Noise below 50mph

Hello all, I hope someone can help me workout this problem I am having with my freelander. When I am driving at low speeds (less than 30mph) and not touching the accelerator I get this odd bearing noise that I really cannot locate where it is coming from as soon as I touch the accelerator the noise nearly disappears completely. I have taken it to my local garage as I thought it could be a wheel bearing they say it is not and they thought it could be the IRD failing, they dropped the IRD oil and it was totally clean so I have been told to monitor it and see if it develops (that was three months ago no change, noise still the same) . Turning on full lock backwards and forwards does not produce any bangs or grinding. The noise happens when I am in and out of gear.*
*I am at a total loss and all I can see is big bills coming in if I don't cure it soon. Someone please help as it is driving me nuts!!!

I suspect it's the door hinges!!



We have had a lot of rain recently



Seriously though it could be lots of things but if it hasn't got much worse in three months

I'd be inclined to jack up each wheel in turn and have a good listen as you turn the wheel.

Could it be the prop carrier bearings?? I have done the jack up thing and it turned up nothing.

Mine does the same i just put it down to a bit of gear box whine and have never really worried about it.

Get 4 axle stands.

Run it up

Listen for the noise!



Dont die!



Diagnose it.


Drink Beer

It seems to be a bit more than a whine its defo a bearing somewhere but where, is the thing. When I drive on a really smooth road it sounds like it is coming from the centre of the car below the radio but if I put my head in that area it sounds like it is coming from the offside front wheel area. its only done 60K and been serviced at all the correct intervals. Can anyone tell me what failing carrier bearings sound like when they start to fail. One other piece of information but I dont know if it will have any relevance is that the front off side brake does this clicking noise at slow speeds when braking as if its slipping in some way. Thanks for all the advice so far though peeps, its really appreciated!

Freelander-meiks said:

It seems to be a bit more than a whine its defo a bearing somewhere but where, is the thing. When I drive on a really smooth road it sounds like it is coming from the centre of the car below the radio but if I put my head in that area it sounds like it is coming from the offside front wheel area. its only done 60K and been serviced at all the correct intervals. Can anyone tell me what failing carrier bearings sound like when they start to fail. One other piece of information but I dont know if it will have any relevance is that the front off side brake does this clicking noise at slow speeds when braking as if its slipping in some way. Thanks for all the advice so far though peeps, its really appreciated!

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Bit of a coincidence dont you think?

Failed VCU mounts / carrier bearings sound exactly as what you describe. Probably the front one that gets more road-cr*p thrown at it.

Mileage seems to have little to do with it - mine failed at 86K - 6 years old.

Other noises tend to drown it out a bit the faster you go so you are fooled into thinking the noise is only at low speed. You would swear it was the nearside wheel-bearing.

If you gently lower the VCU just enough (beware it's heavy) to spin the bearings you'll easily tell by the sound as it turns.

Best / cheapest place to get the real genuine GKN mounts with top quality FAG bearings is Foundry4X4.

There are cheaper on the internet - but god knows who makes them and you'll be doing the whole job again in 3 months.

Singvogel.