wheel bearings?

[cmull]

so a few days ago i started hearing and feeling a buzzing coming from the front axle area.. but only occasionally and usually at 15mph or more. i looked at the brakes and the pads were almost gone so i replaced them and still hear this noise. rolled down the hill in front of my house a couple times with tranny in park and transfer case in neutral with the truck off and it only made noise like one out of four or five times.. im lost but im getting worried as this noise is getting louder and more frequent. could it be wheel bearing? or what?

 

[MrMarty51]

Take it for a drive, make a left turn, if the noise gets louder, replace the right side wheel bearings.
Make a right turn, if the noise gets louder, replace the left side bearings.
When making a turn, the weight is thrown to the opposite side, and so, it loads that bearing.
Probably should remove/ inspect repack and or replace the bearings.
Anything that You can catch a finger nail on is not good.
Also check for a wear pattern, it will sometimes look like the rollers are wearing in some places more than others.
When doing a reasemble, spin the hub in both directions while tightening the bearings inner nut, run the nut down, to 50 ft/lbs then back off, retorque to 35 ft/lbs while turning the hub, then back the nut off 1/3 of a turn.
This should allow the hub to turn freely, without binding and, also, possibly with just the tiniest amount of slack.
I always screw the inner nut down, while checking for slack between the bearings, I want a small amount of slack so that, when I tighten the outer locking nut down to 80 ft/lbs, it should be right at a tightness to just remove any play in the bearings. before installing the outer locknut, when installing the locking washer, if the pin does`nt align with a hole, back off the inner nut slightly to make it align. dont tighten the inner adjusting nut to get the pin to align, alwasy back it off.
Get them too tight and then, ooops, a burned out wheel bearing, they can be a sunnybeech to get removed, without a torch.

 

[cmull]

I dont think it is wheel bearings because hard corning has no effect and there is no play anywhere on the wheels. Could a U-Joint cause this? Well should there be any movement in the driveshaft? on the side it connects to the transfer case there is movement and a bit of a clunking sound. Any thoughts?

 

[dhamp]

I wouldn't completely rule it out because of no noticeable wheel play. If it's early enough, they'll roar but still not wobble. By the time you have wobble, the casing has collapsed. It's bad before then though.

 

[MrMarty51]

I dont think it is wheel bearings because hard corning has no effect and there is no play anywhere on the wheels. Could a U-Joint cause this? Well should there be any movement in the driveshaft? on the side it connects to the transfer case there is movement and a bit of a clunking sound. Any thoughts?

There should be just about no play, when holding the yoke and the drive shaft and twisting them against each other, but, if there is a bind in the drive train then, there will be no play whatever between the cross and the trunions. Be sure that the vehicle is in neutral and if it is a 4X4 that the transfer case is neutralized. block the wheels.
The only other way, and the best way, is to drop the drive shaft and rotate the trunions and also work the cross against the trunions.
If they are sloppy, then You will know it and dropping the shaft is the only way to feel if there is binding.
Yes, a bad U-joint will make clicking and buzzing noises.

Sounds like You did good on the swerving, side to side test too. It still might be good to at least pull a hub and bearings just to see how the grease is holding up in there, if the grease looks to be good, pack in some new stuff and put~er back togeder and runner.

 

[Irishman999]

I did a write up on wheel bearings in the tech section, everything is so cheap you might as well do it. The buzzing sound is striking me as a problem with your 4 wheel drive hubs, take the caps off and look at everything, maybe go with some aftermarket WARN ones or something.

 

[MrMarty51]

I did a write up on wheel bearings in the tech section, everything is so cheap you might as well do it. The buzzing sound is striking me as a problem with your 4 wheel drive hubs, take the caps off and look at everything, maybe go with some aftermarket WARN ones or something.

Just more insurance that Your pickup will get You there and back home again, without any problems for a very long time.
Rock Auto could save some more money on bearings, seals and hubs too.

 

[cmull]

I did a write up on wheel bearings in the tech section, everything is so cheap you might as well do it. The buzzing sound is striking me as a problem with your 4 wheel drive hubs, take the caps off and look at everything, maybe go with some aftermarket WARN ones or something.

I have the full time 4x4 with the 203 transfer case so my hubs are always locked.. could i still do the same thing? and there is supposed to be zero play in the ujoints correct?

 

[MrMarty51]

I have the full time 4x4 with the 203 transfer case so my hubs are always locked.. could i still do the same thing? and there is supposed to be zero play in the ujoints correct?

Yes and yes.
If You are shoving the u-joints cross straight at the trunions then there will be a slight bit of end to end movement but, as far as in a twisting motion there should be virtually none.
Dont ever put a set of part time hubs on the front of that pickup and run them in the "Free" position.
It will wear out the spider gears thrust washers in the T-Case.

 

[cmull]

alright well im starting with ujoints. I figure ill replace all 3 up front while Im there. updates to come!

 

[MrMarty51]

 

[cmull]

No more noises or vibration!

 

[MrMarty51]

No more noises or vibration!

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