Must be a wheel bearing!

[nyvwb4]

OK ...its a 99.5 Jetta vr6 with 117k. Love the car ,,done a lot of work on it and dont want to trade it yet so anyway my latest issue is what I think may be a wheel bearing ,,pretty sure its the pass. rear.

...a couple of months ago I started noticing the wro wro wro sound, thinking it was tire noise. I noticed the rear passenger inner tread was feathered a bit and the camber looked like the problem. Visually inspecting the other 3 tires, all looked really good.

The noise is constant, I did check all wheels @ 9-3 and 12-6 positions, with no movement at all
except the front passenger side front and Im sure thats the tie rod, its a little worn but nothing major. I did the drivers side t/rod so I know tie/rod symptoms.

When I bear a hard left and put the weight of the car on the passenger side the noise would go away untill the car came back in a straight forward direction. I thought I was making the car go off the inner side of the tire so it must be tread noise.

So I rotated the backs to the front on both sides, pumped in 38 pounds and still wro-wro-wro noise. So I criss -cross rotated the front to back from opposite sides. still the noise but now the feathered tire is on the outside edge of the drivers side.

But here's the kicker.. when I make a hard left while driving , or going left on a tight corner , the noise disappears.. AHaa! I thought ,,,its got to be a wheel bearing,, so I check all the wheels at 9-3 &12-6 and no movement at all.

Id guess its a wheel bearing, as it quiets down when I put weight on the side I think is bad.
It roars pretty constant from 10MPH on up. and changes tone with speed . most of the Bad W/bearing stories Ive read are a whooo sounf at certain speeds. My old 96 B4 passat was like that too. I changed 3 on that car.

Anyone have a story like this one? thx.

[nyvwb4]

Im 99% sure its the rear drivers side bearing now . jaked it up and spun the wheel and more rumbly sounding than it should be.
- got the parts, now I need a puller, cut off wheel for the race and a 1/2" torque wrench.
but itll be nice when its quiet again

[yarrick22]

I have an '01 GTI Vr6 and my rears went at about 115k with the same symptoms as you describe; little to no movement of the wheels with really the only indicator being the wro wro wro sound. Good luck

[nyvwb4]

I guess they're only good for that it seems. these make a different noise the the older taper style bearings,,so the sound through me off a bit thinking it was tire noise. sooo relieved its not the tires in a way. I got a Driveworks bearing from Advanc auto for 47.00 after the 20% disc..
Got to waite a day or so more for the lockk nut..its a factory direct part. If im not busy this weekend ill get -r-done.

[nyvwb4]

Wheel bearing on last night. Silence is golden!