Have a bad bearing hum but cant find bad bearing

[Nucks]

Hey all,
I have been trolling around here on the forum for years, but never posted. I have a whirring/hum that sounds like when my front driver side bearing was bad. However, I am unable to figure out which bearing is bad. I have jacked it up and tried to find the wheel with play in it like I have read to do, but they all seem tight. Any other idea what the sound might be, or another way to check bearings without tearing into the rear hub assembly.

I was ready to change the rear passenger bearing, because of noise when I free spun the rear end, and found that the noise was a parking brake pad that was loose in the back of the rotor. Now i am at a loss as to what needs fixed.

Any and all help is appreciated.

Thanks,

Nucks

 

[M1911A1]

Last year I had a similar problem I had two bad ones in a diagonal patern front and rear, so when you would do the tipical maneuvers to pinpoint the defectve one; turning to relieve pressure on the bearings; the noise would remain more or less. It was driving me nuts. Finally I let my wife drive while I sat on the different corners of the car with the windows down. After a while BINGO! Front driver AND rear passenger.
Hope this helps.

 

[Nucks]

Thanks for the info, I have a feeling that is the layout I am looking at too. I replaced the front driver side last summer, and by November or so the growl came back, but seems to be in a different location(my guess is passenger rear), just can't place it. Good idea to have the wife drive though so you can listen, I will give that a try.

 

[BrianDye]

Drive down the road, and turn...thats how I knew my drivers side bearing was bad. When more of the weight would shift towards the passenger side, the noise would pretty much go away, (Until I straightened the vehicle back out)

If that doesnt change anything, then maybe its rear bearings?

 

[guilateen]

hub

Imo i would replace hub bearings like brake and shocks both sides at once. The other side will generaly go bad soon after. Also some have heard the noise from one side replaced that side only to realize the other one is noisy as well just couldnt hear it over the worst of the two. It can be a pita job, especially for the un equiped shade tree mechanic like myself. Just bust out the tools and get it done in one shot. Also u might be able to score a deal when u buy two like i did from my local brick n morter. I saved 50 buck on a set of timkins

 

[drbenz]

If you jack the truck up so that both of the wheels of the axle (front or rear) are off the ground, turn the wheel by hand while holding the spring, you can feel the roughness of a bad wheel bearing. Compare one side to the other and you should be able to find the bad bearings, (caution: if you have 4x4 and both of the front bearings seem to be making noise with this test consider wether they seem to be making noise while driving, side gears in the front diff also make a rough feel while turning the wheels by hand)