Why Does My Tire Make A Humming Noise “Womp Womp”

By David Barlow
Last updated: Nov 27, 2022
Why Does My Tire Make A Humming Noise

Imagine you are chilling in your Kia Morning, and suddenly an annoying sound comes from the tires. That breakdown will immediately raise your thought: why does my tire make a humming noise? The strange sound from any vehicle indicates several faults in the operating systems.

In this article, we will reveal some of the possible reasons for the unpleasant sounds of your car.

Why Does My Tire Make A Humming Noise?

The annoying sound is often initiated by many engines in the cars. Here are the most common reasons for that annoyance.

Tire Rotation

Tire rotation is always on top of our mind regarding the humming sound in cars. Tire rotation is in charge of operating the workflow of the tires. Therefore, the misoperation in the tire can be rooted from the drivetrain, which causes fluctuation among the tires. 

Specifically, when you drive in rough terrain, if your drivetrain does not stimulate force on your tire gradually, your tires can not deal with the uneven surface. As a result, the car will give out a loud tire noise. Normally, people tackle this problem by annually replacing the cabin air filter or filling up new oil.

Unsuitable Road Tire

It is uncommon to get into this trouble because a skillful mechanic rarely makes mistakes in choosing suitable tires. Let’s take an example, you are the owner of a four-seat family car, but you install off-road tires on it. New tires making humming noises is due to the mismatch between the tire and the wheel, which can cause a huge sound on the vehicle. In the long run, it can even lead to damage to the internal engine.

Uneven Tire Wear

The majority of the humming sound in cars comes from uneven wear. As a matter of fact, the treads on the tires are in function to eliminate friction between the wheel and the road surface. Besides, tread patterns are extremely crucial in reducing the stop distance and saving fuel consumption in vehicles.

After long-running, the tread will be gradually eroded, leading to the traction reduction. Consequently, your wheels have to sustain enormous force when running on the road, which causes a droning sound in the cars. Furthermore, the sound is even exaggerated when you stop suddenly, and the tires are not powerful enough to detain the friction.

Wheel Bearing

Like the case with the internal system, a bad wheel bearing is a common culprit of the humming sound. The wheel bearing is the connection between the axle and the wheels. It generates forces to the axle, and the axle transfers it to the wheel. 

More specifically, the bearing system consists of rings of metal spheres, which are responsible for eradicating friction in the system.

Once those spheres are at fault, it will plunge the workflow of the wheel bearing. In the meantime, you will feel the vibration coming from the vehicle, and it will make a loud sound when driving.

Additionally, if you put too much cargo on the cars, they will put an enormous force on the axle. The axle can not transfer power smoothly when put under high pressure. Therefore, the sound will trigger.

Imbalanced Tires

Apart from engine-related problems, bad tires also have a big effect on cars. A car can only run smoothly when the weight is equally distributed in the tires. Therefore, imbalanced tires will cause several issues for your engine. 

For instance, when you put a lot of cargo in the car, the heavy force of the cargo will distribute to only one side of the car if the tires are unbalanced. Driving with unequal weight distribution can harm the axle in the long term, making unpleasant noise.

Not only that, imbalanced tires can gradually degrade the tires as well. In the condition that you feel the inclination while driving the car, it is a sign of faulty tires. 

Wheel Alignment

How Long Does A Wheel Alignment Take

When all other possibilities are excluded, it is time you take your wheel alignment into consideration. 

The engine can operate nicely once the wheel is aligned correctly. If any of the wheels has deviated from the axle, your vehicle can not run in the same direction. The misconnection among the wheels will give out some humming noises. 

There is a simple way to identify this problem. By looking at your wheel through the mirror, you can measure whether your wheels are well aligned or not.

How To Fix The Humming Noise In Tires?

Have Tire Checked Up

One rule of thumb when your vehicle gets buzzing is that you take it to the garage. In principle, an overall check-up can help you find out the root cause of the problem. Moreover, you had better take your car to the garage once every six months to ensure that your vehicle is still in good condition. 

In the circumstance that your vehicle generates a droning noise, take it to the experienced mechanic right away. The longer you keep it in an unsustainable condition, the more damaging it will be. 

Besides, one tip when you have your transport checked up is that you should bring it back to the garage you bought it. No one can understand your vehicle more than its initial owner.

Replace New Tires

Should the noise from tires keep going on, switching to a new one is the best option. There are two ways to replace your tires. The first choice is to do it by yourself using a spare tire. This repair is only possible if your vehicle has already been provided with a spare one. 

Another option for you is to take it directly to the garage and ask for help. Those experienced mechanics will inspect and find the matching tires for you. In this case, you’d better look out for a prestige car repair workshop. Or else, your cars will not be fixed properly. 

Switch To New Bearings

In comparison with tire replacement, bad wheel bearing alteration is much less urgent. When your wheel bearing is broken, the vehicle can still run in a short period of time. 

Nevertheless, fixing the bearing system is not easy unless you are experienced and skillful. Therefore, we recommend you have your vehicle fixed by the mechanic. 

Rotate The Tire

Tire rotation is quite uncommon in vehicle fixing, but it can make a huge difference to the problem. To some extent, tire rotation is a lower level of tire replacement. We should only switch to new tires when there is an excessive issue. Considering that the humming noise has just started, rotating the wheel can completely get rid of that noise.

By the way, you should rotate them in fixed internals. That is also an effective and economical way to protect your vehicles from cracking noise. This technique is very simple. All you have to do is to use the lever to leverage the vehicle and use your hand to swivel the wheel.

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FAQs

Why Do My Cars Make Noise When Turning?

The womp womp tire noise coming from the car when turning can boil down to three factors: the CV joints, the steering systems, and the tie rods. All three of these internal items have an impact on the rolling of the wheel. 

Ball joints usually make a sound when you speed up. The steering wheel and tie rods happen to crack once you turn left or turn right. Apart from all these three engines, such pieces as suspension joints, power steering pump, and bushing can also harm the car once faulty.

How Much Does It Cost To Replace Humming Tires?

On average, a normal tire for a hatchback car costs between $50 and $200. Big cars like SUVs or Pickup trucks will ask for nearly twice the price, ranging from $350 to $400. 

Besides, you had better go to your previous garage to replace tires because they may give you some discount as a loyal customer. There is one notion that replacing all four tires at once is very crucial as a new tire will cause an imbalance with other old eroded tires.

How Often Should I Check Up On My Tires?

Tires are the sections that have to be exposed to friction and other external obstacles. Therefore, it is vital that you give it a guarantee regularly. 

Two things that need to be checked include the tire pressure and the tire tread. The tire pressure will sustain the smoothness of the vehicle, while the treads have the function of diverting the water off the tires to increase traction, prevent hydroplaning, and improve stopping distance. 

You should take a look at these two essential facets regularly because either of them has a direct impact on the noise of the vehicle.

Conclusion

To wrap up, there are various answers to the question. In general, there are two main sections involved in this issue: the tires and the wheel bearing. 

Regarding the tire-related problems, it can be due to the defective rotation, incompatible tires, and disparity in the scale of the wheel. If the tires are not the culprits, the root must be a bearing system or wheel alignment. 

Moreover, it is advisable that you check up on the car gradually and fix the errors as soon as possible. We hope that this information can help you deal with the engine problems. Please let us know in the comment section if you find it beneficial

David Barlow

Automotive Experts at World Tire Review

Hi everyone, I’m David (Tireguy). I believe that finding tires can lead to a lot of confusion and frustration for almost every driver. That’s why I would like to bring my experiences and knowledges to develop World Tire Review blog, it will give people a deeper understanding of what choosing the right tire is really like!