Hey y'all, I'm chasing a front end noise issue. It sounds like a brake is dragging or a wheel bearing is going bad. However, the truck doesn't pull to one side, I don't smell brakes, the hubs don't get hot, and the wheel bearings are only about a year old anyway. I took it apart this weekend and replaced all the ball joints and axle shaft u-joints, thinking maybe they were the culprit. They needed to be changed, but the noise didn't go away. In fact, I think it got more noticeable. Thought maybe I had torqued the spindle nuts too much, so I took them apart and re-torqued tonight. No change in the noise.

I did notice that the pin on the inner spindle nut that keys in to the washer seems to have sheared on the passenger side, which is the side where I think the noise is coming from. I can't figure that one out. Everything was still tight when I took it apart, and that pin was there this weekend when I did the work. Not super concerned about that (obviously I will replace it, but I don't think that's the culprit?)

Also thought about spindle bearings, which I didn't replace but should have. However, this noise is happening in 2WD, so the axle shaft isn't spinning in the spindle anyway, so those bearings aren't moving.

Any thoughts? I really can't be without this truck for any significant period of time.

 

A good way to check WBs is to take a long sweeping right and left turn. You shouldn't feel any vibrations OR hear any noises on those turns. It is a good way to see if a bearing is toast. You can also jack up the tire and grab the tire at 3 and 9 oclock and wiggle it to check for play.

 

Yeah, the problem with the turn test for me is that the noise is constant as long as the truck is moving, and it correlates to wheel speed. I will jack up the front end again and try to move things around.

 

Did you ever find the problem? I am have the same issue with my 91 7.3

 

If you fiqured it out please let us know, don't care how old the thread is.