So my truck has been making a popping noise every once in a while on corners so I decided to take it into less swabs and have them check the ball joints. I check them myself and thought maybe it would be better to have a second opinion so I took it to them. So when they were ininvestigating they stuck the prybar into the passenger-side U joint on the knuckle and it moved up and down the axle shaft and everything. So I'm not sure if that's a wheelbearings are a needle bearing or what that is if anybody knows that would be cool if they could let me know if they have any idea?!. Thanks

 

You're going to get some play in the front shafts, especially the passenger's side (the passenger side shaft is considerably longer since the pumpkin is offset to the driver's side). The axle is only supported by a knuckle seal on the inside of the the knuckle that provides a vacuum seal to the hub. It is made if metal and rubber and lets the axle move noticeably. There's an oil seal as the shaft goes into the pumpkin and engages the carrier and a small needle bearing as the stub shaft passes through the hub on the way through the wheel and ending up in the locking hub (aka lockout hub). The only thing that really supports the axle weight is the seal (that's not a bearing) in the knuckle. It works but is not the most rigid of designs.


Long story short, your passenger side front axle will definitely have "play" in it even though everything is good.


I get a popping every now and then when I turn but my front needs to be articulating a little for it to happen. It's been that way for 3-4 years now and I still haven't found it. So far there are no other symptoms and nothing has failed yet. Either it will flush itself out or something will fall off letting me know where it is and then I'll fix it!