Front axle (hub) bearing
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All Star
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 752
Likes: 2
From: Southeastern Virginia
Front axle (hub) bearing
You're never too old to re-learn something you thought you learned years ago. Possible case-in-point, my truck, an '89 4X4, has been making a roaring, rough, noise that starts with a low growl and gets a little higher in pitch the faster you go. I'm sure its coming from the front, and it seems to be on the passenger side. Make a sweeping left turn and it gets louder, make the same turn to the right and it all but dissappears. I can feel it in the steering wheel too, a slight roughness coming through the wheel.
I confidently diagnosed it as the front right wheel hub bearing. I ordered both front hubs and new front KYB gas-adjust shocks, so I could knock out several items while I'm in there. Tonight I pulled the right front hub, everything came apart easily but when i turned the bearing by hand it felt silky smooth. I turned it while it was still on the truck too, and couldn't feel or hear any roughness. Now I know that doesn't necessarily mean anything; it may only be apparent with weight on it, but, I have a suspicion where this is leading. I've been here before I think. My wife had an AWD Pacifica with bearing noise that I decided was coming from the right rear, based on the same right turn, left turn, weight shifting affect on the noise. But that one turned out to be the left rear hub. So I'm thinking I may need to re-visit that old troubleshooting technique that I've followed so many times in the past, whereby if you turned left and the noise increased you knew the right bearing was bad because the increased load of the vehicle caused it to get louder. Do CV joints and half axles behave differently? Does the geometry involved load the bearings opposite to what you'd expect?
I'll be pulling the other hub in a day or two, and I'm going to be anxious to see if it feels rough.
I confidently diagnosed it as the front right wheel hub bearing. I ordered both front hubs and new front KYB gas-adjust shocks, so I could knock out several items while I'm in there. Tonight I pulled the right front hub, everything came apart easily but when i turned the bearing by hand it felt silky smooth. I turned it while it was still on the truck too, and couldn't feel or hear any roughness. Now I know that doesn't necessarily mean anything; it may only be apparent with weight on it, but, I have a suspicion where this is leading. I've been here before I think. My wife had an AWD Pacifica with bearing noise that I decided was coming from the right rear, based on the same right turn, left turn, weight shifting affect on the noise. But that one turned out to be the left rear hub. So I'm thinking I may need to re-visit that old troubleshooting technique that I've followed so many times in the past, whereby if you turned left and the noise increased you knew the right bearing was bad because the increased load of the vehicle caused it to get louder. Do CV joints and half axles behave differently? Does the geometry involved load the bearings opposite to what you'd expect?
I'll be pulling the other hub in a day or two, and I'm going to be anxious to see if it feels rough.
Record Breaker
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 1,852
Likes: 109
From: Va
Ouch. never done that, but I have herniated disc before and that was bad enough. Take care of yourself.
