loud noise coming from front wheel

[mazdafreak7]

i just bought a 03 msp recently and ive noticed, I think one of the front wheels/tires or something is making a helicopter type sound when im going down the road, its hard to describe the noise but imagine the tire having a flat spot on it and every time it hits that flat spot it makes the sound, like a rapid thud sound, the tires are brand new so they are not likely the culprit..any ideas?

 

[tweakingmsp]

Maybe the tires/wheels aren't balanced.

 

[mazdafreak7]

nah i don't think so, the sound is much worse then that..plus the steering wheel doesn't shake at high speeds like it should if they were out of balance. any other ideas?

 

[dstmsp03]

wheel bearing..

 

[mazdafreak7]

yeah i was thinking that could be possible but dont they usually make a grinding sound when they are going out? can anyone refresh my memory on how to check for a bad wheel bearing? and also how hard are they to replace? is there an online FSM for these cars?

 

[JcSquare]

I had the same problem before with my MSP, the noise was caused by the Hub Assy, Wheel.

 

[mazdafreak7]

what do you mean? the wheel itself or the hub?

 

[SeR_Cyclops]

get the car up on jacks. Take your hands place them at 12 and 6 o'clock and then see if the wheel has any movement. The movement would be toward you and away from you. that is a quick easy test. you can also make zigzags in the road (slow rate of speed) and when the weight is on the wheel that you think is bad then the noise should quiet down.

 

[mazdafreak7]

ok thanks, ill check that out tomorrow, i did notice today that the noise is loudest at about 40mph, once you get to around 60 its not as loud..im starting to think it is the wheel bearing, is that common with these cars at around 90k miles? how difficult are they to replace? ive done tons of bearings in rear wheel drive cars but never a FWD.

 

[SeR_Cyclops]

Just make sure when you press the bearing on you press it right. If you don't you can leave little indention in the ball and the bearing will go bad pretty fast.

 

[mazdafreak7]

ok so i tried to wiggle the front wheels when it was jacked up and they are solid as hell! no play what so ever..now what?

 

[SeR_Cyclops]

That is just a check that sometimes work. you can also put it in drive while up on jack stands and see if they roar.

 

[mazdafreak7]

but wouldnt there be at least a little play if they were shot? i mean these things are very sturdy, i even used a pry bar and they didnt move at all.. could the cv joints possibly be the noise?

 

[mazdafreak7]

do you guys usually just replace the whole hub assembly when the bearings go out?

 

[jeanspeed]

lots of shop wont do installations of wheel bearing they rather do the whole spin wheel or something like that.

 

[tolagarFriS]

but wouldnt there be at least a little play if they were shot? i mean these things are very sturdy, i even used a pry bar and they didnt move at all.. could the cv joints possibly be the noise?

Honestly I'm having some major front-end wheel-sounding noises that I'm almost positive could be the cv joints...just started happening too...

 

[JasonBourne]

the cv joint of the MSP is the same of the regular protege?

 

[JcSquare]

The part that I replaced to eliminate the grinding sound is called, based on the manufacturer part book, Wheel Hub Assembly, part number: C100-33-060.

Here is the link of the Mazde Protege manufacturer manual.
http://www.mazdamotorsports.com/pdfs/collgd/pro_9903_cg.pdf

Look for the Front Suspension in the table of content.

 

[mazdafreak7]

well guys it was the wheel bearing..$25 for a new bearing and seal and a few hours of time and no more noise!! that bearing was a mother fucker to press out, then to cut the race off the hub was a b**** too..it drives much smoother now too but my alignment is all ****** up now..

 

[tolagarFriS]

Found out mine as well...bushing/bracket completely detached from sway bar, causing the sway bar to move and literally smack against....metal.