I have a 2004 Mini Cooper S, I had a little run in with a curve while sliding when turning into a mall. Know I have a loud howling noise from the front of the car. I balanced the tires and checked the rims to be shore they are not bent found no problems so I rotated the tires front to rear, noise still there.

The howling gets faster and louder at 30 mph and up, the alignment is a little off could that cause the noise?

 

wheel bearing

 

Is there any way to test it? Were is the best place to buy them?

 

are you under warranty? if not you'll need a stethoscope(try an auto parts store if you dont have one). have someone help you with this. raise the front of the car and have a friend drive the car at 10-20 mph(or faster if you need to). take the stethoscope and put the tip on the back of the steering knuckle next to the axle. probe around the hub and listen for a scraping sound. when wheel bearings go bad they are most noticeable when you are driving at high speeds and it gets louder the faster you go.

keep me updated with any progress or questions

 

your best bet is to go to the dealer. i haven't done front bearings on minis but on fwd cars the bearings have to be pressed in. its not an easy job you can do on a weekend in your garage.

 

Thanks I am under warranty I am at 38799 miles so I am still under warranty for a few more miles . Thanks for your help I did not know if it was the bearings or the transmition. I did not even think about the bears till you said something. They come as one unit, I work for a shop and we have account with a company called KW Parts and they sell them for $110 per side and napa has them for $125 per side. It looks to be a very simple install remove the brakes and rotor, then remove the axle nut and the four bolts that hold the hub on remove and replace in revers order. about 2 hours for both sides.