Rear-end rumble?

[Thudd]

I've a mk2 Leon FR and i've noticed a rumble from the rear, esp at 30-40mph.

It sounds a bit like a wheel bearing.

It was picked up at the service and a 4wheel geo realignment carried out, but it's still there.
Has anyone else got this? Is it just poorly insulated tyre noise?

Cheers.

 

[Tam]

I know there have been some reports of the tread on the tyres rippling up (just due to the way the chassis is designed) which causes this noise.

 

[Haddock]

I know there have been some reports of the tread on the tyres rippling up (just due to the way the chassis is designed) which causes this noise.

Its fairly common on MkV Golfs, particularly GTi's. The inside edge of rear tyres goes a bit like a 50p piece.

I fitted Goodyear F1 GSD3's and it sounded like I had wheel bearing problems (in fact the dealer changed both front bearings to no avail!) it seems the chassis is very fussy on what tyres you should fit.

I know the above is info from MkV Gti, but possibly still relevant.

Chris

(With the Golf the noise was far worse on certain road surfaces)

 

[Thudd]

They did comment upon the tyres when they did the geo, but the Mrs is still keen on me getting it looked at

It's got the original rears (Bridgestones) but I bunged some GSD3's on the front...

 

[Lewis_FR]

I had this very briefly and **** myself. It was when cruising @ 30-40mpg in 5th/6th gear. Luckily after 40mins or so it stopped...

 

[Jon TDI]

Very interesting. I picked up on a rear wheel bearing drone when I test drove the Leon.

This will explain why the dealer changed both rear tyres before I picked up my car!!
I thought they had changed a rear wheel bearing as well!

 

[KEVINTHEGERBILE]

I got my mk2 today and have noticed a rumble noise at all speeds and thought it was a wheel bearing but will check my tyres first,

 

[NeilH]

They did comment upon the tyres when they did the geo, but the Mrs is still keen on me getting it looked at

It's got the original rears (Bridgestones) but I bunged some GSD3's on the front...

I had Bridgestone RE50 on my previous TDI Sport and they are renowned for wearing on the inside edge due to the suspension geometry. They end up looking like a fifty pence piece on the inside, with a low rumbling noise at low speed, which sounds like the rear wheel bearings are on their way out. I swapped the Bridgestones for a pair of Pirellis and the noise disappeared straight away. They also didnt wear as quickly or a badly as the Bridgestones.

Try a tyre change and that should sort your problem.

 

[OLDOILER]

There was a revised setting that I had done on mine - which made it better but did NOT cure it completely. Do a search here, I'm sure it came with pictures too, also some tyre are more prone to this problem than others. ...........................
The other thing to do is diagonally swop the tyre every 10k or so. see other posts on this matter I did put a x link in one of them to the thread links wheel settings.

 

[KEVINTHEGERBILE]

Turns out it is my tyres, what cause's this to happen?

 

[markgb]

There was a revised setting that I had done on mine - which made it better but did NOT cure it completely. Do a search here, I'm sure it came with pictures too, also some tyre are more prone to this problem than others. ...........................
The other thing to do is diagonally swop the tyre every 10k or so.

As above,

Recently had my K1 serviced, the mechanic noted it's got slight wear on the inner edges of the rear tyres. He told me that SEAT have revised settings, on the four wheel alignment.
Got to get mine done, after my clutch sorted.

 

[Chris Bartram]

It seems very tyre-specific, and affects pretty much anything Golf IV based (so Leon, Octavia, Golf, A3 etc). Mine started rumbling badly with the cheap and nasty directional tyres it had on when I bought it, but the Contis I use now in the summer show no signs of the funny wear. It's a 'sawtooth' type shape on the tyre- I didn't have any problems with the inside edge wearing, which is what the alignment change is intended to fix.

My best advice would be use non-directional tyres, and swap them side-to-side halfway through their life.