2001 Buick Century shakes and hums

TEMARSHALL89

MEMBER
2001 BUICK CENTURY
195,000 MILES

2001 buick century about 195,000 changed left front hub assembly. Replaced front brakes and rotors. Replaced right cv axle within the past month, but it feels like front passenger tire shake really bad when making a right turn. I also hear a loud hum when driving coming from the same tire. Could this be a bad bearing?

1 Reply

CARADIODOC

MECHANIC
33,916 POSTS

Yes, the wheel bearing is the likely suspect. Jack the front of the car off the ground, reach over the top of the tire and wrap your fingertips around the coil spring, then spin that tire by hand. Usually, if that bearing is noisy, you'll feel the roughness in the spring. If you do not feel any roughness you will need to run the car in gear with both front wheels spinning, then listen next to each bearing with a stethoscope.

If the new left bearing proves to be the noisy one, it is due to improper installation procedures. Some people set the car on the ground so the tire and wheel will hold the axle from spinning so they can tighten the axle nut. Putting any weight on a bearing without having that nut fully tightened will instantly make it noisy. When you know how to hold the axle, it is very easy to properly tighten the nut before lowering the car to the ground.