Sound coming from tire or wheel bearing?

[berniedd]

My Honda CRV left front wheel recently gives off a sound like woh - woh -woh - woh. It becomes noticeable at 35 kph and increases in repetition rate as the car goes faster. I don't feel any vibration at the steering wheel at any speed. I've jacked up that side and tried to turn that wheel to see if it's out of round, but it won't turn easily (automatic trans is in neutral). I think it's the tire but the wheel bearing is also suspect. I could change it with the spare to find out but it's very late at night and I'm too lazy to do it tomorrow before I go to work. What do you think, guys? Tire or bearing?

 

[rationull]

If it's the bearing oftentimes it will change as load on that particular wheel increases or decreases. Might be easier to check w/ a rear wheel but even so. Do you know if it changes as you go through right or left hand curves at speed?

 

[Quest]

If swapping tires (left to right) doesn't help in keeping this "woh, woh..." down, it's probably due to bad bearings.

Q.

 

[rpn453]

My girlfriend's front tires make some noise due to cupping from driving a few hundred kilometers while needing a wheel alignment a few years back. She got the alignment and those tires ended up on the back and were forgotten about until they ended up on the front again a year or two later. The sound gets louder with cornering so I initially assumed it was a bearing. I'm glad I tried swapping tires front to back before going any further.

I don't like the noise, but it doesn't bother her so she's leaving them on.

 

[Audi Junkie]

Did you ever change the Dual-Pump fluid in the rear diff? I have the new DPF-II in my CRV. Other than that, the tires seem to make the noise you described.

 

[berniedd]

Rationull, there's no change in the noise when cornering. AudiJunkie, yes I changed the ATF twice and the rear differential oil liquid 3000 km ago (January 2008). Come to think of it, the noise wasn't present at that time yet, but that could be pure coincidence and not cause and effect.

 

[RacerE7773]

That is exactly what my RF sounded like. The place I get stuff done at I can't do (most everything on a car) found it when I took it in for rear brakes adjusted.

 

[berniedd]

Err, RacerE,what does RF stand for?

 

[Greggy_D]

Right Front (tire)

 

[berniedd]

It was the tire, guys. I changed it with my brand new spare, and 90% of the sound went away.