SOLVED: New howling sound past 50mph

[edunn14]

That's how my drain plug looks every time. I wouldn't stress too much about it. IMO, it's your other wheel bearing, especially with it being more pronounced in the corners.

When my wheel bearings went bad, they had zero play. I just kept getting a suspension fault light and fault speed sensor error. Pulled the bearings, sure enough it all went away.

I can't hear anything in the video, but I can tell you mine has an ever so faint howl, that has been noticable since I put the rear seat delete in.

I have been driving with my seats down recently but the sound predates that. The sound did progress to doing it on both sweeping left AND right turns, which made/makes me think it's not a wheel bearing. But one has already gone and been replaced so who knows.

I took a new video, when I get a chance I'll listen and see if it picks up any change I'm hearing.

When you had the car up in the air, did you check to see if any of the wheels were "sloppy"? I had a noise like this on mine once and the rear axle nut on one side had loosened up.

I did not think to check that. Nothing I've seen or touched so far has been loose or leaking. The wheels all technically pass the wiggle test.

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[WItoTX]

When you had the car up in the air, did you check to see if any of the wheels were "sloppy"? I had a noise like this on mine once and the rear axle nut on one side had loosened up.

That's actually a really good point. OP, go crank on the wheel nut on the new hub side, with all your strength, then mark the nut and axle with a paint pen. Then you know whether or not it is backing off.

Something like this:

 

[eisenhauer01]

@WItoTX something has been bugging me about this. Maybe you can answer the question.
When I experienced this howl, I put the car up on jackstands and gave it a shakedown.
When I found the drivers side rear wheel had a ton of play in it, I thought 100% the wheel bearing was shot. Jumped on the forum and saw people saying the "nut backs off and causes this". So I added some Loctite and re-torqued the nut. It fixed it.
The part that is bothering me.. How is this possible?
The wheel bearing hub assembly is a sealed unit, that shouldn't require pre-load from the axle/nut to be tight. I don't get it. The same wheel bearing hubs are used on the frontend of some later model mustangs, and they don't have the axle/nut there to tighten things up.
I just rebuilt the entire rear end of my car, and when I took everything apart, the old wheel bearing was not worn out and loose. Maybe I am overlooking something very simple, but I still don't understand what happened or how it is possible. Sorry to de-rail the thread.

 

[edunn14]

That's actually a really good point. OP, go crank on the wheel nut on the new hub side, with all your strength, then mark the nut and axle with a paint pen. Then you know whether or not it is backing off.

Something like this:

Seems easy enough to check, I'll report back after buying a paint pen . . . Anyone have the size of that nut and the torque spec offhand? My google-fu at the gym is lacking

 

[WItoTX]

@WItoTX something has been bugging me about this. Maybe you can answer the question.
When I experienced this howl, I put the car up on jackstands and gave it a shakedown.
When I found the drivers side rear wheel had a ton of play in it, I thought 100% the wheel bearing was shot. Jumped on the forum and saw people saying the "nut backs off and causes this". So I added some Loctite and re-torqued the nut. It fixed it.
The part that is bothering me.. How is this possible?
The wheel bearing hub assembly is a sealed unit, that shouldn't require pre-load from the axle/nut to be tight. I don't get it. The same wheel bearing hubs are used on the frontend of some later model mustangs, and they don't have the axle/nut there to tighten things up.
I just rebuilt the entire rear end of my car, and when I took everything apart, the old wheel bearing was not worn out and loose. Maybe I am overlooking something very simple, but I still don't understand what happened or how it is possible. Sorry to de-rail the thread.

I don't have a real good answer for you, other than it's a known issue. Hell mine did it right after I replaced mine, and I guess it happens. The locktite is a good idea. Wish I would have done that!

 

[WItoTX]

Seems easy enough to check, I'll report back after buying a paint pen . . . Anyone have the size of that nut and the torque spec offhand? My google-fu at the gym is lacking

I use a 32mm, it feels a little big. Torque is like 90 lbs plus another half turn once you reach 90 lbs. It's a massive pita to do.

 

[edunn14]

I use a 32mm, it feels a little big. Torque is like 90 lbs plus another half turn once you reach 90 lbs. It's a massive pita to do.

Ah shit ok haha

 

[edunn14]

New update: I still have to check the axle nut, but the last day or two I have noticed a new phenomenon. A low "whoop whoop whoop" sound the is pretty much only noticeable in 4th gear. Clutch in/shift to 5 or 3 makes it go away as far as I can tell. I will try to capture a video if I can on the way home from work today.

These noises are not consistent enough with anything I've encountered for me to diagnose on my own. Pretty frustrating as I'm trying to avoid dropping it off at the dealership and saying "figure it out."

With the condition/level my diff fluid was in, I'm suspicious of the trans fluid now.

 

[edunn14]

Axle nuts definitely seem torqued properly. I couldn't get them to budge while up in the air.

Checked tires today for cupping, seems like maybe on the front passenger tire on the inside it's a bit uneven? Suspension, aside from LCAs that were suggested to be replaced, has never been brought up or seemed out of place when I've looked at it.

The intermittent whooping is my biggest concern now. But there is also 1000% bearing noise. At least it still appears nothing is going with the engine?

 

[Talliuz]

Want to throw my 2 cents out there. I recently adjusted the MGW aftermarket shifter that came in the car when I bought it, and during my research, I found that if a sound deadening cloth is not put back, air will howl into the cabin.

I don't know if you replaced or touched anything with your shifter recently but might be worth looking at. Start by googling how the shifter wind leaking sounds like and see if it sounds similar to your issue. It is a 10-20 minute job to get to the shifter assembly so might be worth it if the noise sounds similar.

 

[edunn14]

Here is the grand finale: passenger rear wheel bearing was shot. Like, REALLY shot. I could hear it grinding when the tech rotated it across the service desk without putting my ear up to it.

The sound is gone, all systems nominal.

My 3rd party warranty from when I bought the car covered it, so all in paid $140 (deductible and some new bolts). That was a big surprise - I didn't think a powertrain warranty would cover wheel bearings. But hey - it's all said and done now!

 

[loco_GT350]

Here is the grand finale: passenger rear wheel bearing was shot. Like, REALLY shot. I could hear it grinding when the tech rotated it across the service desk without putting my ear up to it.

The sound is gone, all systems nominal.

My 3rd party warranty from when I bought the car covered it, so all in paid $140 (deductible and some new bolts). That was a big surprise - I didn't think a powertrain warranty would cover wheel bearings. But hey - it's all said and done now!

Just curious, how many miles are on the car?

 

[edunn14]

32k

 

[icecreamtruckz]

32k

I just passed 33k. Had no idea they wore out that fast. One more thing I need to add to the list in my head of potential future parts.

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