Humming/Rubbing Soung While Driving?

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Chris Kulbaba

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Hey all, for some reason when I am going over about 10km/h I get this humming type noise from he front left wheel, its almost like a rubbing sound... What are some things I should be looking at? I took the wheel off and I don't see anything wrong or actually rubbing... was thinking maybe it was bearings...



 
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Bearings would be my first choce. Get going a little faster and try steering the vehicle from left to right and see if the noise goes away or decreases, if so it is usually a sign that the wheel bearing on the unloaded side of the vehicle while turning is going bad.
 
I noticed you have a K&N filter, mine was making a grumbling sound at idle when the intake pipe was rubbing up against the metal firewall provided by K&N.



Unrelated note: Do you have any pics of your smoked taillamps? I'm thinking of nightshading mine.
 
I thought it might be the tires at first so I just rotated them... I beleive its the bearings... do I have to change out the entire hub or just the bearings?



Thanks!

 
I am not sue whether the Gen 2s are the same, but the Gen 1 4WDs have hub or "unit" bearings that are sealed and the entire assembly (hub, lug nuts, bearing) is replaced. These run from ~120.00 to $175.00 each. The Gen 1 2WDs have the traditional multi-piece wheel bearing setup and are far less expensive to replace.



"Yay Ford!"



Good pics at the URL below.
 
i have the same thing happening i know they are 2 different models, but i have changed both hub bearings and rotated tires can figure out what it is
 
Although I'm new to the forum, my Trac has 172K on it. I chased a rubbing sound in my front end for a year.



I noticed when my hubs were on their way out that the noise and vibration would increase with speed and turning at speed in one direction but not the other. However, for the rubbing:



The noise started like a rotor out of round so I changed the rotors and pads. It was better for a day then came back. Over a years time I changed; wheel hubs, Tires, outer tie rods, sway bar links and mounts, inner tie rods, CV joints, upper and lower ball joints, front drive shaft. Basically, every moving part in the front end. With each new part, the front end got a little better.



Understand, I'm not advocating being a parts changer but, my eureka moment was when I realized, there was more brake dust on one side versus the other. Turns out, my caliper was sticking causing the rotor to go out of round in very short order. The upshot is, I have a new front end. Which was needed anyway. I plan to keep this truck for a long time.



JC
 
Bearings would be my first choce. Get going a little faster and try steering the vehicle from left to right and see if the noise goes away or decreases, if so it is usually a sign that the wheel bearing on the unloaded side of the vehicle while turning is going bad.
Driving my 03ST 4x4 and taking turns to the right, my wheel grinding goes away. Am i correct thinking, right hand turn equals right wheel hub is unloaded? Sign that that side is the culprit?
Turning towards left, grindiing noise is contant to slightly increased!
Owned this truck the last two years and have already had replaced both sides hub assemblies. TIA!

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Sadly hubs are common, and if done wrong they will fail again..... That could be but the best way is to get the whole truck on the air safely and run it in 4wd in the air and listen to the bad bearing. BUT if your loading the front and the noise changes then that could be the bad side too.
 
Sadly hubs are common, and if done wrong they will fail again..... That could be but the best way is to get the whole truck on the air safely and run it in 4wd in the air and listen to the bad bearing. BUT if your loading the front and the noise changes then that could be the bad side too.
Todd Z, if the noise goes away turning to the right, which bearing would most likely be the bad one. Your answer wasn't clear to me?

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My guess would be the left bearing then.
 
My guess would be the left bearing then.
Yes, thank you! That was my thinking as well as also suggested a friend. I had a shop do the first one, driver side, almost $700. Only lasted a week! Replaced it again. Lasted about 6 months. Then I called mobile mechanic who charged $280 plus the hub assembly($108). Had him do both, but, he didn't torque the axle nut! Just a cheater bar. I'm going to do DrvrSide myself this weekend. I know they'll be done right! Thank you for the advice!
Blessed Memorial Weekend!

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My guess would be the left bearing then.
I changed out the driver side hub assembly myself yesterday (sunday). Took an hour and 45 minutes. All good as new! Needed the 32mm socket.
The old hub had one or two "grindy" spots when I turned it.

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I changed out the driver side hub assembly myself yesterday (sunday). Took an hour and 45 minutes. All good as new! Needed the 32mm socket.
The old hub had one or two "grindy" spots when I turned it.

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Just curious after three years how your bearing replacements have held up. There are so many conflicting accounts about this.
 
Found the same on mine: mechanic changed the first set around 80,000. Then they were making noise at 90,000, so I changed them myself with the brake calipers using a torque wrench - no noise at 100k.
 
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