Mechanical issue: Feels like I am on a train at high speeds

I wonder if someone can help me here as this is a weird problem that I am finding hard to explain. The first symptom I noticed was this sound that came at higher speeds, once I go over 30mph or so, is more present once I stop accelerating, and sounds almost like I am on a train. There is a constant beat in what I would describe a circular fashion. At the same time, as I increase speed, the car becomes very bumpy, moreso than usual (I know the GTI is already pretty bumpy). At first I thought it must be the road, but then I realized it always felt like I was on very bumpy roads.

Some useful info is that it started happening after I took it to the shop to replace a tire and get a vacuum leak fixed. Don't think the leak has anything to do with it. At first I thought it might have to do with the tires (2 of them are old and could use replacement), but this can't be just a flat or something like that. It's a 2011 with 90K miles, just a base GTI (you might notice I don't know much about cars). Thanks for any help and let me know if more info is required.

was the wheel balanced after a new tire was mounted?

other than that try jacking up the desired wheel and shaking it side to side and up/down to check the bearing

Jack it up and check for play at the wheels...you can check the ball joints and wheel bearings this way. Also possible they did not torque your lugs properly. Lastly, if you need tires now might be the time to get a complete, matching set.

zrickety said:

Jack it up and check for play at the wheels...you can check the ball joints and wheel bearings this way. Also possible they did not torque your lugs properly. Lastly, if you need tires now might be the time to get a complete, matching set.

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Was going to ask if the sound is like a wrrrrrrrr or humming drone at the speeds you hear it. I had to replace two wheel bearings a while back and that was how I'd describe the symptom.

my issue, which is just like you described OP, was wheel bearings. Replacing all 4 corners along with (later on) sway bar endlinks, pretty much all bushings, control arms, and shocks and my car no longer feels like an old jalopy.

All this at 60,000 miles... jeezluise...

aj_law: I would say it is closer to a humming drone. Its not the type noise you tend to hear when there is something wrong with the engine.

riceburner: was changing the wheel bearings enough or the rest was also necessary?

Yakuzi: I do not know if the wheel was balanced, but the bumpiness is too strong to just be unbalanced wheels I think.

Thanks for the responses. I'll take it in to check the wheel bearings and report back.

My guess would be wheel bearing

My car does this a bit, I think in my case its an out of balance wheel or a tire issue. I plan on swapping to new wheels and tires very soon so I haven't cared to look into it further. Sounds like a loud wobbling droning tire kind of noise.

penarol49 said:

aj_law: I would say it is closer to a humming drone. Its not the type noise you tend to hear when there is something wrong with the engine.

riceburner: was changing the wheel bearings enough or the rest was also necessary?

Yakuzi: I do not know if the wheel was balanced, but the bumpiness is too strong to just be unbalanced wheels I think.

Thanks for the responses. I'll take it in to check the wheel bearings and report back.

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Wheel vearings took away the noise; other stuff collectively maked the car stop shaking at high speeds, that mainly being new tires and sway bar endlinks (get the meyle 'heavy duty' ones from ecs tuning - cheap and will last longer)

I went with f.a.g. bearings so far so good
.
Struts shocks and bearings made the car drive like new again, I couldn't believe how good the car drives compared to how it was at just 60k miles, felt like shit over every little bump

Forgot to mention the tires and wheels always play a role. If the wheel is bent or tire improperly balanced/wearing unevenly the symptoms can be akin to the wheel bearing symptoms

+1 for wheel bearings