Tire Whine?

[Iboc_C64]

Hey guys, I was on my way in to work this morning going down a very dusty, gravel covered tar back road and I heard a "PLUNG WHACK" type sound. It sounded as if I ran over a small piece of angle Iron or something and then it shot up and hit the underside of the car. I worried that I had puntured the tire but it kept going seemingly fine. However once I hit Rt.41 I got up to higher speed on a long straight away just to check. When I hit 65 and up I get this whine that sounds like something is rubbing up against the tire. I pulled over and checked underneath and in the wheel wells, turned them lock to lock, saw no debris, tire damage, or other signs of impact, nothing amiss. Still I got up to 65 and the whine comes back. What gives, any Ideas?

 

[Nigel Prodrive]

debris up under driveshaft, front or rear halfshafts

either that or a raccoon cooking up under downpipe!

also may be stone or debris in brakes, wedged between dust shields and rotor?

 

[Iboc_C64]

All good points. Its going to need an oil change in the next 500 miles so maybe I will just bring it in and ask VIP to let me check it out while they change the oil. Get thier oppinion too, if I cant figure it out I will setup and appointment with EG, I have a slight rattle from passenger rear strut I want looked at anyway. If the strut is bad I can get that fixed under my extended warranty right?

 

[4WRXter]

I am guessing a rock between the rotor and dust shield. IF that is the case, you should pull it apart, to be sure, before the rock gouges the rotor.

 

[Nigel Prodrive]

I am guessing a rock between the rotor and dust shield. IF that is the case, you should pull it apart, to be sure, before the rock gouges the rotor.

rock in a rotor sounds like bloody effin hell...kind of like your brakes are gonna grind themselves to shreds in a mile or 2.

skreeeeeeek skraaaaaack reeeeeeeeeeeaaaaach etc

def not a "whines @ 65mph" kinda noise....

if it is a rock in rotor, backing up usu gets rid of the racket

 

[4WRXter]

I was also guessing it would be a constant noise. My point is, it would be worth it to me, at least, to jack it up pull the tire/wheel off and check it closely, if possible.

 

[Iboc_C64]

I brought it in to VIP and had them lift it. I found I was missing a wheel centercap and somehow I cracked the underside of my front bumper, but its not visible unless you lift it so what ever. I did not find anything obviously causing the noise and we could not find anything wrong with the tires, which still have more tread than I expected them to. There where no shields out of place and no marks on the disc rotors. No fresh scratches on driveshaft or cv shafts. Nothing looks out of place at all. I took it through the car wash and got an undercarriage wash afterward but it still made some funny noises on the way home a couple of times. When it first happened, the noise was constant above 60ish. Now it old happens sometimes when I let off the gas or at the trough between two hills or bumps... or odly, when the wind blows really hard it does it too. It seems to be getting quieter and I only heard it faintly this morning. Maybe if I keep driving it, it will go away on its own.