So this is NOT from loose wheel lug nuts. your post dais, "Could there be something in the tire?" I have begun to think there may be a link to the fact that at least one tire pressure sensor unit has failed AFTER the swap. Maybe some part broke off inside the tire? Is it possible to identify the exact unit that has failed? Is it on that noisy wheel?
Went to Discount Tire this morning, couldn't sleep, so I got up at 6am, and just arrived as they opened at 8. Before I left, I also made a 10:00 appointment with a suspension shop here. It was a a rear tire that the TPMS failed on.
I really didn't think it was the TPMS. because then you would hear it at all speeds, probably more at slow speeds, as it would keep falling against the rim. And at high speed centrifugal force would make it spin with the tire, I would think. And It wasn't that, they went for a test drive with me. With him in the passenger seat, he said it sounded like the other side. We swapped and I let him drive. Sounded to me like it was still the passenger side.
So he tells me I have a bad strut on the drivers side. Tells me to feel the nut on the top mount, because it's moving, while pushing the front up and down. It wasn't moving AT ALL, one of his coworkers agrees with me. This pisses him off? Oh well. He slams the hood, says can't help you, we don't do suspensions! OK dick, I knew that.
The coworker, much nicer, says I'm going to rotate the tires. Drive the car, and see if the sound moves location. If it does, I'll replace all four tires, no idea which it would be. Very reasonable. But it didn't change a thing.
I go to the suspension shop an hour early, it's a subsidiary of the local Toyota, Nissan, VW, Audi, Subaru, Cadillac dealer. Which I didn't know, and there is a $160 diagnostic fee, no matter what, and it does not apply to the repair. Glad he didn't mention that on the phone, I probably would not have went there. Pulled my car in immediately.
https://www.brakeandalignmentplus.com/
Well a really nice mechanic there goes for a test drive with me, I let him drive. The sound starts right at 45 mph, like a tack hammer hitting something rapidly (his description), he'd never heard anything like it (me either). He says it sounds like it's in the back, or under the console. Tells me to drive, he'll ride in the back seat. He says it's coming from the hump between the seats, he can feel it with his hand, something is hitting the floor.
Puts it on the lift, and there is a small heat shield, maybe 10" long.
One bolt in front was rotted through, two more in back, and it's solid aluminum, not the normal little dimpled thin ones, So it didn't rattle on the pipe, it just hung in the air. It had an upward curve at the front, so the wind would catch it, and make it go up, and tap the floor, loudly. When he rapidly pushed it against the floor, it was the identical sound. One rear bolt was rotted through, the other about half way there. I said just take it off, but he wanted to put bigger washers on. Liability?
He also replaced a missing push pin fastener on the front splash guard, been that way for years, every time I'd put a new one on, it would fall off in a week. He put a much fatter GM one on, one piece design, said it'll break if I take it off.
Another test drive, and the car is SILENT. Still paranoid after all this, I had it up to 90 -100 mph a couple times on the way home, went down bumpy roads, took a curvy road, 25 miles and not a sound.
Weird part is, I thought I had already lost ALL the heat shields on this car. 4 of them, one over the catalytic converter, one over the resonator, and one passing the gas tank, those were all gone starting 8 - 10 years ago. I patched the first couple with bigger washers, but it only lasts a couple years, galvanic corrosion. The 4th, the muffler shield only lost the bolt at the rear, easy to reach. So that one I repaired with a 1" washer, then a 2" washer, and finally with a 5" piece of scrap. metal. Couple years for each When a front bolt, that you can't get to without dropping the muffler went through, I tore it off last year. Why do they even install aluminum shields, they have never lasted on any car I've owned. Car engineers have never heard of galvanic corrosion?
I searched every parts diagram I could find this afternoon, and they all only show the 4 I already lost. No fifth shield. Even the mechanic was puzzled, because it's 5" or so from the exhaust pipe, and he'd never seen a thick one like this. It's tucked up so high you'd never see it, without a lift.
He also wanted to check the lugs when I told him about the prior day. I watched the guy at discount set each one to 80 lbs. by hand. But I never saw any bolt move... He set his wrench to 85, none of them moved, then 90, none of them moved. He backed one off, said it was about 95 lbs. He set them all to 90. That's OK, they are steel now, I'll be able to get them off. No one ever believes the Toyota spec is 76 lbs., except the dealer. He said if I stop back in, he'll re-check.
Since they are not conical, not sure why they would even need it:
https://tinyurl.com/Lug-Nuts but I'll check again, think I'll order a new torque wench too.
Here's the best part, he says it only took 30 minutes total, he'll talk to the manager about the $160 fee, seems too high for a few washers to him. The manger says he is going to cut it in half to $80. Then says, lets just make it $45 + $5 shop supplies. $50.30 with tax, will that be okay? I said that's fantastic, thank you.
I expected $160 diagnostic, $120 for the alignment, plus some expensive suspension parts. I was hoping it would be no more than $800 to $1000!
Pro tip, whenever I get my car serviced, I put in my Toyota rubber winter floor mats in, just in case. I don't have any for the rear seat, I don't think anyone has ever ridden in the rear, ever.
He did have grease on one of his boots, got a big stain on the virgin mat, and a few toe marks on the back of the left front seat, not sure why he didn't have me move the passenger seat all the way up, he was a big guy with big feet. I can't fit back there with the seats back. But I didn't think of it either. He used some brake cleaner on the mat, said it would be good as new when it dried, it didn't. So I spent an hour with Shout and a garden hose, the mat is good as new, probably take a week to dry though. The marks on the back of the seat, and door panel wiped right off with Shout too. Well worth it for over a $100 off.
Out of shear paranoia, I did just take it for another 15 mile drive, at speed, and bumps. Silent. And very smooth with the Arizonian (Cooper) tires. First time I ever bought a store brand, but at 1500 to 2000 miles year, I'll be pitching them from dry rot long before the tread wears out.
Sorry for the novel!
Thanks again for all suggestions. If it hadn't sounded so bad, possibly dangerous, I'm sure it would have fallen off by itself shortly. Oh well.
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