Bearing/other noise while driving?

[Leefy]

Looking at purchasing a used Leaf. It makes a noise. If anyone has any tips or experience with similar issues, would appreciate it!

Symptoms:
- No noise at low speed, including forward and reverse and while turning the wheel both ways lock to lock
- Around 15mph a very regular whirr slowly appears and gets louder as you accelerate. Sounds to me like noise of a straight cut gear box but lower pitched. No griding/rattling/marbles. Just a straight metallic whirr proportional to road speed.
- The noise persists when coasting and when in neutral.
- The noise gets louder when accelerating (proportional to torque input).
- The noise does not seem to respond to steering inputs while at speed
- With the car up on stands, the noise is lower but still present. Seems to emanate from driver’s side front wheel.

Seller states the noise started after changing to new tires.

Possibly the hub assembly / wheel bearing? Any chance it’s something more substantial like the reduction gear? Does anyone have experience working on these pieces?

Battery is in pretty good shape (81% SOH) and it’s a very clean 2015 model. Trying to decide if I want to take on another project, for the right price. It would be a second car, and isn’t needed super urgently. Decisions decisions…

Thanks!!

 

[LeftieBiker]

Occam's Razor would suggest that that tire is the source of the noise - especially if it only started after the tire was installed.

 

[Leefy]

It makes the noise with the car on stands (tires rotating in air)

I think it’s more likely that some issue was caused/accelerated by the act of changing the tires