Help! It's Making A Noise

[leadfootmelvin]

2001 reg, it's now got 139,000 miles clocked. I've had an object stuck in the tyre before, and this is similar but a much lower Thub, thub, thub sound which increases with road speed, but not engine revs. It isn't always present and doesn't appear to change with braking, road camber, or cornering. It definately originates at the front end.

It's been to the garage, (not Lexus) and they've driven it miles, and found the same things as me. They did suggest the following in the chain of elimination.

1. Change front tyres (very slight uneven wear on inner shoulders). Actioned, nearly new Dunlops swapped for Marangoni, still making the same noise.
   
2. Replace front brake pads (they were getting a bit worn)- actioned
   
3. Replace front discs (could be warped?) - actioned
   

Um! There is a very slight reduction, but it's still there. It's hardly perceptible, but you all know just how quiet these cars are. The garage and the tyre fitters said it could be a wheelbearing but cannot be sure. My recollection of worn wheelbearings is much noisier than this.

Anyway, all suggestions welcome.

[SteveLS400]

2001 reg, it's now got 139,000 miles clocked. I've had an object stuck in the tyre before, and this is similar but a much lower Thub, thub, thub sound which increases with road speed, but not engine revs. It isn't always present and doesn't appear to change with braking, road camber, or cornering. It definately originates at the front end.

It's been to the garage, (not Lexus) and they've driven it miles, and found the same things as me. They did suggest the following in the chain of elimination.

1. Change front tyres (very slight uneven wear on inner shoulders). Actioned, nearly new Dunlops swapped for Marangoni, still making the same noise.
   
2. Replace front brake pads (they were getting a bit worn)- actioned
   
3. Replace front discs (could be warped?) - actioned
   

Um! There is a very slight reduction, but it's still there. It's hardly perceptible, but you all know just how quiet these cars are. The garage and the tyre fitters said it could be a wheelbearing but cannot be sure. My recollection of worn wheelbearings is much noisier than this.

Anyway, all suggestions welcome.

Hi. Are you running original wheels or replacements? If the latter and you still have the originals, can you stick the Dunlops on these and see what happens.

[leadfootmelvin]

original wheels.

[leadfootmelvin]

still doing it but very faintly. Became much less noticeable when tyres discs and pads replaced.

Seems less obtrusive, could a damaged/worn wheel bearing do that?

[volvo2lexus]

From how you describe it I would say it's a wheel bearing. My LS400 had the same kind of sound and it turned out to be the OSF wheel bearing.