Even new ones can cause it so do a search on hear for the best ones to get.

How many miles on the car? What kind of tires are on there now? What is the condition of the tires?

In the past, me included, usually start to notice more noise coming into the cabin around the 80-120k mark. And although tires play a very big part, so do engine mounts/tranny mount. As the mounts age and compress, or even crack, the mechanical sounds of the engine or tranny are tranmitted to the frame. Wheel bearings have not been a big repair item on here over the years. Not to say they don't wear out, but it seems to be pretty rare, espeicially on the gen2+ (1995+) models.

When you start the car in the morning, do you hear a single knock sound from the engine right at start up? If so, then that would indicate the driver's side mount, which is usually the first one to go, is close... You can pop the hood, have a friend hold the brakes-put in drive-and gently rev the engine a little. While he/she does this, you watch the engine for movement. If it's shifting around by more then about 2 inches or so, the mounts are close to being done.

But first, let us know the mileage/tires/condition of tires/ and if you've rotated them on time. Wouldn't be flat spots on the tires from the car sitting for long periods of time in this summer heat, could it?

#2: If you like your friends who are interested in buying the car, then I wouldn't let Firestone touch the car! Just my opinion on that one though...

172k miles on the car- rotate the tires every time I get the oil changed (4k-5k miles). Tires probably have 40k miles on them and are Toyo (not sure which model). I don't hear any knock whatsoever from the engine at startup, or anytime at all. I'm going to leave the car with my mechanic (not Firestone!) today to see what he finds and will update everyone with his answer. Hopefully it just needs new tires. Thanks for the responses- very helpful.

[nc211]

with that mileage on the toyo tires, I wouldn't be suprised if you're hearing the little crossbars between the tread hitting the pavement, indicating time for a new set.

[jasonmckinley]

with that mileage on the toyo tires, I wouldn't be suprised if you're hearing the little crossbars between the tread hitting the pavement, indicating time for a new set.

My mechanic confirmed it was the tires- wheel bearings and everything else are fine. He said the tires are "cupped", and even though they have plenty of tread left on them, that is what is causing the noise. He said this is somewhat common for these tires (Toyo or Yokohama he says). Anyway, thanks for everyone's help and input.