Hey guys, over the last couple days, I've been hearing some grinding noises coming from my front left and it eventually escalated to full on crunching, just a horrid sound. I tore into it today thinking I was going to have to replace the hub, ball joints, etc. but for the life of me I cannot see anything wrong. I would love some help on this one as I've exhausted every piece of info I can find on the topic. There is absolutely no play in the ball joints or in the hub. I cannot find any metal shavings or anything else to indicate a major component failure. After removing the hub, there was a bit of play in the stub axle but from what I can tell it is supposed to be loose when the hub is out. My locking mechanism is working great, brake pads are fantastic (first thing I checked), I just don't know what else to do. It's almost like I dreamt it, but I know I heard that sound...

I will hit the passenger side tomorrow to be sure it's not over there. Also, with 150k miles, anything else I should check/replace/upgrade/maintain on this mostly stock truck?

 

sounds like it could be the hub or the wheel bearing. When you jack up that corner and shake the wheel how much play do you have top to bottom?

 

None! Zero play...

 

The hub and the wheel bearing are the same, aren't they? I can spin the wheels studs around the hub and there's no slop, no grit. If I don't find anything on the right side tomorrow, I'm just going to replace the hubs and see if it goes away.

 

Is your 4x4 hub not disengaging completely?

 

Yes, everything seems to be working correctly, at least on the drivers side. I'll know the condition of the pass side soon.

 

X2, try manually locking front hubs, see if noise goes away.

 

Man, I feel like an idiot (I'm getting strangely comfortable with the sensation), it was the right side hub, not the left. I'm going to change both hubs and install new bushings while everything's apart. Anything else I should do? I can't thank you guys enough for everything I've learned from this site, and everything I still need to learn!

 

Check the condition of the stub shaft where the needle bearing on the new hub will ride. Make sure the stub shaft is still smooth, without notable wear and grease the needle bearing before you install the hub.