I'll send a $10 gift card to whoever can diagnose this problem
 

Seeing if anyone out there can help me and willing to send a little something for the person that can help my identify this issue.

Car is a 2013 G37. For years now, I've had this noise coming from the front tires that increase with the speed of the tires. It sounds exactly like there's a large sticker stuck to the tire that increase with the rotation of the tires. Here are some other facts:

1. The sound is there whether I am going straight or turning, and increases with the speed of the car. Doesn't change whether I have the clutch in or out.
2. Had someone take apart the brakes and inspect everything and didn't find anything unusual.
3. The sound isn't super loud, but is audible when I'm in a quiet parking garage or driving next to a wall.
4. The really strange thing is that the noise goes away and comes back everytime the car goes on a lift. So for example, I would hear the noise before I drop the car off to a garage for servicing. When I get it back, the noise is gone. The next time I take it for servicing, and I get the car back, the damn noise comes right back! The car goes on a lift each time.
5. I've had cars with wheel bearings go out before, and this doesn't sound like wheel bearings where there is a constant sound. Like I mentioned above, the noise sounds like you have a large sticker stuck to the bottom of the front tires or someone shaking a salt shaker faster and faster as the wheel speed increases.

Anyone heard of anything like this before? These symptoms are stumping me. The only other thing I can think of is to replace the hub assembly, but I kind of want to avoid replacing something that isn't even causing the problem.

What brand & model tires are you running? Also mileage on them.
And do you rotate your tires side/side at intervals (pending they’re not directional) and only staggered?

My first guess would be a wheel bearing, if your sure it's not that then I would suspect the parking brake system on the rear wheels is messed up somehow. It's hard to tell front or rear from the driver seat. Best of luck fixing it.

If it happens at very low speeds (sounds like it does) - can you drive at an idle pace with someone walking beside the car to see if it can be narrowed down to a wheel(s)?

I suspect belt separation on one of your tires.

Or a rock in the tread (but I'm guessing you already checked that).


Edit: When you say the car is put on a lift, do you mean a drive-on lift or is all the weight off of the tires? If all weight is off, then that reinforces my separated ply theory. If it's a drive-on, that makes my theory less plausible.

Check the tire treads real close.

I found a nail in my tire tread that made the exact same noise.

There was no head on the nail, and it was jammed in there sideways. Never leaked a bit of air.

I pulled it out with some dykes, and the hole was air tight, so I am still driving the tire with no repair.

Go figure!