Groaning with vehicle speed from front end.

[teejaypee101]

Forgive my noobieness, I'm new to the forum. I tried to search the threads for "Groaning noise with vehicle speed" & "Groan in the front end," but I didn't get too many hits for my symptoms. This is a 2014 Chevy Equinox SE. It's the smallest 4 cylinder in these cars with about 120k miles on it. I have a groaning coming from the front end that I can feel in my feet and and little in the steering wheel. It gets louder with vehicle speed until about 45-50mph, then the sound goes higher pitch and is less noticeable. Upon deceleration the droning noise comes back, and is felt in the floor and steering wheel. Cruising at 30-40mph is the loudest she gets. The sound it's making reminds me of very cupped tires on a front-wheel drive vehicle. The tires are fine, not cupped at all. I rotated them just to be sure yesterday and the noise didn't change. At first I suspected wheel bearings, so I bought all four MOOG wheel bearings and replaced them. The noise didn't get better. Before someone mentions the brakes, the brakes and rotors have recently been replaced as well. The rotors were warped on the front, so I replaced all the rotors and pads, front and back. Could this be a CV shaft giving out? I don't want to just throw more parts at it without some insight on what it could be, and how to test it. Any ideas would be welcome. Thanks all.

 

[TDW1954]

Sounds like bearings going out. Could be the transmission output bearings since you ruled out wheel bearings.

Have you drained and refilled your transmission? Have you ever checked your transmission fluid level?

 

[teejaypee101]

Sounds like bearings going out. Could be the transmission output bearings since you ruled out wheel bearings.

Have you drained and refilled your transmission? Have you ever checked your transmission fluid level?

There is not a way to check the fluid, there is no dip stick in these transmissions. The tranny is not leaking though, so I wouldn't think it was fluid level. I talked to some shop buddies and I am going to change the CVs and add fluid after. I'll keep you posted.

 

[TDW1954]

There is not a way to check the fluid, there is no dip stick in these transmissions. The tranny is not leaking though, so I wouldn't think it was fluid level. I talked to some shop buddies and I am going to change the CVs and add fluid after. I'll keep you posted.

There is a way to check fluid level. There's an 11mm level check bolt you access through the driver side wheel well. There's a number of YT videos demonstrating how to drain, refill and check the level of Equinox transmissions.

 

[teejaypee101]

There is a way to check fluid level. There's an 11mm level check bolt you access through the driver side wheel well. There's a number of YT videos demonstrating how to drain, refill and check the level of Equinox transmissions.

Sorry for the delayed response. Yeah, Sadly I don't have a level spot to park

 

[teejaypee101]

(Sorry again, that response posted and I wasn't done typing...) I don't have a level spot to check the fluid with it running, and level, adding fluid till it weeps out, etc. I intend to flush the fluid soon anyway because of milage, so I'll have to figure something out. But, I'm not having any issues from a tranny standpoint, I'm not leaking fluid and the the noise seems external. After talking with my shop buddies and letting them ride along, they were convinced that the (200 dollar each) Moog bearings were trash. So I ordered some Amazon OEM equivalent bearings for 125. Groaning noise is gone. It was indeed the bearings.
Thanks for the ideas. Mystery solved.