Name that noise.......
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Elder User
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 624
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From: Houston, TX
Name that noise.......
Just completed a complete overhaul of the front end on my 91 Ext XLT......new stabilizer bar bushings, new links and bushings, upper control arm bushings on both sides, rebuilt steering rack and tie rod ends. Didn't need to do the ball joints, apparently lubing them religiously still has them in excellent shape. After the alignment the car is a dream to drive........however, after removing the source of all the front end noises, my noise detector 
(read wife) has now concentrated on noises coming from different areas of the car.
What is bothering her now is a low "wuuu wuuuu wuuu" that eminates from the rear somewhere and is evident at speeds over 35 miles an hour. The noise is constant, once I start hearing it, it does not change (i.e. get faster) as the speed of the vehicle increases. It might be my imagination, but it seems that it gets lower in volume if I let of the gas...
Anyone have any ideas?
Klaus Cook
Houston, Texas
(read wife) has now concentrated on noises coming from different areas of the car.What is bothering her now is a low "wuuu wuuuu wuuu" that eminates from the rear somewhere and is evident at speeds over 35 miles an hour. The noise is constant, once I start hearing it, it does not change (i.e. get faster) as the speed of the vehicle increases. It might be my imagination, but it seems that it gets lower in volume if I let of the gas...
Anyone have any ideas?
Klaus Cook
Houston, Texas
Elder User
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 830
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From: Kitchener,Ontario,Canada
Originally Posted by cookkd
Jy noise detector (read wife) has now concentrated on noises coming from different areas of the car.
What is bothering her now is a low "wuuu wuuuu wuuu" that eminates from the rear somewhere and is evident at speeds over 35 miles an hour. The noise is constant, once I start hearing it, it does not change (i.e. get faster) as the speed of the vehicle increases. It might be my imagination, but it seems that it gets lower in volume if I let of the gas...
Anyone have any ideas?
Klaus Cook
Houston, Texas
(read wife) has now concentrated on noises coming from different areas of the car.What is bothering her now is a low "wuuu wuuuu wuuu" that eminates from the rear somewhere and is evident at speeds over 35 miles an hour. The noise is constant, once I start hearing it, it does not change (i.e. get faster) as the speed of the vehicle increases. It might be my imagination, but it seems that it gets lower in volume if I let of the gas...
Anyone have any ideas?
Klaus Cook
Houston, Texas
Lead Driver
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 7,018
Likes: 210
From: SoCal
I once encountered a problem that started out as a nondescript dull hum that didn't seem to correlate to speed. As it got worse, it still didn't change with speed. Finally, it turned into a grinding noise that was obviously from the rear axle, but it was still intermittent. It turned out to be a wheel bearing tearing itself apart. The cage that held the ***** started to get shredded, and pieces of it would occasionally get caught in the ***** and make a loud noise.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 5,860
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From: Metro Detroit (Redford)
Wow, I hear all kinds of noises driving, but my wife never hears any of it.
One way to find out what a noise is is to wait for the thing that is making the noise to break. My '77 F150 (many years ago) had a clanking noise. One day I found out what it was. Replaced the brakes and did the required (we thought at the time) brake test, which was to go about 50 mph and lock em up. Well, when I did that the clang got much louder and part of a spring leaf passed me on the shoulder of the road. Hee hee. Of course if the wheel is about to fall off you probably want to diagnose the noise immediately rather than wait for the eventual mishap.
I still think the tires could be (remotely) responsible, maybe rotate them and see what happens.
One way to find out what a noise is is to wait for the thing that is making the noise to break. My '77 F150 (many years ago) had a clanking noise. One day I found out what it was. Replaced the brakes and did the required (we thought at the time) brake test, which was to go about 50 mph and lock em up. Well, when I did that the clang got much louder and part of a spring leaf passed me on the shoulder of the road. Hee hee. Of course if the wheel is about to fall off you probably want to diagnose the noise immediately rather than wait for the eventual mishap.
I still think the tires could be (remotely) responsible, maybe rotate them and see what happens.
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Joined: Nov 2004
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cookkd-a couple of the guys hit on it. Check your rear end grease first. Located on the drives side of the rear end housing of the axle remove the 3/8 drive plug. On a level surface you should either have the thick oil drip out on removal or just slightly place the tip of your pinky in the hole and reach downward. If your finger is wet then you have enough if not top it off with the 85 weight you can pick up at Auto Zone for 2 bucks. Secondly, the well bearing. I didn't notice any damage to mine but I had a noise emitting from the rear pas. side tire and when I went ahead and removed it "no more noise". I don't think its your exhaust at all. Let us know what you find out. I'm curious. Boz
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Joined: Sep 2003
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From: Southern California
Hi Klaus:
I think it's the tires. Do they have funny scalloping patterns due to bad shocks? Swap them to the front and see if the noise would shift to the front. If it's the differential or the bearing, I'd expect grinding noise, not wind noise like you heard. I assumed it sounds like wind noise from the "wuuu wuuuu wuuu" description.
But then it could very well be the intial stage of bearing or driveshaft U joint problem. It doesn't hurt to check those too. If you are dropping the differential cover to change the oil anyways, it's not hard to remove the C-clips and pull the axles out to check the bearings, or even replacing them. They are cheap enough.
Good luck and please let us know what you find out, just in case it happens to one of us in the future.
I think it's the tires. Do they have funny scalloping patterns due to bad shocks? Swap them to the front and see if the noise would shift to the front. If it's the differential or the bearing, I'd expect grinding noise, not wind noise like you heard. I assumed it sounds like wind noise from the "wuuu wuuuu wuuu" description.
But then it could very well be the intial stage of bearing or driveshaft U joint problem. It doesn't hurt to check those too. If you are dropping the differential cover to change the oil anyways, it's not hard to remove the C-clips and pull the axles out to check the bearings, or even replacing them. They are cheap enough.
Good luck and please let us know what you find out, just in case it happens to one of us in the future.