Hey guys. Well recently I have noticed when I am coasting and slowing down (without using brakes) around 30 mph going down to about 10 mph in a straight line or when turning there is a fairly loud droning noise. I didnt notice it so much when using the brakes. I really don't know how to describe it other than if youve ever heard mud tires on pavement is basically what it sounds like except not so loud. I don't think it's the tires because A. They are some cheapo Mastercraft tires (previous owner), and B. They arent mud or even all terrain tires (yet lol). The only other thing that i've done recently is take off the rubber flap by the radiator support to increase airflow and i also took off the little round plastic piece where the air enters the filter. So now there is just a hole in the front of the box. sorry for the long post, but anyone have any ideas?

 

When my front wheel bearing/hubs went bad it made a sound like that only I noticed it at all speeds from about 20 mph up to 40 or 45 mph, and from about 45 mph down to 10 or 15 mph when coming to a stop. At speeds other than that the road noise covered it up. It sounded like a 4wd truck running big ole knobby mud tires on dry pavement.

Maybe jack up the front end, grab the tire at 9:00 and 3:00 push in and pull out. If there is movement there and/or noise, vibration and play in the wheel as you spin the tires by hand, you could have a bad wheel bearing assembly.

I don't know how many miles you have on your truck or if you have 2wd or 4wd but my Dakota is a 2wd and the bearings/hubs went bad around 143,000 miles. I replaced mine with National brand hubs from Advance, used the "BIG35" online purchase discount code, did two separate transactions and saved $70.00 off a new pair of hubs. If you have a 2wd truck you need a 35 mm axle nut socket, they cost about $15.00 at Advance. Mine were super easy to replace and my truck has been doing fine ever since.

Jimmy

 

It is a 2WD, sorry I should have specified. It's the 3.9 and she's got just about 127,000 on the clock. Thank you for telling me about this, I will have a look tomorrow. How long did it take you (I know you said super easy, but how long did it take) to replace the bearings and hubs, and how much were they in total? Thanks again for the help.

 

Actually, rocking the wheel at 3 and 9 is a better check for tie rod wear. Rocking at 12 & 6 is better for checking wheel bearings. To check ball joints lift the truck till the tire is just off the ground and lift the wheel straight up and down with a pry bar. It's also helpfull to have some one help you so you can see exactly where whatever play is comming from.

 

I did both of mine in about 2 hours on a Sunday morning. All I had to do was put the front end up on jack stands, remove the wheel, remove the brake caliper and brake pads and brake rotor and the axle nut and the bearing/hub assembly slid right off the splindle.

One thing that makes it easier is before you jack up the truck, pop out the center caps and use a breaker bar with the 35 mm axle nut socket to break the nut loose. Having all 4 wheels on the ground makes that a much easier job. I had to stand on the end of my breaker bar and bounce up and down to break the nuts loose. I guess it would come loose easier too if you have an impact wrench available.

The National brand hubs also come with a new replacement axle nut. Saves a trip to the hardware store. Be sure to put a light coat of high temp grease on the spindle.

Jimmy

 

I did the 3 and 9 check this afternoon and it didn't really seem like anything was wrong. But it was about to storm and I was rushing a little bit. I'll throw it on the jack again tomorrow and do the 12 and 6 check as well as look at the ball joints. I'll let you guys know what I see. Thanks for the help!

 

Okay guys well it's still doing the noise, so I went back out today and did all of the checks you both suggested and the only thing I noticed when I was doing the 3 and 9 test on the front passenger tire was a very slight click as I pushed and pulled on it (didn't actually turn the wheels). It wasn't very noticeable, I had to do it a few times just to be sure. Could this mean that one hub is bad? I would probably just replace both if that is the case. Also, how long can you drive with a bad hub? It will be a few weeks before I have the time to do something about it. Thanks

 

Don't mean to double post but I did that post exactly 24 hours after the one before it!! Lol.

 

Hard to say what it is for sure but the wheel should be tight to the hub. There should be no play or movement at all when you rock the wheel, whether at 3 and 9 or 12 and 6. You could always just remove the hub/bearings and check them yourself. You can tell if they are bad, they will sound like they have loose parts inside and rattle when you shake them. Plus you can turn the bearing yourself by hand to check for roughness. At 127K, it might just be time to replace them anyway. When you think about it, wheel bearings carry a tremendously heavy load and take a ton of abuse.

Jimmy

 

Alright, will do. Once it stops raining it's been nonstop. Thanks again for the help. Oh yeah, speaking of the bearings taking a lot of abuse, I drive on a few dirt roads that are really really bad and bumpy and stuff. Every time I take that way the truck gets absolutely filthy but I like it haha. That being said, is there anything else I should look at aside from the bearings and ball joints? Also, I have driven on these types of roads a few times and the noise didn't start right after I came off the road. In fact, when the noise started I hadn't even been down one of those roads in a few months at least.