Noise While Turning Right

[lenore]

OK guys been trying to figure out many of the noises on the hybrid, it is so quiet you hear things...found a few like a rattling spare tire cover, just added foam and its gone. However I have what may be a wheel bearing issue. When you make right turns a low grumbling noise comes from the left rear of the car. No noise when turn left. Is this a indication of a wheel bearing? Sounds kind of like a scrapping noise..with a little vibration....The RX400h has 102k miles and I am second owner, from records cant tell if it had any bearings changed. All brakes pads have lots of material left....What are your thoughts for trying to diagnose the bearing...Up on jack stands I used a stethoscope (hearing) and could not hear anything unusual...suspect the cars weight needs to be on it. No play whatsoever....

[RX400h]

I think your diagnosis is correct - bad wheel bearing.

[lenore]

Is there an easy way to tell which one. My hearing sucks, and I hope it is not from the right wheel instead of the left....

[katzjamr]

my bad wheel bearing noise started at about 30mph and was very audible from 40 to 60 mph. i would have bet money it was the left but the dealer had to put it on a lift and listen with a stethiscope and determined it was the right. I had Les Schwab drive it before i drove to the dealer and they verified it was a bearing. When the tech drove it he tried to steer quickly left to right to try to isolate the noise. It took the dealer mechanic to fiqure out which one. I am told it can sometimes be both but they have to be replaced one at a time to make sure the other is bad too. Les Schwab quoted me 220.00 but needed a week before they could fix it. The dealer did it for $405, it was covered under my extended warranty.

[lenore]

Was the $405 for bearing/hub and labor? If so that was cheap....

[lenore]

I am thinking of buying a set of Timken hubs/bearings and replacing both rears. Boy, the older I get the worst it is for diagnosing noise....

[RX400h]

Is there an easy way to tell which one. My hearing sucks, and I hope it is not from the right wheel instead of the left....

From what I understand, if the noise occurs when you turn right, the left bearing is to blame. Traditionally, you could determine which bearing was bad by jacking up the vehicle, grabbing the tire at 12 o'clock and 6o'clock position and rocking the tire. Any play would indicate a bad bearing.

[lenore]

Is there an easy way to tell which one. My hearing sucks, and I hope it is not from the right wheel instead of the left....

From what I understand, if the noise occurs when you turn right, the left bearing is to blame. Traditionally, you could determine which bearing was bad by jacking up the vehicle, grabbing the tire at 12 o'clock and 6o'clock position and rocking the tire. Any play would indicate a bad bearing.

thank you for your response, in the past I did this and no play, but Maybe it is getting worst...I will recheck today...

[katzjamr]

$405.00 for the bearing hub and labor at the dealer, and i drove a rx 350 loaner for a day

[katzjamr]

can you describe the noise, what it sounds like, does it change with braking, speed etc.

[lenore]

the noise sounds like tire noise, increases with speed and changes when making right turns. I jacked up car tonight and right wheel makes no noise why left rear makes a Scrapping noise which I have always associated with a dragging park brake shoes, but maybe I was wrong....

[katzjamr]

for me, failing wheel bearings did not pop into my mind as the first issue when you are hearing what sounds like tire noise. i had just bought new tires and i went back to costco first, and since they had not balanced the tires correctly on day one, i thot rebalancing would fix it, however the noise was still there on the way home. It wasnt until a Les Schwab technician drove it and said, 'sir, no tire makes THAT noise' that i was able to let go of any tire issues and move on to wheel bearing. In hindsight it makes sense because the noise was not there on day one with the new tires. Also the noise seemed to come from the left, and it turned out the be the right front bearing that was bad. I imagine it would be even harder to figure out a noise comming from the rear. now that i read your description of the sound you hear, it sounds like a wheel bearing to me.

[lenore]

I am familiar with front bearings as I actually changed them on my old RX300...You have to press them into the hub...which I did.

[riwyle]

for me, failing wheel bearings did not pop into my mind as the first issue when you are hearing what sounds like tire noise. i had just bought new tires and i went back to costco first, and since they had not balanced the tires correctly on day one, i thot rebalancing would fix it, however the noise was still there on the way home. It wasnt until a Les Schwab technician drove it and said, 'sir, no tire makes THAT noise' that i was able to let go of any tire issues and move on to wheel bearing. In hindsight it makes sense because the noise was not there on day one with the new tires. Also the noise seemed to come from the left, and it turned out the be the right front bearing that was bad. I imagine it would be even harder to figure out a noise comming from the rear. now that i read your description of the sound you hear, it sounds like a wheel bearing to me.

Was it a brinelling failure of one or more balls, of the race, or some other failure?

[lenore]

for me, failing wheel bearings did not pop into my mind as the first issue when you are hearing what sounds like tire noise. i had just bought new tires and i went back to costco first, and since they had not balanced the tires correctly on day one, i thot rebalancing would fix it, however the noise was still there on the way home. It wasnt until a Les Schwab technician drove it and said, 'sir, no tire makes THAT noise' that i was able to let go of any tire issues and move on to wheel bearing. In hindsight it makes sense because the noise was not there on day one with the new tires. Also the noise seemed to come from the left, and it turned out the be the right front bearing that was bad. I imagine it would be even harder to figure out a noise comming from the rear. now that i read your description of the sound you hear, it sounds like a wheel bearing to me.

Was it a brinelling failure of one or more balls, of the race, or some other failure?

I just learned a new word, thank you....Now I know the proper term for a common bearing failure. As for mine on the RX300 I didnt cut the bearing apart to see why it was noisy.....The bearings in The RX series are ball bearings, not the typical roller bearings....

[lenore]

Well the solution happened, not without a big problem, but at last quiet. The sound started to increase more, now it sounded like the left front bearing. ordered bearing and replaced, but during the pressing of the old bearing out something went wrong and the steering knuckle was bent where the brake caliper is mounted. put it all together and the wheel would not turn because the caliper itself was hitting the disk. Had to order a new steering knuckle ($268) and a new bearing, because in order to remove the hub you always destroy the bearing in the process. so my original $37 job turned into close to $400...Oh well, I have saved thousands over the years by wrenching on cars, so I chalk it up to part of the learning time. Be very careful when you support the steering knuckle in a 12 ton press to remove the bearing....The good news is now it is quiet like a hybrid should be. Also I want to note Toyota of Roseville stepped up and became very competitive price wise for the replacemnt steering knuckle...(no I dont work there). But they deserve mention as my vender of choice when not using the internet....

[RX400h]

9 kids? No wonder you do your own work!

I typically look at the two Ts - time and tools. If I don't have either or both, I take the car in to the shop. Of course, as I grow older, I lose the first and gain the second......:)

[lenore]

Nah, I have three kids and 9 grandbabies....I am truely blessed....But to support those babies I fix my cars when I can. Even oldest grandson is learning...may not do it but understand what is going on when he takes his first car into shop....

[lenore]

Nah, I have three kids and 9 grandbabies....I am truely blessed....But to support those babies I fix my cars when I can. Even oldest grandson is learning...may not do it but understand what is going on when he takes his first car into shop....

Papa is the term my grandbabies know me by...I am proud to be papa to such great children...

[jaswood]

And here I was ready to put my money down on a front CV joint.

[lenore]

The front cv on the lexus vehicles are very stought....not like some cheaper cars...I replaced one on my old RX300, again a waste as it did not solve the vibration problem that I had...Turned out to be the driveshaft support bearings to the rear axle....