Drove 12 hours yesterday and have another 8 to do today.
Took me a while to notice but when I'm on long left hand curves I'm getting a noise from the front right that sounds like I'm on grooved pavement.
I really thought it was just pavement noise until I noticed the pattern late last night.
I think it's more pronounced when it's under power than when coasting.
I can't see anything wrong with the tire and went over it with an IR thermometer and nothing was unusually hot.

I'm thinking of finding someone to rebalance all the tires — hasn't been done in a few years and has been on the list anyway.

Any suggestions?

Am I trapped in Gettysburg?

Thanks.

 

I think not trapped.

If I was out of town I'd first make sure the lugs are tight and inspect the tire all of the way around and look for any plastic that might be coming loose and touching the tire.

Failing that I'd get a cheap tape measure and measure between matching treads on the front and back of the front tires to see if the alignment was out. If it is, I'd get a couple of cheap Crescent wrenches and adjust the alignment.

Failing that, I'd go to a tire shop and get the tire balanced. Or you could get the alignment and balance at the shop but you won't have any new tools to play with.

Failing that I would inspect the ball joints on the tie rod ends and peek at the main ball joints on the steering knuckle.

Failing that I would be concerned about the the bearings in the hub. That's a bigger deal, when out of town. Let's hope that's not the issue because then you might be trapped if you don't want to risk it failing in the rest of your drive.

I bet it is your tire.

If you go to a shop for the tires have them wiggle the wheel while it is jacked up. If there is much play then it is probably a bearing or ball joint problem.

 

Thank you Charlie.
I have travelling tools (c wrenches, sockets), plus breaker bar and torque wrench.
And an impact gun now I think about it.
I'm planning on jacking it up, taking the wheel off and having a feel around.
The alignment check is a good idea — and you can never have too many tape measures.

 

Sweet! I didn't realize you were an old hand. In that case I'd examine it all yourself.

I had the same sound once and thought my tires looked the same on both sides (no uneven wear) and it seemed to go straight on the road, but the Walmart tape measure told the tale. No one knew me there so I marched right back in and got two cheap wrenches and aligned it in the parking lot by adjusting the drag link, and rotated the tires for good measure because I travel with two jacks and borrowed a third. It was night time so I had no choice.

Fortune favors the bold. Good luck!

 

Okay. $1 tape measure from Walmart wedged in place with a can of beans and a sock. Not the alignment. Next, taking off the wheel.

 

And wheel off.
Everything seems fine, with one exception:
Movement in the drag link. I can cause a bit of a clunk (so some space) in the "taper joint"? The knuckle thing on the end where the draglink attaches to the steering knuckle.
Decided to do this outside an Auto Zone... seemed sensible.

 

Humm...
Question of drag link, taper joint thing bolts… How do you get the nut off the end (or back on again for that matter once the bolt starts spinning freely?

 

 

Okay, can't get a new tie rod end from autozone for less than 3 days...
Some panic is starting to set in.

 

Ah - there's a torx on the end of that bolt. Sometimes you just have to look at things from a different angle.