Excessive Road Noise

[alpha17]

Hello Everybody,

I noticed that the road noise level in the cabin of my Corolla 121 is pretty higher.When doing over 80 it is a bit harder to tolerate.i replaced shock absorbers with KYB but no notable difference.from the front seat i can hear the noise is coming from the rear and when i travelled on the backseat for testing noted that the noise level is very high than sitting in the front when cruising over 80.currently i have Nankang NK Comfort 175/70 R14 in the front and GT Radial Champiro 175/70 R14 in the rear.Anyway rear tires have worn a bit now and i noted that rear tires should be 185/70 R14.When travelling on the road and the car goes over the patches (kandy-colombo road) the noise decreases suddenly from a huge amount.I just compared with a swift and though it's a hatch i noted the road noise is pretty lower than mines.And the swift was on dunlops as i remember.What is the problem for this?What should i do?I am waiting for your advices.

Thank You

[NRX]

Hello Everybody,

I noticed that the road noise level in the cabin of my Corolla 121 is pretty higher.When doing over 80 it is a bit harder to tolerate.i replaced shock absorbers with KYB but no notable difference.from the front seat i can hear the noise is coming from the rear and when i travelled on the backseat for testing noted that the noise level is very high than sitting in the front when cruising over 80.currently i have Nankang NK Comfort 175/70 R14 in the front and GT Radial Champiro 175/70 R14 in the rear.Anyway rear tires have worn a bit now and i noted that rear tires should be 185/70 R14.When travelling on the road and the car goes over the patches (kandy-colombo road) the noise decreases suddenly from a huge amount.I just compared with a swift and though it's a hatch i noted the road noise is pretty lower than mines.And the swift was on dunlops as i remember.What is the problem for this?What should i do?I am waiting for your advices.

Thank You

I guess it's the tire noise. Initially I thought it's some kind of a bearing noise but if the noise goes away when going over certain types of tarmac, it gotta be the tires right ? The patches you mention are between Nittambuwa and Pasyala isn't it?

[Kavvz]

Hello Everybody,

I noticed that the road noise level in the cabin of my Corolla 121 is pretty higher.When doing over 80 it is a bit harder to tolerate.i replaced shock absorbers with KYB but no notable difference.from the front seat i can hear the noise is coming from the rear and when i travelled on the backseat for testing noted that the noise level is very high than sitting in the front when cruising over 80.currently i have Nankang NK Comfort 175/70 R14 in the front and GT Radial Champiro 175/70 R14 in the rear.Anyway rear tires have worn a bit now and i noted that rear tires should be 185/70 R14.When travelling on the road and the car goes over the patches (kandy-colombo road) the noise decreases suddenly from a huge amount.I just compared with a swift and though it's a hatch i noted the road noise is pretty lower than mines.And the swift was on dunlops as i remember.What is the problem for this?What should i do?I am waiting for your advices.

Thank You

I guess it's the tire noise. Initially I thought it's some kind of a bearing noise but if the noise goes away when going over certain types of tarmac, it gotta be the tires right ? The patches you mention are between Nittambuwa and Pasyala isn't it?

Yeah, I agree with NRX, it sounds like road noise due to tyre wear / uneven tyre wear etc. Its probably not your shocks or anything else if the noise changes based on the road condition, (noise from the bearings / razors is distinctly metallic and increases and decreases as you speed up or slow down. Noise from the control arms etc, is more of a knock as you go over bumps / take corners so I don't think its any of those either)

By the sounds of it, no pun intended, perhaps its time to get some new tyres? Usually tires with small tread gaps are usually quieter on road. If you want to source a good quality quiet tire, reading reviews online (try tirerack.com) is a good starting point as usually online tyre sites rate tyres on how quiet they are on the road vs grip in wet / dry conditions etc, plus they have user reviews which is always helpful.

Continental ContiProContact are a good option (Continental sells tires under different brand names too at different price points so google around a bit once you find a tyre you like you might be able to find a similar version under a different brand name for cheaper). Michelin HydroEdge used to be a good option for quiet good overall tyres too, but I haven't been able to find then lately, not sure if they are out of production...

Edited September 4, 2015 by Kavvz

[Davy]

GT Champiro is known to be really noisy, especially as they age. Used a set on my car once and I was waiting until they wore out.

Keep in mind that it could also be due to something as simple as a misplaced door beading or a missing plastic cover inside the wheel well causing road noise to be heard inside the car. If everything is intact, then check if your tyres are properly inflated. Simple checks that can be done before replacing your tyres.

[Rumesh88]

Well my idea differs from others against all the oods and I get the feeling that it could be your hub bearings. However this can be easily tested by jacking up each rear wheel and rotating them by hand while keeping your hand close to suspension mount. Feel the vibration with your finger tips as you rotate the wheel. A worn out bearing produces a noticeable vibration. If the bearings are busted you have to change the whole hub with the wheel sensor not just the bearing because it comes as a whole unit. You can get a mechanic to test it for you.

[Davy]

Well my idea differs from others against all the oods and I get the feeling that it could be your hub bearings. However this can be easily tested by jacking up each rear wheel and rotating them by hand while keeping your hand close to suspension mount. Feel the vibration with your finger tips as you rotate the wheel. A worn out bearing produces a noticeable vibration. If the bearings are busted you have to change the whole hub with the wheel sensor not just the bearing because it comes as a whole unit. You can get a mechanic to test it for you.

I thought of this Rumesh, but OP says that the "smooth" patches on Kandy Road significantly reduces the noise. If hub bearings were the case, then road surface shouldn't impact the noise. In fact, if the road surface is smooth and hub bearings are bad, then the noise could be heard as a very distinctive roar. Just my opinion.

Edited September 7, 2015 by Davy

[Uditha88]

I would like to second that ya "GT Champiro" is noisy.

[LancerL]

Make sure that you have proper air pressure on your tyres according to the manufacture.

[Aquaman]

Well my idea differs from others against all the oods and I get the feeling that it could be your hub bearings. However this can be easily tested by jacking up each rear wheel and rotating them by hand while keeping your hand close to suspension mount. Feel the vibration with your finger tips as you rotate the wheel. A worn out bearing produces a noticeable vibration. If the bearings are busted you have to change the whole hub with the wheel sensor not just the bearing because it comes as a whole unit. You can get a mechanic to test it for you.

I agree.... but Rumesh, I have heard that sometiomes full noise is not heard becasue weight of car is on jack. Rodayata bara adu hinda?

Edited September 4, 2015 by Aquaman

[Rumesh88]

I agree.... but Rumesh, I have heard that sometiomes full noise is not heard becasue weight of car is on jack. Rodayata bara adu hinda?

No you cannot hear any noise when you rotate the wheel in this case but you certainly can feel the uneven movement of the bearing as a vibration on the hub mount.

[alpha17]

The patches you mention are between Nittambuwa and Pasyala isn't it?

Mostly kegalle to kandy....btw the whole kandy-colombo road is patched (what i meant as patches are the layers of tarmac put on the cracks).

[alpha17]

thanx for ur rplies guys....anyway what about maxxis?what about the current tires i'm using at the front ;Nankang NK Comfort.....

[wolseley]

Maxxis is a good tyre of course and is not very expensive. In the past I have had many brands of tyres on my vehicles. But finally its Dunlop for me.

[SamG]

I too can second about "GT Radial Champiro" being a really noisy tyre. It becomes unbearable when tyres wear out. Since you told that the noise is coming from the rear and you have GTs on the rear, I'm quite sure that rear tyres are the culprit.

Edited September 7, 2015 by SamG