I had some bad bearings in my 91 civic and picked up a used tranny that I just got done putting in. Took it for a test drive and as I go faster I start hearing a continuous humming noise. When accelerating I don't hear it as much cause the sound of the engine revving is louder. At first I though it was the tranny I just put in but when I turn left or change lanes to the left the sound goes away until I straighten the wheels again??!

Any ideas anyone?

thanks for any input.

 

bump

 

bearing...and more then likely you didnt tighten up the wheels of the car and you must have lowered the car onto those loose lugnut wheels. your probaly did this to slide the jack out to help the ease with the tranny? anyway....jack up your front end.....till the wheels are off the ground. put the car in neutral. go to each wheel and put your one hand on the spring and spin the tire as fast as you can. do the smae for the other side. what your doing is feeling the vibration of the bearing through the spring. which side is worse? you will need a bearing press to remove the bearing. prices are probaly around 50 for bearing and about 80 for install. so about 130.00 or you can pick up a junk yard knuckle assembly for around 50 i think. just that you wouldnt know if that the bearing is bad on that or even the knuckle being bent.

 

Ok, I'll check like you suggest. However I did tighten the lugnuts before I lowered the car back off of the jackstands. I put in the "used" tranny because my old one had at least one bearing missing from just inside the tranny where the axle goes in on the drivers side.

thanks for the input

 

there is a diffrence between snug lugnuts and tightened lugnuts. sure you snugged the lugnuts on the wheel...but were they at 80 ft pounds? no...they were snug fit. you know how hard it is to tighten a wheel that doesnt hold still? did you have a friend step on the front brake? probaly not. the tranny doenst hold the front tires even in gear. anyway.....with the lugnuts "snug" as you lower the vehicle the front tires basically are more closer together during the intital contact of the road. as suspension travel gets closer......your tires move outward farther apart. called scrubbing if you will. you have a lot of pressure pushing in all the wrong places while your wheel is snug....not tight.

and i am talking about the wheel bearings...not tranny bearings. you shouldnt and wont have to take out the tranny for the wheel bearing install. your wheel bearing is in the wheel hub right behind your brake rotor.

 

thanks waaBAAH, you hit it on the nose it was my wheel bearing. I'm guessing that since my "old" tranny was so noisy that I coudn't hear the wheel bearing sound over the tranny noise. So do you think that "snugging" up the lugnuts while in the air and then tightening them once I lower the car could help cause the wheel bearings to go bad? I was thinking that with 244k it was just time.

thanks again.

 

honda bearings are pretty good ,if not superior, compared to other suspension models or cars. i have had a couple of problems like yours....where i just snug the tires....and then tighten them when the vehicle is on the ground. this seems to mess up the honda bearings the most unlike what one would think with abuse and or high mileage. you could probaly get a deal with labor if you hand the shop the complete knuckle with a new bearing. but i would call your favorite place first to see if you are wasting your time by you taking apart your car. let me know how it goes.

 

I had a friend at a shop take a closer look and he said that it was the REAR passenger side wheel bearing. Haven't fixed it yet but will take care of it soon.

Thanks for all your good input waaBAAH.

 

didnt know hondas had rear bearings....lol