Does anyone have advice on how to stop what sounds to me like the center caps making noice while driving? These are the stock 15" Mazda mesh wheels made by BBS. When I got the car, it was missing 1, so I have 1 new cap, it seems to make the same noise! It's most noticeable while driving along a curb, or other vertical surface like a freeway median. All four seem to do this.

If anyone has any suggestions (besides removing them) I'd like to hear!

TIA,

Greg O.

 

are they on till they lock? If not your going to lose another one.

 

Yep, they are locked, and I've even got the wrench, and you can feel the cap 'snap' into the locked position.

Greg O.

 

Does the sound definitely go away when they're off?
What does it sound like?

I've had wheel/axle bearings go out on other vehicles before and it can make the wierdest noises -- not what you'd expect from a bearing.

 

Trav,

Thanks for stating the obvious. Now, I'll take them off for the ride home from work and I'll know the answer for sure. However in just taking them off and replacing them, they make the same kind of sound. Sort of a squeaking, very much a rythmic pattern that increases as speed does, so I'm pretty sure it's tire rotation related.

Part of me was wondering (being new with a vert) if there was some lubrication needed within this cap, obviously you don't want to lube the wrong spot and have these things fly off, they're like $80 each new...

Greg O.

 

no. you don't need to lube the caps. If it gets faster with speed im going with wheel bearings.

 

my wheel made a noise like that but it was a broken half shaft. it stripped the nut right off and it was banging around in thier.