ok here it is. my car is making a rubbing noise and i can't tell if it is coming from the front wheels or the rear. it is very noticable from inside the cab but hard to pinpoint. also, it seems to get louder as i accelerate at higher speeds and when im slowing down or rolling to a stop. what could it be? bad tire? rotators? warped rim? not to knowledgeable in the wheel department? please help?

Sounds to me like your hub/bearing assembly is on it's way out. If it's speed dependent, that'd be my first area to check. It can potentially be a bad tire as well, if it's cupped due to improper inflation or a bad alignment. A warped rim would just cause a lot of shaking while driving, unless you have that too... but that shouldn't cause any rubbing noise that's speed dependent. Do you have a Service Vehicle Soon message on the DIC that comes on? If so, get a GM Tech Scanner or a high-end scanner to read the Chassis DTC. If not, then I guess it can just be an internal failure of the hub/bearing assy that's not monitored by the PCM (Powertrain Control Module).

Just wondering - how many miles do you have on your GP? And what's your driving condition, style? A lot of highway driving or stop-and-go city driving? Have you ever had an alignment done? And have you kept up with checking all four tires for proper inflation? ~34psi when COLD. Should be ~36psi or so when driven for more than a mile.

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134k miles,stop and go city driving, and yes an alignment back in 07. And yes tires my tires usually stay around 34 psi (depending on the weather). Now this hub/bearing assembly... What is that and where can I find it? Is it an easy, cheap fix?

Just for reference, 5 yearsof driving, hitting potholes and ever other road obstacles would not be considered " recent " for a maintenance item like that.

One of the easiest things to do would be rotate the tires front to back and see if the noise changes with them. While they are off you can look and see if a tire is rubbing on something. ( stick, plastic ect.) And do a visual check of your brakes to be sure they are not worn out.


Wheel bearings run about 60 - 100 depending on location and brand. They are not to terribly bad if you have the tools, but seeing as you don't know what or where they are it may be beyond your abilities. But if you want, can tell you what it will take and you can determine for yourself if it is something you want to try or not.


Your location could help too. If someone is close they could be willing to lend a hand diagnosing and or fixing.

sent from my driod x, via my fingers through tapatalk

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2001 white gt coupe with enough crap to make it run mid 13's with 3 bad pistons
2002 40th GTP sedan mostly stock

Agreed. Hitting potholes no matter at what speed or how deep the pothole is can ALWAYS throw an alignment out of whack. I do mine every couple of years just for good measure, and always perform a 4-wheel alignment when I mount and balance new tires.

Wheel bearings are the assemblies are pretty much the things that hold your wheel to the rest of the axle/car. Depending on driving conditions (off-road, on-road, city, highway, snow, no snow, salt or no salt) can have an adverse effect on how long a wheel bearing can last. Some will last ages, some will wear off in like 30k miles. Depends purely on luck of the draw and driving conditions.

I, personally am not knowledgeable enough or mechanically inclined to perform these repairs myself, but I'm fairly good at at least doing a reasonable diagnosis. Can't guarantee it would be your wheel bearings, but it really, really does sound like that may be the case.

I would at least, like said above, take your wheels off and make sure that there aren't any sticks or plastic that may be rubbing against a rotating part. It may surprise you what things are flying aimlessly on the interstate and you drive over it.

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The wheel bearing/hub assembly is not that hard to replace, unless (on the front wheels) the axle is stuck in the hub. In short, you have to take the brake caliper (and bracket) off, remove the rotor, and then the bearing comes off with 3 (I think) bolts. There are specialized bearing puller tools that you can use (although you can get by without them)......Autozone will loan them to you, so you don't have to buy them. There are a few write ups with pics somewhere on this forum.

Most people here recommend the Timken brand hub. It's pricier, but you get what you pay for.

One of my front hubs wore out and I replaced it myself without much trouble. On my car, the wheel sounded a little bit like if you were riding on the burm of a highway in the area where they cut the "warning grooves" (for when you're driving off half asleep). It wasn't quite that loud, but the sound was similar. I'd guess that symptoms of a bad bearing are not always the same, however.