# vibration frequency increases with speed



## cjm94 (Sep 25, 2011)

Sounds like a wheel bearing


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## daveb1 (Jan 15, 2010)

Possibly a lost wheel weight, but from the age and since it's getting worse, I tend to agree with wheel bearing.

Accident would have nothing to do with drive shaft or U-joint. Maybe check them as well.


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## wkearney99 (Apr 8, 2009)

Could also be the plastic shroud they sometimes put around the anti-lock brake sensor wire at each wheel. Goes from the wheel hub (near the brake caliper) back over to the suspension (strut column?). But I doubt it'd be enough to cause a vibration you'd feel in the wheel.

Maybe a chunk of something got wedged in-between the dust shroud on the back of the wheel and the rim. That sometimes happens after off-roading in my Jeep GC. But that likely would have worked loose when you removed the wheels to check the brakes.

You did look at both sides of the brake calipers, right? I've seen pictures of caliper horror stories where people ignored the grinding so long that the discs worn down until the pads started clanking against the casting supports in-between the disc faces.


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## ukrkoz (Dec 31, 2010)

It is what it is. You have piece of plastic rubbing on wheel. Very likely, fender well cover.
If you have jackstand, jack side up and spin tires by hand. Even better, jack both sides, turn engine on, and put into D. Let 'm spin and pinpoint the noise.
You know how many cars I have seen driving around with grocery bag stuck underneath?


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## Sputnik (Oct 8, 2013)

*Found problem*

Didn't sound like the driver's side wheel bearing, but I was. I replaced the assembly and it's back to normal. The way I finally figured it out was by taking sharp turns and the constant sound was worse when puttin the weight of the car on the drivers side. I had to do this before the car warmed up or the sound wasn't noticeable, meaning the sound became louder and a difference when turning from right to left was no longer noticeable. Hope this helps some down the road.


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## ukrkoz (Dec 31, 2010)

Or, you could have just rocked wheel back and for vigorously with hands on 6 and 12. 
Good you found it.


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## Lotek (Apr 24, 2013)

ukrkoz said:


> Or, you could have just rocked wheel back and for vigorously with hands on 6 and 12.
> Good you found it.


Not necessarily, modern bearings can howl while still being tight, driving a figure eight on smooth pavement is the best way to diagnose, sometimes it takes having 2 people in the car to determine which side. Put it up in the air, no load, no noise.


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## wkearney99 (Apr 8, 2009)

Lotek said:


> Not necessarily, modern bearings can howl while still being tight, driving a figure eight on smooth pavement is the best way to diagnose, sometimes it takes having 2 people in the car to determine which side. Put it up in the air, no load, no noise.


Yep. Two people with good hearing and a big parking lot so you're away from other vehicles and their noise. What sounded like a front bearing turned out to be a rear one, only found by someone sitting in the back seat and listening, head out the window.


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