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takumidrift30
08-29-2006, 04:16 PM
I have this loud humming sound in my front wheel(driver's side), it's crazy and starting to give me a headache whenever I'm on the road. The sound gets louder as you increase your speed and it's pulling a little to the left when you let go of the steering wheel. Also when I make a left turn or on the freeway approaching a left curve the sound instantly shuts. Last week I just changed my control arms with lemforders with the 740 bushings, had a wheel alignment and everything was ok. Just one morning going to work had this sound. I checked the wheel bearing-jacked up the car turn the wheel I didn't hear any sound nor a rough thing when the when turns, I rotated the wheels and it's still the same, double check the bushings and other suspension components still didn't fine anything and lastly checked my rims for a any damages or irregularity in shape still found nothing.
At this point I would greatly appreciate any input in addressing this issue.
Thanks in advance guys!

91m5
08-29-2006, 07:27 PM
I have this loud humming sound in my front wheel(driver's side), it's crazy and starting to give me a headache whenever I'm on the road. The sound gets louder as you increase your speed and it's pulling a little to the left when you let go of the steering wheel. Also when I make a left turn or on the freeway approaching a left curve the sound instantly shuts. Last week I just changed my control arms with lemforders with the 740 bushings, had a wheel alignment and everything was ok. Just one morning going to work had this sound. I checked the wheel bearing-jacked up the car turn the wheel I didn't hear any sound nor a rough thing when the when turns, I rotated the wheels and it's still the same, double check the bushings and other suspension components still didn't fine anything and lastly checked my rims for a any damages or irregularity in shape still found nothing.
At this point I would greatly appreciate any input in addressing this issue.
Thanks in advance guys!
Sounds like a bad wheel bearing sir.Easy fix.pull old bearings n repack n replace.You better do the other side as well.Good luck:)

pundit
08-29-2006, 08:06 PM
It sounds indicative of a wheel bearing however I'd have someone take a look at it first just in case it turns out to be something else.
If it was making no noise prior to your front end work then that seems a bit strange unless it has been damaged somehow. Hitting a kerb for instance.
Wheel bearings don't usually suddenly go from good to bad unless they have suffered either impact damage, have had dirt or moisture ingress or lost lubricant. Usually the noise gradually becomes worse over time.

I'd also check to make sure the brake rotor backing plate isn't scraping against the rotor. It may have been bent while the car was being worked on.
That will cause noises and if it is just barely touching the rotor the noise made can be effected by changing direction.
Another possibility is a badly feathered tyre, but again this wouldn't suddenly occur unless you fitted a scrubbed spare when you were working on the car but as you have rotated the tyres and the noise remains then you can probably rule that out.

BTW, wheel bearings on an E34 are not easily repackable and if they are worn then they must be replaced as part of the entire front hub assembly (http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=HD63&mospid=47404&btnr=31_0196&hg=31&fg=10) which include the ABS rotor.
Once a wheel bearing has become noisy it indicates the hardening has failed.
Repacking it with grease will not fix it. It may prolong it's life long enough to get to the next garage if one was out it the sticks but the grease is for preventative maintenance... not a cure once it has failed.

As the front hub nuts are torqued to 209ft/lbs and a puller is required to remove the hub assembly I'd suggest you to take it to an independant service shop for a quote unless you have the tools and means to do it yourself.

Also check to see whether yours has an asymmetric or non-asymmetric disc rotor alignment hole. :)

Here's a good link (http://bmwe32.masscom.net/sean750/front_wheel_bearing/ReplacingFrontWheelBearing.htm) to the front wheel bearing replacement procedure ... it's actually for an E32 but the bearing and hubs are the same.

takumidrift30
08-30-2006, 02:15 AM
Thanks 91m5 and pundit for the reply and taking the extra effort to provide me the details, appreciate it. Originally suspected it was bearing but when I checked and jacked the car didn't hear nor feel anything on the bearing, but suspected it's the bearing that why I got uncertain of my diagnosis. At this point regardless of what I see with I'll replace the both bearings. Thanks again guys!