What is this Drumming/whirring sound?

[Yuk]

Over the last week I've been hearing a drumming/whirring sound coming from the right rear wheel on my 2007 Mazda 6 Sport. The car only has 10,000 km on it and the sound came out of nowhere. I haven't hit any curbs or potholes, tire inflation is good and the sound goes away, for a day, when I high pressure wash the inside of the rim, disk and caliper.

What's going on with this wheel?

Thank you.

 

[moribundman]

At what speed do you hear this noise? Does it get louder with increasing speed? Does the sound pitch or volume change if you drive through a left curve? It could be the right rear wheel bearing.

I drove around with a noisy wheel bearing for a long time before finally replacing the bearing. The noise started out as a humming that became a droning over the course of a year. In moist and hot weather there was less noise than in cold and dry weather. Eventually I could hear the noise at only 20 mph and I could also feel a vibration (plus a whapp-whapp-whapp helicopter noise). When I finally removed the bearing it had not yet separated and the hub was still good.

 

[Johnny]

Mori is probably correct. I figure that is one of those sealed wheel bearings, and they do make bad ones now and then. Warranty should take care of it.

 

[paul246]

Check the bottom inside of the sheet metal brake backing plate for debris that may be caught in between that plate and the rotor.

 

[Yuk]

Originally Posted By: moribundman
At what speed do you hear this noise? Does it get louder with increasing speed? Does the sound pitch or volume change if you drive through a left curve? It could be the right rear wheel bearing.



All speeds. The pitch and volume does not change, you do hear it better when the car is crawling, because the other road noises aren't loud enough to drown it out.

 

[mechtech2]

I'd say wheel bearing, but if water cures it, it is in the brake system on that corner.

 

[Yuk]

Originally Posted By: mechtech2
I'd say wheel bearing, but if water cures it, it is in the brake system on that corner.


Water totally cures it... for 24 hours.

 

[Yuk]

LUG NUTS!!!

I changed from the winter tires to summer at the end of May. I properly torqued all of the nuts (in proper sequence) and still, three of the four wheels had backed off nuts!

The worst offender was the right rear, whose nuts were only finger tight... Thank G0d I checked before I went out on the highway today. Proof that you shouldn't always wait for the dealer to check out a problem, warranty or not.

 

[moribundman]

I'm glad you found the cause. After a tire change, I always tighten then wheel bolts (no lug nuts on my car) a second time after driving 70 miles or so.