95 Coupe, 92000 miles.
Got a harmonic type noise at high speeds but not 65 - 70.  Opinion on whether I should tear into replacing u-joints and do wheel bearing while I'm at it.
I'm new at this so be kind!!!




|UPDATED|10/3/2011 5:02:25 PM (AZT)|/UPDATED|


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Love my C4!

 

could be a tire noise rita. you would have to check the ujoints and see if they were sloppy. a service manual can tell you how to check them. does the car clunk or make any hard noises when you put it in gear? from my experience a wheel bearing will have a high pitch noise if it going bad. maybe a good idea to have them repacked if they are not bad.

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the dynamic duo

c3vr life member #97

No wheel bearings per-se on these cars...it's a hub/bearing assembly. Not much you can do but replace them if there is a problem with them.
So...is this an actual noise you hear, or a vibration you feel? If it is a fine vibration that sorta comes/goes at speed, that points to a balance issue, prolly the driveshaft itself...may need u-joints. The halfshaft u-joints could also cause this to a lesser degree. Of course, a tire/wheel imbalance can do it, too, but that is usually a heavier feeling vibration.

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Joel Adams  
My Link

    
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"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

Thanks for pointing this out; getting my tires checked this afternoon.



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Love my C4!

 

Not feeling a vibration.  Once I hit 75 or faster there is a "hum" (not high pitch, kinda baritone) that get louder the faster I go and softer to gone as I slow down.
I've not noticed any unusual wear on my tires, but will be getting those checked out.  Wonder if I should do an alignment? 



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Love my C4!

 

That kinda sounds like it may well be a bearing. Try this to see if we can narrow it down a little more...
While driving at the speed that you hear this hum, turn the steering wheel just a little to one side(left or right), and see if the noise changes at all. Do this to the left and right. It's best to do this one a road with little traffic.
IF you hear a pronounced difference in the noise, then yer looking at a wheel bearing issue. If you hear no difference at all, then I would think you have a tire noise...


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Joel Adams  
My Link

    
(click for Texas-sized view!)             NCRS

"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

Okay, Vette guys, here's an update:

Had my tires checked, rotated/balanced.  Couldn't hear the noise coming home but I'm going to take my Corvette out to the same road where I would hear the noise and run it up to the speed where I first noticed the noise.  Will let you know what I find.

Appreciate you all so much!!!

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Love my C4!

 

Hmmmm....reckon the noise could simply be road surface related?


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Joel Adams  
My Link

    
(click for Texas-sized view!)             NCRS

"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

I've had noise from the rear also.

and we all love helping out a damsel in distress. it is a common thing to do when you hear something strange, you have a tendency to think the worst possible scenario. i've been in my car and would hear a strange nois and wonder what was going on and it turned out to be the car next to or behind me.

it's a good idea to have the tires rotated/balanced periodically. when i bought my new tires got the lifetime rotation and balancing on them. every 5000 mi, both get done. i believe it ran me about 80 bucks for the policy. both get done each time.

as joel pointed out it also could be just road noise. try it on the road you were on and then on a road that you can do the same speed (safely) and check if there is any difference.




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the dynamic duo

c3vr life member #97

(Mentioned driving the same road where I first heard the rear noise, didn't mean that was the only road I heard the noise on.  I'm hearing the noise no matter where I'm driving, whenever I get up to 75 or faster.  Sorry for being kinda misleading.)

Got my tires checked out, no signs of unusual wear, separating, etc.; balance was a little off.  Took same way to work as before, ran it up to 75 - where I heard the noise.  Still hear some noise but not as loud.  Took different road home (had to pass usual off ramp in order to find a stretch where I could safely reach 75 and up!) still some noise. 

Should my next step in fixing this be getting an alignment?  Or should I just jump into the u-joints, bearings, etc. 

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Love my C4!

 

>> Mesa, AZ <<

Ah, I used to live in AZ (Flagstaff), before moving back east to RI -- and a Vette would have been a much better car for out there than back here!  Aside from the party-pooper 65mph speed limit, we don't have the long stretches of open-road-with-no-hiding-places-for-cops, for top speed runs.  My favorite stretch used to be on Route 87 south of Winslow -- a nice long straight where you could really air it out!

Urb


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Rita:

Also, these cars are not Cadillac’s. The don't ride soft, and they're not quite.