'97 Town & Country road noise

If anyone has had this problem and solved it, I'd appreciate knowing
how. I have a 97 T&C since it was new. For the last few years, there has
been a growing road/tire noise in the passenger compartment. New tires
did not really solve the problem, it simply changed the pitch of the
noise somewhat. The volume has grown to the point that you just about
can't hear the radio at anything lower than full volume. There has been
no changes in the insulation around the cabin that might explain this.
The noise is worse as you make turns, particularly left turns. Further
the greater noise seems to come from the front passenger side. I have
driven beside the van with windows down and can detect no unusual noise
from the outside. It just seems to be in the passenger compartment. The
only thing I can think of is some hardening or degradation of a bushing
somewhere in the suspension (like possibly a busing in the front strut
that isolates it from the frame) but the tires wear evenly, there is no
vibration in the steering, and there is no pulling that I would think
would accompany a suspension/steering problem.

Anyone have any ideas what might cause this?

 

My guess would be a bad wheel bearing. The tip off on that is that it
changes when turning. You don't hear it from the outside because the
noise goes into and radiates from the frame into the passenger
compartment. If the noise comes on or increases with left turns, the
left front bearing is the most likely suspect.

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with the letter 'x')

 

Have you checked the wheel bearings ? The noise you describe seems to
indicate bad wheel bearings.

 

Thanks everyone for responding. I had never heard a wheel bearing sound
like tire noise when it went bad but that was indeed the problem. Works
great now.