Weird hum after installing new tires

Hello folks. I just replaced my worn ultraterrains with new ultraterrains. Now I am noticing a slight humming sound that is separate from road and wind noise. Not very loud but just enough that I notice it's there. The best way I can describe it is that it reminds me of 60hz studio hum.

Only it's not coming from the speakers and I don't think it's electronics related. The pitch does not change with RPMs but does with changes in tire rotation speed.

It is not coming from any specific location but is just...well...there if ya know what I mean.

Anyone else experience this?

 

After further research and advice from others in town it could be a wheel bearing issue. I will have it checked out and report back.

 

Our wheel bearings are sealed, I would hope to tell that's not what's wrong in a 2020 but weirder things have happened. Chances are your brand new tires are just making a uniform sound that you don't remember after replacing the worn ones and though I'm genuinely concerned that you presumably replaced two year old tires due to wear (maybe just off an old truck) that's beside the point. Wheel bearings shouldn't be a uniform hum, it should be a deep groan/howl that gets worse and worse as you increase speed and sometimes there's more of a rhythmic noise, especially if you can hear it at low speeds. It should also be coming from a specific side, during speed, turning, braking-turning etc. Worn wheel bearings get louder in certain situations.

Good way to check wheel bearings:

- Find the flattest paved parking lot that's in a quiet area, with as few surface defects as you can. Have someone with a keen ear crouch down as you drive past them, with them at different sides at varying speeds each time. This can locate a side to side noise difference, giving you an idea if it's anything suspension+steering.

- Similar to the first option but find a flat paved alley way that has a building lining one side and a large amount of open space on the other. Drive yourself, again, at different speeds, until you can pinpoint if it's coming from one side, or both.

- Find smooth pavement where you can take turns at speed. It's good to have someone with you again, while turning, the force on the inside wheels will be the greatest, and generally speaking at the front end. Turning is what really helps you decide if it's a wheel bearing; it should get much louder and much more pronounced, and be one-sided.

- Go from pavement, to bumpy pavement, to gravel, over and over at different speeds to see if the noise disappears entirely, or stays the same albeit likely quieter on gravel. This rules out that it's just your tires. A brand new AT or even a worn AT should have pavement noise, uniform and sounding "different" than you're used to, or even noticeable for the first time if you've been on worn tires for a while.

If you don't hear a noise on different terrain at the same speeds you normally hear the noise, which should be more of a howl or groan as a wheel bearing and situation dependent, it's likely just your tires.

 

That is true I didn't think about that. The old tires were pretty worn and had been making a lot of noise for awhile while the new tires are a lot quieter.

All of my driving has been on concrete freeways so tomorrow I'll find some asphalt and gravel and give it a go and see what happens

 

Update: After taking Photogr4x4's advice and having a friend help with different road surfaces and scenarios the sound is still present. I took it to the dealership and it is indeed a bad wheel bearing according to them. The good news is it's covered under extended warranty so I'm in good shape

 

When I go from my 16" OR alloys with Toyo Observe GSi-6 winters to my TRD Beadlocks with Toyo Open Country ATII, I have a slight slow speed vibration through the truck which is from the ATII tires; both sets are 265-75-16.

 

Just so y'all know, without the warranty it would've cost me $880.00 just for that one wheel bearing assembly according to the receipt.

But the sound is gone now and all is well