Tires or Wheel Bearings

[Dachristianman]

My '03 is making a lot noise up front and I'm wondering if it is the tires or do I have some noisy wheel bearings. How can you tell the difference? The tires are Michelins about 75% worn. I know tires get noisier as they wear, but I know these cars are known to need wheel bearings as well.

Give me some thoughts. The car has 98K on it and I've only owned it for a few thousand miles. I can shift the car into neutral going down the road and the noise doesn't change, so it's not engine or transmission noise.

Tom

[Skibane]

How can you tell the difference?

Personally, I'd whup out the ol' jack and lift a front wheel enough to spin it freely.

If the bearing is starting to go, you'll hear it grumble while the wheel is spinning.

You can also attempt to rock the wheel sideways - If the bearing is getting flaky, you'll notice an unusual amount of play in it.

Another "trick" is to temporarily over-inflate the tire before taking a brief test-drive. If the noise goes away or changes dramatically, you're probably looking at tire tread wear. However, if the noise remains the same, the bearing is suspect.