99 explorer sport 4x4

[njschad]

2 days ago i picked up a 99 explorer sport 4x4 has the sohc 4.0 in it, power everything nice suv for what i gave which was 3100.. it has 123,000 miles on it which didnt really scare me off being this is not my main mode of transportation i have a few other cars that i drive as well, i just picked this up for the winter being that my cars are modified and lowered to the point where they will be sitting on the ground if it snows lol.. but any way what my concern is that starting at about 25 mph up until about 40 mph there is a rather annoying hum that comes from the front suspension area, its not really loud, and it doesnt seem horribly bad but i was curious if this may be normal due to tire or road noise?? there is no popping, no other noises, the tread on the tires is probably about 60-70 percent, there is no shudder in the wheel, it drives straight i cant seem to find anything that is wrong from my knowlege.. hoping some one here can help.. also what kind of gas mileage can i expect out it, im not a lead footed driver and tend to follow speed limits for the most part.. typically do my highway driving at 65-75 mph.. i havent had a real chance to calculate out what im getting yet..

and here is a picture of it, not great being it was taken at night the first day i got it but its pretty well a flawless vehicle other then some rust spots coming through on the nerf bars.. im still amazed at the price i found it at, especially from a car lot..

 

[Terminator]

This is really wild...I just bought the IDENTICAL explorer Wednesay....The same model,color, year and unfortunaly the same noise...Which I belive is a hub bearing going out. Here is a good artical on how to replace them:
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=165429

Here is a pic of mine...

 

[njschad]

and add to the wierdness of this and you and i buying the same exact vehicle one day apart well we both live in cities named independence, me in ky you in mo yeah thats a bit odd

 

[Terminator]

WOW! I didn't see that part!

 

[Terminator]

As far as mileage goes....I got between 17 and 19 on the trip home from Chicago where I got it(about 550 miles). It was all highway and I ran between 70 and 80 most of the way. I would guess 3-4 MPG less around town.

 

[Dan Whitaker]

Kind of hijacking here. Just wanted to say welcome aboard & let Terminator know that there is a Kansas City area forum as well.

It's not real active but it would be great to have you. Just click on the link in my sig.

 

[ma96782]

MAYBE.......They're......."Long Lost Brothers?" or "Twins, Separated at Birth?" I'm getting carried away......

BTW....nice car....and good price.....let's hope, fixin' it don't cost big $$.

Aloha, Mark

 

[njschad]

after reading up on some stuff about the hub assembly im pretty sure that is what the noise is, seems like a fairly simple procedure, thanks guys for the comments and the help.

 

['97 V8]

I have a friend with a sport and his made the noise at thoses speeds, and it was the hub assembly as already mentioned above.

 

[jp450]

Whan the truck is making the noise does it change when you turn the wheel sharply. Try both left and right. If it does then yes the front berrings need replacement. If not then try rotating your tires and see if there is a change in the sound.

Jeff

 

[njschad]

Whan the truck is making the noise does it change when you turn the wheel sharply. Try both left and right. If it does then yes the front berrings need replacement. If not then try rotating your tires and see if there is a change in the sound.

Jeff

well the problem with that suggestion is that it only makes the noise when im going over 25 mph and in these vehicles its difficult to cut the wheel sharply at those speeds.. ill make sure to listen on normal driving to see if turning changes it thank you for the suggestion just not sure if ill be able to cut it hard enough to make a difference

 

[jp450]

While going straight on an empty road while it is making the noise, just quickly turn the wheel as if you were avoiding a pothole. Do it to the left and the right...

 

[izackary]

I second the bearing notion. Call up your local Sears auto service and see if they offer a free front end check. I did a while back and found that my lower ball joints weren't worn like I'd predicted. They'd been changed before I bought the truck, and the uppers were gone.