Groan when over 30MPH front driver side

[Kael]

Hey all. Been chasing a problem that showed up in the last couple months (or much longer, my wife drives the Aveo and is a bit deaf to any noise other than the radio).

2011 LT2. When driving 30 MPH and up, hear a groan or drone from the front driver side. It's constant and has a harmonic whom whom with it. It probably drones all the time, at lower speeds it's to quite to notice.

Putting tranny in neutral, doesn't change.
Steering left/right, doesn't change.
I rotated the tires, thinking it might be the Generals, no change.
The drone increases and decreases directly with car speed.

I jacked and took a look, nothing looks bad as far as tie rod, wheel bearings (though I should pull the brakes and check better).

Any thoughts what I should chase?

[JB_Fraser]

About a year and a half ago when I changed over to winter tires I noticed the car a a ‘groan’ when I took it out for a test drive. Went back to summers (thinking the noise would be gone), ended up being driver side wheel bearing. The sound wasn’t very isolated, seemed to go through the whole car. Mines an 05 and likely had never been replaced before, but sounds to me very similar.
Cheers

[Newborn]

yeah my guess would be wheel bearing.

to make sure just jack up the driver side and see if the wheel has any play. if it does, then bingo, wheel bearing needs to be replaced.

theyre quite cheap on ebay if you want to press them on yourself. if not just buying the whole assembly with the bearing already in it is best.

[Kael]

Checked the wheel play, zero, both sides. Still, might be bad in a different way I suppose. Think I'll replace it, she's at 60k.

I prefer to get my parts from Rockauto, ebay if I have to.

Hoping the groan isn't my transmission, rotten mechanics who "CHECKED TRANSMISSION FLUID LEVEL" didn't note it was a pint over max hot (a PINT!) nor that the pan was leaking, nor that the oil plug was leaking. Not happy, time for new mechanic.

[Kael]

If the wheel bearing, shouldn't steering left/right/left/right (ie weaving a little) affect the groan? Maybe the bearing is running dry but not worn enough to wobble?

[JB_Fraser]

I’m not sure your going to see any wobble/play by grabbing the wheel and trying to move it, especially if your steering and ball joint are supporting the knuckle.
I removed the complete knuckle and at that point I could detect slight radal play in the spline-inner race, but it was also quite dry and the rollers had started do wear.
I replaced both front bearings and kept the original knuckle , but if I had to do it again I would probably order the knuckle with the bearing installed as time and some special tools were required to get the bearing out.

Cheers

[Kael]

Oops, late update. I replaced the wheel bearing, it still had the old setup, cone bears and cylinder. Sound gone!