Squeaking noise coming from wheel

[Andyman8282]

I've got a mild squeaking noise coming from my driver's side front wheel somewhere. Here are the facts:

1996 Thunderbird, 4.6 V8, Auto Tranny.
~ The squeaking gets worse as the weather gets colder.
~ It doesn't squeak when I brake.
~ It doesn't squeak when I turn my wheels a few degrees left or right.
~ It's an intermittent squeak that squeaks more as the car moves faster.
~ The brake pads have another 7-8 thousand miles left.

Me and R were thinking a bearing, possibly a weird rotor, any other ideas?

Thanks ahead of time

~ Andy

 

[Skandocious]

Most likely a wheel bearing... Is that car rear wheel drive or does it have a trans axle? Can you describe the noise a little bit better? What kind of squeak is it?

 

[mrfixit]

Loose nut behind the wheel.

 

[john112deere]

Something weird with the caliper/pads, maybe.

I let my truck sit a couple months one time, and when I started driving it again, I got a slight "scraping" noise from the front end. Turned out the pads had rusted sort of stuck and were dragging.

Unfortunately, by the time I figured out what had happened, I was halfway through a 300 mile trip.

 

[Andyman8282]

The car is RWD, and the squeak sounds like an annoying metal on metal high pitch squeak that varies with the speed the car goes.

 

[Skandocious]

Metal on metal... Are you sure you've got 7-8k miles on your pads? Sounds like you're rubbing your pad backing plate against the rotor... Wait, the sound goes away when you brake? Hmmmm... I really can't think of anything that would be except your wheel bearings, but even those shouldn't really make a noise like THAT. Although I've seen them do worse so anything is possible... I'm not entirely familiar with a 2wd drivetrain like that so I might not be of much help, but to my knowledge there aren't very many things UP there in the first place, so there aren't too many things that could make noises... If it were me, I'd remove the wheel bearings and pack them full of grease. If the noise changes but doesn't go away, bad bearings, replace them

 

[lil_dq]

can you feel any vibration in the pedal when you hit the brakes at all?

 

[blacksnapon]

I'd be leaning toward a wheel bearing, but, check your pads as well, you might have some debris between the rotor and backing plate. The bearings on a t-bird are the sealed version, they come bearing/hub assy. The noise going away when you turn the car is what leads me to believe a bearing.

 

[O'Rattlecan]

I'm glad to hear you say that, Vince. It really really sounds like a bearing to me judging by what happens with the speed and acceleration/deceleration/turning of the car.

Ryan

 

[bowtiehatr]

i would go with a loose brake pad or missing anti-rattle clips. when you brake, and when you turn you also load the calipers due to flexing. the flexing isnt alot but it is just enough to quiet a squeaky pad.

 

[Andyman8282]

Thanks for the responses, I'll fill ya in on the verdict when I have time to get some work done on it.

 

[surewhynot]

Maybe the hamster fell off its wheel.












sorry. couldn't resist.

 

[TheRoadVirus]

Lol fwd what?

 

[Andyman8282]

Got the squeak figured out yesterday, turned out it was an idle/tensioner pulley making the squeak.

 

[Skandocious]

996 Thunderbird, 4.6 V8, Auto Tranny.
~ The squeaking gets worse as the weather gets colder.
~ It doesn't squeak when I brake.
~ It doesn't squeak when I turn my wheels a few degrees left or right.
~ It's an intermittent squeak that squeaks more as the car moves faster.
~ The brake pads have another 7-8 thousand miles left.

Ehhh... How do you explain those two phenomena?! Hahah

 

[Brian_B]

Maybe the hamster fell off its wheel.












sorry. couldn't resist.

Got the squeak figured out yesterday, turned out it was an idle/tensioner pulley making the squeak.

Seems to me that Tony was pretty darn close.

 

[Andyman8282]

Ehhh... How do you explain those two phenomena?! Hahah

My only guesses are based on the fact that when I brake/turn my brake-booster and power steering pump take a load on the engine and somehow effected the belt system enough to make the pulley not squeak.

 

[mrfixit]

The PS pump certainly can have an effect... but the Brake booster is vacuum, lol... maybe just the fact that when you BRAKE, the engine is slowed via deceleration and your foot off the juice

 

[Andyman8282]

The PS pump certainly can have an effect... but the Brake booster is vacuum, lol... maybe just the fact that when you BRAKE, the engine is slowed via deceleration and your foot off the juice

Your guess is as good as mine I'm just happy that the squeak is gone

 

[sdtheclub]

Make sure your backing plate is not bent and rubbing on the rotor. If so just bend it back, see this all the time