Noise from front right wheel (not wheel bearing?) | Page 3 | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

  • Register Today It's free!

Noise from front right wheel (not wheel bearing?)

hmm what do you mean by faded? The pressure to the calipers released? If so, then yes.

I know I can pump the brakes when its jacked up, and when I let my foot off of the pedal, I can go and spin the wheel.
 



Join the Elite Explorers for $20 each year.
Elite Explorer members see no advertisements, no banner ads, no double underlined links,.
Add an avatar, upload photo attachments, and more!
.





so just picked it up from the shop. They replaced the wheel bearings (that will have been the 3rd time they got replaced, twice by me) and confirmed def. not it. They looked at everything and then put it onto an alignment rack and drove it with the front wheels not moving. The noise was still present. They said they used an electronic stethoscope and pinpointed that the noise was the loudest at the middle of the transmission. Best part was they ended up not charging me a single dime for this.

So, I guess I'll confirm this by tossing it onto jackstands myself, then try to find a line on a new transmission. Any ideas on where to snag one? Or just the local junkyard? Is there anything to watch out for in this transmissions? Do they vary by year at all? Or just make sure to get one out of a 4wd?

Also, possible wishful thinking, do the clutches on these cars have springs? Is it possible the springs have pop'd out of the clutch disc or are lose and causing the noise at certain rpms?
 






Any updates here?
I'm having a similar issue and was hoping for a less expensive answer.

Let us know!!
 






Havnt had time to look at it yet. I did check to make sure the transmission was filled, it was. I'll probably drain it and refill and if the noise continues drop the transmission and check the clutch and throw out bearing. Assuming those look good, replace w/ another used one.
 






I checked the fluid in my automatic and it was a quart low so I filled it, but I still get a nasty whine around 35-40 mph. Never had any shifting issues though.

I also know there's a loose heat shield down there, and I may check out the U joints as I had to replace those a couple times in my old 1987 Ranger.

I'll post as things develop.
 






You can get a manual trans through napa if you want to go that route
 






Mine will whine when going straight and get louder when going around a left hand bend in the road, but dissappear when going around a right hand bend, and only on the right front. i am beginning to think it may have to do with those independant front ends wearing out. this noise showed up around 100k
 






I've been having the same problem with this noise. Did the bearings and everything to that. I do know if I shift into neutral and cut the engine off traveling down the road I will have the same noise and do start the engine back at into drive. But doing that I still had the noise. Something that was side earlier about sound traveling though metal. Could we or I have the Radial Arm Bushings wearing out? (That would or could be metal against metal). Also could the transfer case not be disengaging completely to cause the shift to spin. Manual hubs unlock.

Any other ideas???
 






Usually radius arm bushings dont contribute to a whine, but more of a clunking noise while turning or on bumps.


For anyone else in this thread who has the same problem make sure you have covered all the basics first.
new bearings
make sure they are packed correctly
make sure there is lots of grease where the bearings ride
get the nut tightened properly
check your u-joints thoroughly
make sure your hubs are functioning properly
do all of this stuff before you head out lookin for trannys.
after that is done, and the noise is still present, then a more in depth diagnosis may be necessary.
 






That is bizarre. So in summary you smoked a front wheel bearing and a noise in your transmission showed up immediately after replacing the bearing? And all this on a part-time 4x4 so the trans didn't even have anything to do with the front wheel at the time?
 






I'm not going to do anything to the transmission. I repacked my bearings after the noise started to make noise. Even with the hubs unlock could the front axle try to spin making the noise??? But I do know that the hubs spin freely unlocked. Wheels spin great. I can tell that the noise is up front, not the transmission. Is there anything else that I can look at on the front axle besides the wheel bearings?
 






Usually radius arm bushings dont contribute to a whine, but more of a clunking noise while turning or on bumps.


For anyone else in this thread who has the same problem make sure you have covered all the basics first.
new bearings
make sure they are packed correctly
make sure there is lots of grease where the bearings ride
get the nut tightened properly
check your u-joints thoroughly
make sure your hubs are functioning properly
do all of this stuff before you head out lookin for trannys.
after that is done, and the noise is still present, then a more in depth diagnosis may be necessary.

I have the same problem here , replaced hubs and bearings, and noticed the radius arm bushing on passenger side has been working loose. seems the heat shield wasnt there and this causes premature breakdown of the bushing. Anyway I replaced the bushings and it did quiet down the noise to a dull roar. I think its a process of elimination, Im thinking of tying a bungie strap to my driveshafts to see if they are engageing in 2 wheel when they arent suppose to. Maybe build a periscope to see whats going on . The front passenger drive shaft (the one with two ujoints) does seem loose but it shouldnt matter but only in 4 wheel.....unless a locking hub or transfer case is sticking, but I can spin the wheels by hand freely . But what about higher speeds? Could this make a difference?
 






Another possible source of noise transfer could be at the axle pivot brackets.
 






uhhhg I went through this same crap with my 94 sport: Rad bushings, 2 sets o bearings, rotors, ball joints, wheels on, wheels off, wheels on wheels off! and the sound (like you are running Mud Terrain Tires) never went away. Eventually sold it. Chicky still has it - still noisy.
 






Wow,

I just picked up a 94 on Thursday and it has the same noise. I know it needs RA bushings done and was hoping that the noise was the RF wheel bearings. Guess I will see in the next few days.. The growling/rumble whatever one chooses to call it is loud even on a dirt road, however I never heard it when we test drove it. I have manual hubs and the noise is there locked or unlocked and weither under power or in neutral coasting, ours has an auto tranny. I had thought of it being perhaps the transfer case but then it shouldn't be turning the fronts, unless as has been said it is one of those noises that is being transfered from some other part of the truck then perhaps it is the txfr case. I really hope I am overthinking this and just have a bad wheel bearing though as it is really hard to diagnose something when I am in Calgary and my truck is back in good old Saskatchewan.
 






I find it strange that so many would have the same harmonic sounds in so many deferent trucks traveling in the same way.

Now I would if it was me check each and every U joint from the front end to the back end.

I know, I know "but the front is not locked in”. Well the front end can and dose have some movement to it under power just by the friction created by close contact of parts. It is not much but it will turn drive shafts and axels just with out any real power.

this is also one of the reasons a 4x4 gets less MPG then a 2x4 as its not just the extra 300 plus pounds. If that is all it takes then a big passenger in a 2x4 and a small driver in a 4x4 would be equal and there not. There is friction in the transfer case and from the road to the transfer case and all of it is going the same direction.

So check them U joint if you have checked all the normal stuff. After all what are you out besides some time? Want to prove it? Mark the front drive shaft and U joints with chalk or paint and then check it after a drive of say 50 miles.
 






the passenger half shaft joint on my 94 was almost totally separated. When I would engage 4x4 it would clunck and crunch and bind. So I don't think the cause of this humming/groaning has anything to to with the u joints (half shaft joints).
 






Humming and groaning is before they start to clunk and crunch.

I also swore I had a bad rear gear set, that is tell my front U joint broke on my rear drive shaft and fell digging into the blacktop at 70 MPH on my old dodge. Talk about needing to change shorts! But that is how it all started just a humming I could not locate and what sounded like a groan, just like an old ship protesting the waves. Then it was just a clunk as I gave it power but never when I let it cost or reapplied power

This would also answer why it louder when turning one way and stops when turning the other. As I said what are you out of checking them but some time? May not be the problem but then again what it should be it has not been also.
 






mine clunks and grinds in 4x4 and hums in 2wd.
 



Join the Elite Explorers for $20 each year.
Elite Explorer members see no advertisements, no banner ads, no double underlined links,.
Add an avatar, upload photo attachments, and more!
.





mine clunks and grinds in 4x4 and hums in 2wd.

The clunk and grind is that when in 4x4 and turning with the steering wheel all the way one side or the other? If so that is kind of normal but not good to do try turning less sharp if you can so your front end last longer. Now the humming in 2x4 could be the start of bearings going. That could be from what every one thinks of first Wheel bearings, and then spindles to the bearings in the U joints caps.

Side note most U joints that are still OEMs are sealed none grease able ones. When replacing they can normally be replaced with grease able ones. If you think how many miles and the wear on the truck there is and that these bearings get no attention tell they go bad including any lube but they are exposed to water dirt and who knows what other things you can just see they are not a life time live forever thing.
 






Back
Top