I noticed a sound from the tyres of my car and someone told me it is hubs of the wheels of the car that are spoilt. Therefore, can that be the reason for the noise and more so, what are the effects of this spoilt hubs if the car is driven with these spoilt hubs
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ultimately the wheel could fall off.– MauroCommented Aug 16, 2016 at 12:07
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There are a number of possible causes for noises from the vicinity of the tires. Could you describe the noise and when it happens? Also is it all wheels?– dluCommented Aug 16, 2016 at 12:35
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The noise occurs while on motion e.g huuuuuu.– OlalekanCommented Aug 16, 2016 at 12:58
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1Can you provide a photo of the hub in question?– Jason CCommented Aug 16, 2016 at 15:35
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2 Answers
First of all, there are a number of reasons for noises when a wheel is in motion, but two of the most common are tires (from uneven wear) and worn hub bearings. Often when tires are the source of the noise, it will come from multiple wheels simultaneously, and often if the noise is coming from multiple wheels simultaneously it is indeed the tires.
One of the simplest ways to diagnose noise from tire wear is a rotation, as the sound should migrate accordingly. Wheel bearing noise can be diagnosed by noting the effect of turning (and the subsequent weight transfer) on the intensity of the sound. On ramps and off ramps are perfect for testing via weight transfer. You can also directly check for play or noise in the bearing, but that requires removing the wheel and brake at a minimum, so I typically do that to confirm what I suspect from hearing the telltale "wubbing" sound. If the bearing has worn enough to have noticeable play, it needs to be replaced very soon.
Even though many bearings are designed so the wheel will not actually fall off in the event of catastrophic bearing failure, a seized and/or floppy wheel is also incredibly dangerous. The result of a worn out wheel bearing short term is poor fuel economy and long term is a very dangerous and unpredictable loss of vehicle control.
Worn bearing on a hub will make an obnoxious noise that increases with vehicle speed. Usually, this comes from increased internal friction. Depending on the cause for the increased internal friction, the condition (and noise) could remain stable, or they could degrade.
Get the hubs looked at or inspect them yourself to make sure it isn't a wheel or tire problem. When you get sick and tired of hearing the noise, or if the noise gets worse, get them replaced.
