The faster the car goes, the higher the pitch of the sound.

I was thinking it was a wheel bearing, but I thing not due to experiments, such as front end up on jackstands w/ tires off, car idling in fourth gear, I could hear the noise in the car, but I got out and the spinning hubs didn't seem to make any noise. So it has to be something upstream of the hubs, like the transaxle? It seems to me very odd that the noise seems to be only in the passengr compartment, but not outside the car near the hub bearings...

'04 Cavalier 5speed Coupe 80k
'02 Z28 6speed convertible 149k
'03 Suburban LT 105k
'01 Subaru Legacy 5speed wagon 146k

BTW, I drained and filled the manual trans fluid, look nice clean red, refilled it, and noise still exactly the same.

'04 Cavalier 5speed Coupe 80k
'02 Z28 6speed convertible 149k
'03 Suburban LT 105k
'01 Subaru Legacy 5speed wagon 146k

Also, I had rotated the tires front to rear, no change.

Also for further description of the issue...

The noise appears over say 25 mph, sort of sounds like bearing noise, comes from the front, and maybe left but tough to tell, and if I steer left it gets louder, which implies a right side issue I think, though when rolling on jack stands, the right side isn't even turning, only the left side, but still get the noise inside the passenger compartment, but when I get out I don't hear the sound while as I mentioned the front left is spinning and the front right is just stationary.

Can anywone help? I need to at least figure out the problem this weekend if not totally fix it.

'04 Cavalier 5speed Coupe 80k
'02 Z28 6speed convertible 149k
'03 Suburban LT 105k
'01 Subaru Legacy 5speed wagon 146k

If you steer to the left, transferring the weight to the right front wheel... and the noise gets louder.... it's pretty obvious, it's your right wheel bearing.

Here's a test... if you steer to the right... does the noise go away? If so... you confirmed it.

Yup. wheel bearing. the engine noise is probably drowning it out from the outside of the car. The weight transfer would be your best bet to check for sure. I had the same issue last winter, turned out to be my left front wheel bearing. Easy fix.


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Yeah what Lenko said. Also, you were in the right mind frame to test it, but hub bearings (unless really really bad) wont make noise until there under a load so thats also another reason why you probably didnt hear it whining. But yeah, it has to be a hub assembly. Goodluck!

I had the same thought, steering left transfers weight to the right side, stressing the right bearing more to make the noise. But what makes me think not is because it still makes the noise up on jackstands idling in 4th gear and the right isnt even spinning. Though maybe the noise would get even worse, but as I say, the left hub spinning by itself seems silent idling under no load but if I just lean my head in the car, suddenly the noise is very loud in the passenger compartment, move my head out, and it's silent again. It's pretty weird. I'm not ruling out completely the right bearing, but seems like something else too then, because I'm hearing the noise and the right hub is not even spinning.

Anyone have thoughts on the inner left cv joint going bad without clicking but just humming loudly?

'04 Cavalier 5speed Coupe 80k
'02 Z28 6speed convertible 149k
'03 Suburban LT 105k
'01 Subaru Legacy 5speed wagon 146k

the noise does not go away if I steer right. If I remember correctly, it makes the noise going straight or veering right, gets louding veering left, and on jackstands still makes the noise without the right side spinning.

'04 Cavalier 5speed Coupe 80k
'02 Z28 6speed convertible 149k
'03 Suburban LT 105k
'01 Subaru Legacy 5speed wagon 146k

Yep, so I bought the wheel bearing, got the part on my kitchen table right now. What sold me on it was I put the wheel on the left side to give some resistance, and both sids spun, whereas when it was no wheels only left side spun. Also after it spun for a few the hub was hot so dead giveaway.


'04 Cavalier 5speed Coupe 80k
'02 Z28 6speed convertible 149k
'03 Suburban LT 105k
'01 Subaru Legacy 5speed wagon 146k

No big surprise, replacing the front right hub/bearing assembly solved the problem.

It was a pretty good challenge a few times, getting the rotor off, getting the old hub/bearing out of the knuckle, but I got 'er done Sunday night, just in time for the work week commute.

Thanks for the help guys.


'04 Cavalier 5speed Coupe 80k
'02 Z28 6speed convertible 149k
'03 Suburban LT 105k
'01 Subaru Legacy 5speed wagon 146k