Ok I started with a howling noise when making long right turns, replaced the left front wheel bearing and no change....I know bad diagnosis, but my hearing isn't what it used to be. So I jacked truck up and looking at left rear wheel, seems fine, but has end play on the Axle shaft, (in and out). Very slight but definetly there. So I checked right side and it is the same. I do a lot of mechanical, but quite frankly not sure on this. Is this normal???? I am getting tires rotated this week, but cant see any cupping. The alignment was just checked and is spot on. Lots of questions, but any insight would be appreciated.

 

What year and trim level? Four wheel drive or two?

 

The play in the rear axles is normal.
I had a roar when I turned right. Had the left side bearing hub replaced and the noise went away. A few thousand miles later, the noise came back when I turned right. After replacing the left side bearing hub again with no change, I finally realized that it was the right side that was making the noise even though the noise was louder when I turned right taking the load off that bearing and when I turned left loading the bearing the noise went away. I suppose it depends on whether the inside or outside bearing is making the noise.

 

Mine is RWD and did you replace the front or rear bearing?

 

I have the Centric conversion hubs on the front, Does anybody know whether the four wheel drive bearing fits these hubs...?

 

I was speaking of the front bearing hubs on my 02 4x4. I also had a bearing noise in the rear that required a new axle and bearing on the right side.

 

So Tires were balanced and rotated yesterday. America tire said front tires had the tiniest indication of cupping on outboard edges. The truck within the last 10k miles has new shocks and springs, upper and lower ball joints, and left wheel bearing on front. Still trying to figure the noise....howl. noise appears less on front but still there...By the way alignment was checked last week and was spot on.

 

Well, replaced left front wheel hub again, had an independent mechanic listen with a stethoscope and he felt the left hub was noisey compared to the right. (just spinning the wheels by hand with the front of truck lifted off ground. So replaced, and noise is still there. I am just completely mystified. Do I do like poster above and replace the right side to see if it goes away. I hate throwing parts at this problem. The noise is very prevalent at above 30 mph with steering toward the right. Help. By the way contacted Centric and they said I didn't get enough torque (275 ft. lbs) so I purchased a 300 ft.lbs torque wrench and applied the required 295 ft. lbs. Any ideas.?

 

OK Centric has been giving me suggestions so today I jacked car up and spun both wheels with drill. listened with stethoscope on inside hub shaft on suspension support. No noise. So than I took wheel covers off and put stethoscope on axle shaft directly, the left side was quiet, Right side noisy. To further check I remove brake pads, and yup the right side is noisy. so much for logical loads on the left side of truck, when I get new hub I will see if the roaring goes away. THe Centric hubs are a strange beast.

 

So today, I changed the right hub and torqued to 295 ftlbs and all noise is gone...yea silent truck again. Now to replace my rear pinion seal....So weird that the noise was so hard to trace. Oh well both fronts bearings are done...