Front wheel noise
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New User
Joined: Jun 2001
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Front wheel noise
haven't posted here in quite a while. My 96 Bronco has recently started making a whirring noise coming from the left front wheel at slow to stopping speeds. It doesn't sound like a bearing to me but i don't know what else it could be. I have never taken the front hubs on a 4 wheel drive apart so i am in the dark as far as they go. Does anyone have any tips on what this could be? This truck has 89k on it never been off road to speak of. Thanks!
BriSan 96 Bronco 302 XLT
BriSan 96 Bronco 302 XLT
New User
Joined: Mar 2002
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Front wheel noise
My 1990 Bronco is making a similiar noise-after it has warmed up, it sounds like a light grinding or whirring noice at the end of deceleration, just before stopping-I thought it might be my brakes but I just changed the pads.
Freshman User
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 27
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From: Plainview Nassau
Front wheel noise
My 88 with 87K miles does the same thing now. I recently replaced the brakes and thought it may be that, but it's not the pads. Almost sounds like a 'chugging' - I can't figure out what it is. Wheel bearings? Is that an easy fix? It seems to fade sometimes, when warm, but definitely more noticable when cold. Annoying!
Lead Driver
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 9,182
Likes: 12
From: Gateway to the West
Front wheel noise
Whatever you do, check the bearings soon. If that IS the problem and it continues, you are talking spindle wear. Replacing bearings is far cheaper and easier than replacing a badly worn spindle. As for removing the hubs, there are many articles on this procedure but its fairly simple. Only special tools you should need are Spanner nut wrench (for the hub locknut) and a C-clip tool. I have never used the clip tool. Always just pushed it off with a pair of tiny flat screwdrivers. But the spanner wrench is necessary.
New User
Joined: May 2000
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Front wheel noise
It is your auto locking hubs. Replace them with Warn manual hubs, I did and wow, what a difference
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Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 9,987
Likes: 7
From: Memphis, TN
Front wheel noise
BriSan
Ford didn't pack the later hubs with grease, for some reason...:-X23 You need to do it, and while you're at it, you might as well convert to manual hubs before your autos blow when you need them. You'll need a bearing packer, set of picks, grease gun, disk-brake grease, spanner wrench with 4 lugs, 1/2" breaker bar, wheel bearings, wheel seal kit, manual hubs, bearing adjusting nuts, Torx drivers, hammer, drifts, & snap ring pliers.
Here are some pics:
http://www.webphotos.com/list_photos...&smi=1&a=66946
Ford didn't pack the later hubs with grease, for some reason...:-X23 You need to do it, and while you're at it, you might as well convert to manual hubs before your autos blow when you need them. You'll need a bearing packer, set of picks, grease gun, disk-brake grease, spanner wrench with 4 lugs, 1/2" breaker bar, wheel bearings, wheel seal kit, manual hubs, bearing adjusting nuts, Torx drivers, hammer, drifts, & snap ring pliers.
Here are some pics:
http://www.webphotos.com/list_photos...&smi=1&a=66946
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Freshman User
Joined: Sep 2002
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From: Plainview Nassau
Front wheel noise
Oh, more more thing it could definitely be. On the front left side of Bronco (most commonly) there is a thin metal shroud covering the brake rotor. If it's bent, even the slightest bit - it will rub and make a whirring noise.
Junior User
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 77
Likes: 2
From: Pacific Wonderland
Front wheel noise
Another little wonder - which, after driving - say 50,000 miles of gravel, I'm proud to say I've experienced more than once or twice - is the occasional little rock, which makes it's way between the sheet-metal cover and the rotor...lies in there and makes all kinds of cool sounds
Hmmmmmmmmmm
Freshman User
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 27
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From: Plainview Nassau
Front wheel noise
>Sooliman
>
>Both rotors have a dust shield. Did someone forget to
>reinstall one of yours?
I have both dust shields. However, inherent to the design of Broncos, the Driver side seems to fatigue quicker. A Ford Mechanic friend of mine (also drives an 89 Bronco), told me this. Sometimes, they bend, sometimes they rust & flake - causing a whirring. He's seen it plenty of times over the years.
>
>Both rotors have a dust shield. Did someone forget to
>reinstall one of yours?
I have both dust shields. However, inherent to the design of Broncos, the Driver side seems to fatigue quicker. A Ford Mechanic friend of mine (also drives an 89 Bronco), told me this. Sometimes, they bend, sometimes they rust & flake - causing a whirring. He's seen it plenty of times over the years.
Senior User
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 115
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Front wheel noise
I have the same exact problem on my 89 bronco. Its like a howling or grinding noise at slow speeds and when you stop. I left my truck at the ford shop for a considerable time this summer to try and fix the problem but unfortunatly they never could fix it. I had the ball joints done (original ones), Six shock (quad shocks in the front also near to original), one U-joint, I had the four wheel drive done over. They thought it was the four wheel drive hubs but when they unpacked they they were fine, they lube them up and repacked them. I also had the dust shields done over they were rusted compleatly off they thought that they were rubbing against the wheels. Then when that wasn't doing it, they looked at the brakes which I had done first at the beginning of the summer. They found warped rotors and replaced them but that didn't do it either
.
I was thinking that maybe it was the brake lines clogged up and one of the brakes weren't releasing. My freind also mentioned that it was probably the bearings but i haven't done that yet. HELP this is aweful. The truck needed all these repairs but the problem hasn't been fix. Any ideas?
.I was thinking that maybe it was the brake lines clogged up and one of the brakes weren't releasing. My freind also mentioned that it was probably the bearings but i haven't done that yet. HELP this is aweful. The truck needed all these repairs but the problem hasn't been fix. Any ideas?
Junior User
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 77
Likes: 2
From: Pacific Wonderland
Front wheel noise
Back in 1990. when I test drove my 83' off the lot, I immediatly recognized the "rock-crusher / spoon-in-the-disposal" sound of the front wheel bearings being shot. You'd have thought someone forgot to put tires on the front, or something!
Helped me work the price down a BUNCH more with the salesman!
Bought it - took it to Schwabs (tire/etc) The races looked like someone had run an arc welder around them. Mechanic had been in the buisness for going on 30 years - never seen bearings and races in such bad shape. He guessed they'd been bad for... 30,000 miles??? Did the previous owner give up trying to figure out what all the noise was, and thus trade it in????
"If ya want it; earn it"
Helped me work the price down a BUNCH more with the salesman!Bought it - took it to Schwabs (tire/etc) The races looked like someone had run an arc welder around them. Mechanic had been in the buisness for going on 30 years - never seen bearings and races in such bad shape. He guessed they'd been bad for... 30,000 miles??? Did the previous owner give up trying to figure out what all the noise was, and thus trade it in????
"If ya want it; earn it"