I've got a grinding vibration coming from the front end at very low speeds. I notice it most when I'm pulling away from my mailbox with the wheel cranked. Very troubling as it shakes the whole truck. Also, when I brake, I hear a loud howling coming from the front. It's not brake howl, this sounds & feels like a reverberation building up into the howl.

My guess is that my bearings are probably shot. How would I go about checking the bearings?

ON EDIT: The bearings and hub assembly are one in the same on our trucks, right? So basically I'll be changing out the whole hub assembly, just to replace the bearings (might even do the balljoints.)??

 

*BUMP*

Ok, so, how do I go about checking the bearings to see if they're good, or bad?

 

Yes it is a "non servicable" asembly.Leve unit out of 4WD. Remove tire and wheel. Remove brake caliper and hang off to one side. Remove locking hub.
Now you can get a better idea of how bad the bearing are turning it by hand. Sometime they go "crunch, crunch" sometimes they just wont turn much at all.

 

You should not have any play at all on these.Grab the top and bottom of the tire while on lift or jack stand and try and move in an out if any play is there it is the bearings.

Munkey make sure your hubs are unlocking if you have esof ,could be your hubs sticking
Rich
Merry Christmas !