I've been driving my 350z around for like 2 weeks with this problem (stupid, I know). Just haven't had time to get to it between work and school til now. I think the problem is the driver side front wheel bearing because it is a very loud humming noise and I can almost feel the vibration in my foot. The noise always disappears when I am changing lanes or turning. Well I jacked the car up to diagnose it and I can hear grinding when I am rotating the wheel but no jiggle when I grab it from the top and bottom and I can't feel any vibration in the springs when I rotate it either. Just got the brakes changes 4 months ago so it isn't that. Just double checking that it is indeed the wheel bearing.

 

How many miles on your Z? Next time you hoist it up, check the brake caliper of the LF to make sure the grinding noise is not a stuck or defective caliper. A bad wheel bearing does need to be swapped before you get into an accident b/c of it.

 

only 50k. I ended up spinning out and hitting a curb about a month ago as a result of my tires being too worn and I believe that is what caused the wheel bearing to go bad quickly

 

If I were to check the caliper what would I be looking for?

 

If it's a damaged caliper, you'll notice the pad is jammed up against the rotor when you turn the rotor. The caliper piston won't release cleanly and can result in grinding.

But since you curbed that corner it's more than likely the wheel bearing you damaged.

 

Yep, almost guaranteed to be a wheel bearing issue. I was unlucky last year and hit a large board (fence post size) on the freeway. Couldn't dodge it and wasn't about to risk driving straight over it. My left wheels ran over it which felt like hitting a curb at 70mph.

Somehow I didn't have any body damage (wheels and tires included, a testament to forged Rays), bushing damage, or steering rack/linkage damage. However my front left wheel bearing was hosed immediately after that hit. No major grinding, but a light whirring noise around 50-65mph. After replacing I had the alignment done for good measure.

Changing lanes can reduce or increase noise based on the weight transfer put across the wheel bearings which helps diagnose this issue. Just replace the front wheel bearing, it's pretty quick and easy. You don't need "special" tools to do this at home. Definitely get your alignment done after the replacement since you hit a curb.

-Icer

 

Man those curbs are hungry for Z's.

I feel like once a month a repair thread ends up including a spin out or curb bump lol

 

Had a similar problem but with a rhythmic whiring sound when I stepped off the gas on the driver side. Changed out the bearings on both sides just in case and made the ride feel nice and smooth. Most people on the site recommend Timken as a decent OEM replacement and there is definitely a step by step on this site.