Front end noise - Please help

[jkane]

2003 4.0 FX4

So I recently started hearing this noise from the front end. Not a knock or anything but a consistent 'whum whum whum whum whum' that increases and decreases with speed. Almost sounds like a big mud terrain tire on the highway, but off and on like stated above.

I noticed that once I put decent pressure on the brake, that it goes away. I researched that the caliper bracket bolts commonly back out, but I went under the truck and they are all tight.

However, I did notice that the caliper is loose on the drivers side. The caliper seems to have play on the slide pins. The Caliper bolts are tight as well. Would this cause the noise I'm hearing? I would think that would just create a rattle over bumps rather than a linear noise.

As far as getting the caliper tight, would new pins do the trick or are the caliper holes almost bored out and they are floating around inside the hole?

Also, I put the wheels up and checked the wheel bearings and there was no play at all.

I appreciate the help in advance and really want to figure this out asap!

Thanks

 

[black_demon69]

sounds like wheel bearings
what year is truk?

 

[jkane]

Sorry, I will add that to the post . 2003 4.0 FX4

 

[black_demon69]

ok not wheel bearings hub bearings is the proper term. i recommend changing both sides they are not to hard to do..

 

[jkane]

ok not wheel bearings hub bearings is the proper term. i recommend changing both sides they are not to hard to do..

Ok great I will look into that. Also, while we are on this topic, I am not too familar with the front end of these rangers, or the Aussie Locker that the previous owner installed, but when I spin the front tire by hand I hear a clicking noise in the differential. Is that the locker? Or normal operation?

 

[swynx]

Normal operation. Its the ratcheting method of the locker unlocking

 

[jkane]

Normal operation. Its the ratcheting method of the locker unlocking

Thought I read something about that. Great, thank you!

 

[jkane]

The tires are 33" BFG A/Ts and today I had them balanced, front end alignment done and Cross rotated the tires and the noise still persists.

Does anyone think the semi-loose caliper can cause this? I only think this could be the culprit since hitting the brakes makes the noise go away.

 

[black_demon69]

still think its hub bearings because if you hit brakes it would have the effect of straightening out the rotor and taking pressure off of bad bearings.

you could try to determine if bearing noise when driving yank steering wheel to the left and listen for noise to go away then do the same going to the right.

without hitting brake

 

[racsan]

sounds like a bearing to me also, i once replaced a bad bearing on a trailblazer, it made noise going straight, but if you turned and put pressure on it, (bad left bearing, make a right turn, putting the load on the l.f. wheel) the noise went away.

 

[JC 97]

replace the bearings.

 

[Full Throttle]

If u have curvy road drive hard in corners see sound changes. Usally if only one side bearing out the sound will stop if pressure put on it or vise versa.

 

[jkane]

Thank you for the input everyone. I do now believe it is the driver side bearing. On my way to work this morning I sort of did S turns down the road and I did notice the noise quiet down when steering to the right, but stay the same when steering to the left.

Now, next question would be, what do most people go with when replacing the hub bearing assembly? Timken, Moog, etc? What is the bias?

Thanks!

 

[Full Throttle]

I put cheap bearings in mine $12 for bearings and seal. But i always go cheap. Only takes about 30min to fix. Figure if it last a year its fine with me. Leaast then bearings are new and new grease.

 

[Earl43P]

Cheap Earl would put $8 worth of caliper slide pins in LONG before he'd change a $$$$ Hub Bearing.