Pulsating humming noise

[SiegSolara]

Hi all,

I bought my '99 solara about 3 month ago, and am loving it. The only thing that is concerning me is this:

When I am driving my solara between 50 and 60 mph, I hear a loud pulsating humming noise that seems to be coming from the front of car. The noise is faintly noticable at 45 mph, is loud at 50, and gets very loud at 55. The noise gets quieter as I accelerate after 55 mph to 60. After 60 mph, the noise is gone. If I decelerate back into the 50's that noise comes back.

The noise pulsates about once every second at 50 mph. As I acclerate towards 60 mph, the noise pulsates faster and louder. After 55 mph, the noise still pulsates faster, but grows quieter. After I pass 60 mph, the noise is gone completely.

The noise happens regardless if I am using the brake or not. The noise occurs regardless if I am acclerating or not.

I replaced the tires about 4 weeks ago, so the tires are not to blame.

I replaced the brakes two weeks after I bought the car, and I don't think they are the issue. I can't recall if the car was making the noise before I replaced the brakes or not :/

As far as rpms, the car is running at about 1.7 K rpms at 50 mph when the noise starts. The car does not make the noise when running at 1.7 K rpms at 30 mph.

Anyways, thats the problem Im running into with my solara, and info would be helpful.

Thanks!

[1jzgte]

your wheel bearings may have gone bad

[SiegSolara]

Hrmmm

I am letting my car run idle. I think I hear the vibrating noise very softly. It sounds like it is coming from a smaller belt deeper inside the engine (not the belt attached to the alternator, but the thinner belt deeper in). If it is a bad part of a belt that is circulating, it would make sense that the noise would pulsate faster or slower based on my driving speed.

Could that belt be the problem? Anyway I can check it?

[SiegSolara]

Well, I finally broke down and brought my car to the dealer for a diagonstic. Front left and rear left bearings and possibly front left hub are bad on it

Total damage: $1120

Ug, cant help but feel like Im getting ripped off.

I looked on the tutorial section for wheel bearing maintenance, but wasnt able to find anything.

Over 300 of the dollars is for labor, and if its simple, I'd rather do it myself.

Anyone here replaced wheel bearings before? Any advise is appreciated

[geminimouse]

There's no wheel bearing maintance..only replacement when they go bad.
From what i've seen at a honda shop, replacing wheel bearings isn't a diy.

[SiegSolara]

geminimouse, I think you are totally right.

Well, like a fool I thought I could do it myself. I got as far as trying to take the hub off. The hub was stuck pretty good. Looking at the replacement hub assembly that I bought, it looks like the hub should pull off (not bolted to anything). Because the hub was stuck on, I used a hub puller to attempt to pull off the hub. Instead of prying off the hub (what I was hoping for), it pushed the axle half-way out of the back side of the bearing area. The axle will not re-seat back into the bearing hole with the tools that I have. Annnd the hub is still just as stuck as ever. Bah.

<sigh> I am having my car towed into the shop tomorrow for repairs.

Replacing bearings isnt a diy, its a ltdsu. (Let the dealer screw you)

[Hsakuragi]

^ not if you find a good dealer that knows something