What causes tire noise?
Noisy is a pretty generic term. There are several different types of noise that tires may make and different causes for each noise. For instance a whining or singing type of noise is usually related to the tread pattern design. Engineers sometimes allow more noise to get other benefits. An example would be a mud-grip tire. All terrain tires are much noisier than a highway tread, but far better for off-road use. A thumping or slapping noise when rolling is often associated with an out of round tire. This is because the out of round tire bounces as it rolls. This may also cause a vibration and damage to the suspension. Please see our Detailed Topic Out of Round Tires for more information. A roaring noise, similar to a mud-grip tire or bearing type of noise is usually caused by tire wear, often called chopping. This is where the tread is worn is spots. The wear causes a rough surface, which can be felt with the hand. This wear can be caused by mis-alignment of the suspension, bent or worn
