96 Explorer with loud bellowing sound coming from the Drivers/S tire or its assembly!

[Steve_Chicago]

Hello,
I recently purchased a used 4x4 96 Explorer 4 Door with 4.0l. Engin. Its runds really good for having 18000 Miles on it. I drove home last night about 400 Miles at an avarage speed of 70-80 MPH and noticed a new sound. When the truck gets over 30 MPH or so it starts making this rumbling, Bellowing, sorta WO WO WO WO noise that gets noticably louder as you accelorate in speed. At 85 MPH the explorer becomes a little wobbly or shaky. I only feels this on the DRIVERS SIDE tire assembly or its area. The sound is also only comming frokm there. Nowq i found this web-site from google. I am some what mechanically inclined however. I dont know much about how cars are designed or built. Any ideas any one on what this might be. CV joing , Barrings, ect ?????? I am afraid to drive it cause i dont know what the hell the noise is. Any help is much appericated from some one smarter than I.............

Thanks

Steve P. CHICAGO, IL

 

[JDraper]

If the sound doesn't change much when you corner, it's most likely either the tire or the wheel bearing. Try swapping that wheel with another one on the truck. If the sound goes with the wheel, it's likely the tire. If it stays with the front driver's side, I would suspect a bad bearing. If that's the case, the bearing is a sealed unit and has to be replaced as an assembly.


BTW, Welcome to the board!!!

 

[01EB5.0]

How loud is it? ALso how worn are the tires?
Every used explorer i have driven has a wo wo wo wo sound from the front end. it seems to go away when you get new tires, but it comes back. my 95 did it, a 97 I test drove did it, my neighbor's 96 did it, my 2001 does it. If the radio is off, it is noticable. With the radio on, you can;t hear it. It is not really loud. I don;t know if it is the same, but if it is I think you are fine. If the tires wear evenly, I think you are fine.

 

[Hokie]

If it gets to the point where you can feel it pulsing in the floor board ~ its time for a new wheel bearing. As JDraper said, its a sealed unit. This happened on a friend of mine's '96 XLT at around 77k (driver's side like yours ~ I could hear it and feel the pulsing through the floor board)

But yes, every explorer I have ridden in has a slight wo wo or pulsing noise. kinda wierd. mine got louder with bigger, more aggressive tires... but i think my wheel bearings are checking out too

And welcome to the site!

EDIT: Kinda wierd your's is happening at 18k though

 

[Steve_Chicago]

THANKS !

I just wanted to say THANK'S to everyone on here. Having access to pepole like your-selfe's has probly saved me from getting ripped off at some garage. Im going to attempt to replace the tire today and see what happens. I will let you guys know. AND AGAIN. THANKS FOR YOUR HELP EVERY ONE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Steve.

 

[01EB5.0]

Are the front tires worn bad? Also is it a grinding sound or just the wo wo wo.
Before you spend money maybe going to test drive another 95+ explorer would be an idea to see if it makes the same wo wo sound that I am thinking of. If it is that sound you really do not need to spend money on a new tire unless the truck needs tires anyway.

As for the wobbling above 80 or 85 MPH....it is a truck and that happens at speeds that high. It may mean a wheel is a little off balance, or it may mean you are going too fast...