Tires: Loud noise after rotation, pontiact, inflation pressure

Question
I just recently rotated the tires(225/60/16) on my '99 Pontiact Grand Prix.  The tires on the back(now on the front) were pretty much brand new still.  The tires now on the rear are pretty worn.  Now whenever I get above 60mph the front tires are so loud from road noise that you almost have to yell to talk to the person next to you.  Do you think they need to be aligned/balanced, or could this be because the rear tires are so worn?

Answer
Ryan,

First, you should be able to tell where the noise is coming from - front or rear - and I'm going to guess front.

It is fairly common for the rear tires on FWD vehicles to develop irregular wear.  This is caused by misalignment and aggravated by insufficient rotation and insufficient inflation pressure.  When they are rotated to the front, they generate noise or vibrations.

If you get an alignment, that won't fix the problem - however it will prevent the problem from getting worse.  The irregular wear may get replaced by a different wear pattern - one that will be quieter, but it will take some time before that happens.  But you should be aware that the problem may never completely go away.

So you have 2 choices:  Live with it or replace the tires.