Noise from the rear

Hi everybody, i am a new member with a couple of problems with my landy.
I have been visiting this site quite often and found solutions to some of the problems I have had and I thank the regular posters here.
The problems I have are 1) A rumble noise from the rear which gets louder with increased speed, a workmate of mine says it is probably the wheel bearings, any additional info would be appreciated.
2) The steering seems to be off, especially under braking, more so when I have been driving for a while and everything is warm or hot.
I have had both front drive shafts replaced and recently had two new tyres on the front wheels.
This is a 98' 1.8 xei
Thanks in advance for any help.

Does the noise change when cornering? Failed wheel bearings normally stay the same level turning one way, then go silent when you turn the other as the load on them changes.

Your new tyres should be on the rear. The more worn tyres should always go on the front, with the bigger diameter newer ones on the rear. If you don't do this, you increase the load on the viscous coupling unit, increasing the risk of damage.

Hi, Thanks for the advice regarding the tyres, I will sort that out.
The noise is just constant while I am driving along and gets louder with higher speeds, It kicks in at around 35mph and gets really loud over 50mph.
thanks again.

Jack the rear wheels off the ground, hold the wheel at 12 and 6 o'clock positions and try rocking the wheel back and forth. If there's any movement, it's likely to be wheel bearing wear. If not, assuming the noise is definitely coming from the rear wheel area, rather than the centre of the car, I'd check the state of the rear diff oil to see if there's any indication of diff wear.

What do mean by steering is off, does it veer to one side? or does it feel vague?

Have you checked if your VCU is not seized? The rear diff has no drain plug on it so it may be hard to check the condition of the oil in it, but definately check if it needs topping up.

Thank you for your responses, I will do all of the things you have suggested, cheers.