Low pitched noise, varies with speed ...

Hello, I am looking for some suggestions for what to fix in my wife's 2004 Aveo LS hatch based on the following:

There is a whump-whump-whump noise that comes from what sounds like the back of the car that varies with speed. It would stand to reason that this noise is originating somewhere in the wheel/hub assembly.

I have tried a tire rotation - no change.
The brakes are less than six months old.
I have already changed shocks/struts/mounts recently too.

This tells me I probably have to change a wheel bearing, but after jacking up all four corners, nothing was running obviously rough, nor did I feel any play. Any recommendations on how to diagnose further?

Re check the brakes. Make sure they are not warped drums. Or something along those lines.

How old are your tires?

Checking the tires is a good idea, but I would think the rotation would change the whump location.

Does it vary when you turn?

Hello, thanks for the replies.

The tires are fairly new (less than 1 year)
No variation with turns or bumps

I searched a bit, and found an older post where the guy found drums with bearings pressed in for ~$40 each at Autozone, maybe I can find a similar product in Canada. Turning the rear wheels by hand while the back of the car was jacked up showed no rough spots, so maybe it's only apparent with weight in the car.

To describe the noise better, it's almost like a flat tire noise. i.e. Nearly flat, obviously not totally running on the rim.

it could be wheel bearings, brakes, or the tire (alignment).

Update: the noise changed from a whump to a hum, and I have gotten motivated enough to jack up the car again and see what's up by looking a little closer.

The driver's rear wheel bearing is pretty crusty, so I used a needle adapter on a grease gun to test that theory. The noise is now gone (temporarily, I'm sure), so I have a new bearing on order.

Thanks for the tips.

Glad you found the problem.