I still can't find the noise in my truck and its driving me crazy.

I have an oscillating noise that is loudest between 20 and 30 mph and 42 and 50 mph.

I have checked, check and rechecked the entire front rotating parts and anything that could possibly move in the front. Of course it won't make any noise I can hear with it jacked up.

I have replaced the left front wheel bearing twice since that is the direction the noise is coming from. Its much quieter on the passenger side of the truck.

To isolate the front 4x4 bearings I broke down the front axles and left the stub shaft in the wheel to hold the bearing together.

I've checked the brakes for rubbing something.

It only does it when moving and is irrelevant of engine speed or if the engine is on or off in gear or not.

Most people think I'm crazy for hearing it, but I drive it everyday and it can resonate quite badly at times.

Just had to vent mostly.

Chris

 

Does the noise change if you turn the steering wheel back and forth a bit while you're driving it?

 

No dave it doesn't.

This is what is really baffling, because if it did its likely to be a wheel bearing. Sometimes it seems like it does through a sweeping turn, but I think its speed changing, not the turn. I have done a mini slalom to see if it would change and it doesn't.

However, going over dips where the suspension cycles will change the noise slightly. Which I believe is why I can't hear it jacked up, it has to be loaded to make the noise.

 

Have you tried swapping tires from front to back and see what it does?

 

Absolutely.

Actually I did leave a few details out.

It made the noise with my old tires. I swapped them six ways to sunday and the noise never changed. Ditto with the new tires. I just swapped them around recently to eliminate the possibility and no change. Only change is the noise is slowly getting louder. I hope it fails completley soon so I can fix whatever is wrong!

 

Are you sure the noise is in the front end??

I had a noise driving me crazy myself. I nagged at the boyfriend to help me find it and eventually he got in the back while I drove around the block and he found it was the tail gate squeeking. I felt pretty stupid too. I was sure the noise was in the front.

 

Yep, been there with the tailgate squeaking, my baffling noise was actually a warped rotor. It didn't show any driveability signs of warpage but it was just enough to making this nagging whirring noise that was hard to pin point exactly where it was coming from. Good luck
Robert

 

I'll try a set of new rotors then, its cheaper than sinking it into a new wheel hub, and I could use new rotors anyway.

As far as the location, I am sure. I have sat in different seats in the truck and different positions and it is all coming from the same place. Its getting pretty bad now, really loud at 40 to 50 and I swear I can feel it in the steering wheel too.

Thanks for the help.

 

I have complained about a similar noise to my dealer and even roadtested the car with a tech. They said they couldnt hear the noise at all.I told them I checked it on a lift with all 4 wheels spinning and the noise was coming from the output side of the transfer case. After returning the car to me the transfer case has just torn its self up and they are now rebuilding it.

 

Does it increase in frequency as the vehicle moves faster?

If so..then you might have a U-joint that needs some grease or just plain replacing.

 

ok you have it isolated to the front end , if i was you i would try the rotors .
i got a rock hung between the rim and cailper , it freaked me out . i pulled the rims off and looked everything over twice to make sure that is what it was.
oh yeah heads up to all that have bought a pcv valve from auto zone they had a bad batch . my older brother got one for his suv{5.4} and it would buzz . drove him nuts for a few days till we found it. it was loud enough to be heard from 30 yards.

 

I actually had that noise in my last '01 F-150. What it ended up being was the tire was actually moving on the rim. The dealer found it by actually looking at some of the Chevy recalls and this happened to be one of them. He gave it a shot on my truck, and sure enough it took it away. I was amazed that this was actually the problem. Take some silcon and spray it around the rim where the tire meets and then drive it again..... hope this helps.

 

Did you ever find the problem??

 

nope, traded the truck.