Squeak/groan coming from front passenger wheel area

[haggarSHO]

I've had this squeak for a few days now.

It squeaks in sync with the wheel rotation, one squeak per rotation.
Applying the brakes does not change anything.

It only squeaks when I let off the gas and coast, whenever I apply any acceleration whatsoever, the squeak goes away (or gets quiet enough for me not to notice it)

The slower I'm coasting the more groany (groanier?) it gets. It sounds similar to a recliner squeaking as you rock back in forth. (the slower you rock the longer it is and it's more of a groan than a squeak). I suppose that's a decent analogy.

Don't notice any difference when I turn, and I tried to go backwards and I didn't hear it, but I didn't have that far to travel.




It didn't start squeaking right away as I left earlier today, it seems to need to "warm up" to start squeaking/groaning.


I jacked up the car when I got home and spun the wheel freely, no noise.


Also I'm only about 95% positive that it's coming from the front, but that's what it sounds like to me when I'm driving by a curb with my windows down, and I had a friend ride up next to me, and he seems to think it's coming from the front wheel also.

 

[rubydist]

so it could be a wheel bearing or a brake issue, but more likely the cv axle from your description.

 

[haggarSHO]

Earlier I had to move my car out front, and when I reversed to park next to the curb, I turned my steering wheel sharply and reversed just a bit, and I heard it squeak, I could get it to squeak by jerking the steering wheel and moving slightly backwards.

I'm going to jack up the car here in a bit and check the cv axle closely and will probably take some pictures. I'll also do a wheel bearing check. Yesterday when I had the wheel off the outer boot looked fine, and again like I said, I spun the wheel with no issue when it was jacked up.


EDIT: oh, I cannot believe I forgot about this, as I'm sure it's relevant, I get a POP whenever I turn the wheel and accelerate (backing out of a parking spot, etc.) regardless of what direction I turn the wheel, and regardless of what direction I'm moving (forward, backwards). This has been happening for a good while.

 

[haggarSHO]

Seems to be most definitely a bad wheel bearing, CV axle looks brand new. With the steering wheel locked, I could wiggle the wheel a bit..

Also I found this thread: http://www.shoforum.com/showthread.php?t=123270&highlight=wheel+bearing

And the sound from that video is exactly what I'm hearing.

All signs point to wheel bearing.