Roaring noise

[mdcarnut]

03 Explorer Ltd AWD V8, 61K miles...At 45mph and faster, I get a roaring noise from the front, no change if I put it in neutral at speed or if I turn left or right. New michelin tires...5K on them seem OK. Almost sounds like the engine fan is making the noise...is that possible? If so, why.

Thanks,

 

[jwright4]

soudns like it could be a wheel bearing...my front left bearing is bad..and from 45 - 60 there's a prettty loud humming sound coming from the front end....was diagnosed as wheel bearing...

 

[mdcarnut]

I'll check it out...I mentally ruled bearings out because the noise stays the same when steering the car...did you r noise change when steering?

 

[jwright4]

no it did not change when i turned the wheel either way...that's what had me boggled at first...but when i took it in to have it looked at they confirmed it was the wheel bearing.

 

[mdcarnut]

Thanks,

I'll keep you posted...

 

[EasyRhino]

Regarding my bad front lefytwheel bearing: Very hard to tell where the noise was coming from. Took a long time to develop into a noise demanding attention, think it was going on for some time before we really noticed it. No real feeling of bearing 'slop' in the steering. Only other symptom was that the roaring noise changed pitch when you applied the brakes at high speed. Made me think it was the brakes at first.