Please advise on symptoms - wheel bearing?

[joshm]

Hi all,
My 1991 205 GT (God bless it!) started playing up the other day whilst driving up the M3. At high speeds (around 60 and upwards), when coasting (clutch in or out) or decelerating, the car would make a pretty awful whining sound that filled up the whole cabin. Under acceleration, it was fine. At lower speeds it's fine. Additionally (needed to swerve around a bit to check this!), I was able to reproduce the sound when steering to the right, and make the noise disappear when steering to the left.
So, my logic says passenger side wheel bearing, but when I raised the car and checked there is no play when rocking the wheel or grinding when the wheel is spun.
I guess the CV joint could also be a possibility but I reckon I'd get less of a whine and more of a knocking/clicking sound?
Advice welcome - is it because the bearing is _beginning_ to go that the problem only appears at certain speeds?
Thanks,
Josh

[Dave Burns]

Sounds more like a gearbox bearing in trouble, wheel bearings typicaly start to knock when they are on the way out, and will do so at all speeds, if it is a wheel bearing the direction of travel isn't a reliable pointer as to which one it is, it depends where abouts the damage is on the races.
Dave

[PowerLee]

I would also check the bearing on the right hand driveshaft, Where it goes through the bottom engine mount.
I had one go on my 405, It sounded awful & the Peugeot dealer wanted to stich me up with a new gearbox.
I got a gearbox place to have a drive & he pin pointed the bearing, One new bearing later & it was all quite again.

[rabenson]

had a similar problem on a 205d - mechanic suggested that it was gearbox, got a second opinion which said wheelbearing so had that changed (as it was much cheaper than a gearbox repair) and the problem vanished!
Ron