Low Rumbling Noise

If you've caught my other posts, I recently did the top-end (new head gasket) on my 90 camry 2vz-fe.



My new problem is a low rumbling noise that can be felt under the drivers feet and even under the passenger feet a little when accelerating while driving. It doesn't happen any more or less while turning. When in neutral or park and stepping on the gas the engine does not make the noise. It's not a knock or ping as I've had a couple guys familiar with cars drive it also.



A little history: Before I had put new struts on I noticed the front driver side wheel would jiggle a bit. When I had the tire off I could grab the rotor and shake it about 1/8-1/4 of an inch. The other side was solid with no movement. I thought it may be the struts. I now have four new kyb struts and I also had the steering bellows replaced. But I can still jiggle it.



My guesses: 1. a worn bushing (lower control arm) 2. loose caliper/rotor 3. broken engine mount 4. one or more belts on too tight 5. ????



Has someone experienced something similar? Any ideas?

Reply 1 : Low Rumbling Noise

Bad wheel bearing? If the rotor moves, that is baaaad juju. (No offense to anyone here, it's a joke between my brother and I.)



I don't know how similar the front end in the SV21 is as compared to the ST204 (American Celica GT) but my brother's kind of groaned a bit when cruising and rumbled under acceleration- he figured it was time to replace the wheel bearings and when the shop got to the passenger side front, it was more a pile of bits of metal than it was a bearing anymore.

Reply 2 : Low Rumbling Noise

After your post, of all places I looked on youtube and found a video that said "how you know you have a bad bearing" and the guy in it did exactly what I did by shaking it



Is it expensive to do yourself? It looked like the video just showed him removing the tire, brake caliper and then unbolting the wheel bearing or housing?

Reply 3 : Low Rumbling Noise

I haven't done them yet on a Camry. On my bro's Celica, you remove the wheel, caliper, etc. to get the "hub" out (It's a little thingy the rotor mounts to) and the old bearing presses out. Use the old bearing to press the new one in. A basic 12-ton hydraulic press from HF will work... Not too expensive to have it done at a shop, either.