screeching noise? wheel bearing?

[92talontsibryce]

ok well i have searhed and cant determine what is making this noise. The noise is coming from the front drivers side wheel area. It is a screeching sound but it only happens when im driving below like 50mph. My first thought was a wheel bearing going out but the noise completly stops when i turn the wheel left or right.

I jacked the car up about two weeks ago to see if there was any movement and i couldnt feel any. What could this be? CV joint, wheel bearing, i really am stumped here please help.

Thanks,
Bryce

 

[cavillac]

Does the noise go away when you turn it one way and get louder when you turn it the other?

 

[92talontsibryce]

if i turn the wheel to the left while driving the noise goes away. and when i turn the wheel to the right the noise goes away. this is why i dont think its the wheel bearing. but i could be wrong. what do you think?

Bryce

 

[romeen]

Check your crank pulley. The harmonic balancer may be separating. It's located behind the front drivers side wheel.

 

[92talontsibryce]

ok i have been doing some research about the harmonic balancer and that seems like it could be my problem. When i first start the car it makes a loud screeching noise (i thought it was just my p/s belt but could be the harmonic balancer now that i think about it.)well anyways it makes this noise untill the car warms up then it just stops making the noise. but then after i drive the car for about a mile or two the screeching noise comes back.

does this still sound like the harmonic balancer?

thanks for any help in advance,
Bryce

 

[romeen]

No problem.

Hard to say for sure. It could be as simple as an accessory belt needing to be tightened up. But I think the probability is high enough that it warrants looking into. Especially if it has never been replaced. It's one of those things that if it completely fails and comes apart it can potentially wreak havoc on your motor.

Check tension and condition of accessory belts and replace if needed. If they seem to be ok then move on to the crank pulley.

It's really not that hard to remove the crank pulley. You have to remove the front driver wheel, plastic splash guard, accessory belts and then the crank pulley which is just held on by four bolts. It's easier than it sounds once you get into it. Let me know if you need any help.

If it makes the noise on initial start up before you start driving it then I think we can safely rule out the wheel bearings.

 

[92talontsibryce]

ok well two weeks ago i put on a new head. and at the same time i replaced the alt. belt and the p/s belt and made sure they were tight. so i dont think its any of those belts.

I thought i had two diffrent noises. one from the p/s pump when i first started the car. and a noise from the drivers front wheel. but maybe the noises are connected resulting in the harmonic balancer. how do i check to see if the harmonic balancer is seperating?

thanks,
Bryce

 

[romeen]

As far as I know the only way to know for sure is to remove it and examine it. Sometimes they will come apart in two pieces and other times you will see the rubber portion separating from the metal.

 

[92talontsibryce]

ok well when i get a chance i will tear the talon apart and look at it. if it does need to be replaced where is the best place to get a new oem harmoni balancer?

Thanks,
Bryce

 

[romeen]

I've heard that you can get them at most parts stores but I don't think they are oem and I can't vouch for the quality of them. You can find them on ebay, but again I don't know if they are oem or not.

I would check with JNZ. They are one of the site vendors and have good prices on oem parts. I have had good experiences with them.

: JNZ Tuning

 

[Kastigir]

For the record, wheel bearings have more of a hum than a screech.

 

[92talontsibryce]

ok just a update on my project. i started the car and looked at the harmonic balancer and it didnt seem like it was wobbling at all. so i thought maybe its the p/s pump. so i took off the p/s belt and even with that belt off it still made the squeeling noise. Could the noise be anything else besides the harmonic balancer? i just want to rule everything else out before i spend 120 on a new oem harmonic balancer.

Thanks,
Bryce

 

[romeen]

You really need to remove the crank pulley for examination to rule out a separating harmonic balancer. You won't necessarily see a wobble when it is turning.

There are other things that could be making the noise but I would recommend you start with the crank pulley/harmonic balancer.