Maybe someone can help as I'm stumped.
2002 3.0 x-type auto.
I have a noise which can't be described as a knocking but a sort of "ver ver ver ver ver" noise that increases with speed.
It gets slightly worse on a right hand bend but disappears on a left hand bend.
I initially though right hand inner CV joint, so I changed the whole drive shaft - no change.
I've also recently changed both front hubs a few weeks before the noise started.
I changed both front brake discs.
There is no play in any of the 4 wheel bearings and all sound smooth with the car jacked up.
I've jacked up all 4 wheels and ran the car up to an indicated 50mph whilst listening under the car and there is no noise I can hear above the engine noise.
I'm not exactly sure which corner it’s coming from or if it’s under the car. I can normally tell if its coming from one corner.
I tightened up the propshaft front bolts as they were loose but the noise is still there.
I thought maybe transfer box but the fact that the noise disappears on a left hand bend makes me think not, unless the different wheel speeds in a corner affect the transfer box.
If it was a wheel bearing surely that would be a wirring noise, which I did have hence why I changed both front hubs.
I've also swapped the wheels.

I don't know what to change next.
The noise began the day after I had to do a very sharp emergency stop from 70mph, but I can't see how that will affect anything. Plus I since changed the front brake discs in case they had warped.
Any ideas??

 

mrdiggler, get yourself a grease gun (loaded with termaline grease) and a needle attachment. Now, get under the car and go to the carrier bearing. On one side you will be able to slide the needle attachment in, the other side you will not. IN atleast 3 places (more if possible and evenly spaced around the bearing), add some grease. Take the car back out for a drive and see what you have then. Odds are, your noise is going to be gone. if it isn't, let me know and we can take things from there.

 

Okay, I'll give it a go, although I can't see how turning left hand corners makes the noise go away if it's the propshaft bearing. Incidentally is there an inner part to front of these propshafts? When I grab the propshaft by hand and twist it side to side there is a clonk from inside the propshaft.

 

mrdiggler, when you are turning, the front wheels will tend to pull you thru the corner, reducing the load on the rear driveshaft. that will unload the carrier bearing and cause the noise to go away. I have seen it in the past.

If you can twist the propshaft and you get a clunk, then it is possible that you have a bad U-joint. Granted, this would normally we associated with a whirring sound that seems to get worse when you back up. This is where you can watch the u-joints and if you see movement, then that u-joint is bad. You may find that one end of the shaft will have play and the other will not.