grinding noise (not sure if its a wheel bearing)

[shalezzz]

i have a 96 5.0 explorer and when ever i drive it for more than about 20 30 mins at highway speed i get a grinding noise from my left rear wheel at slow speeds, it doesnt sound any worse once its above 30mph it seems to go away, but i cant tell because my explorer is kinda loud. than if i let it sit over night the noise goes away and i start from square 1. the wheel doesnt seem to have any more play than the others but i have to double check, but thank you for any ideas??

 

[jlsparky7]

Sounds like a wheel bearing is a good possibility. Jack it up and grab the wheel on the sides and pull and push with opposite hands. See if you have some slack. If you do, bingo.

 

[shalezzz]

do bearing sound worse when theyre heated and better when they cool down like that? and it prolly has to be because i cant think of anything else which would cause those problems

 

[jlsparky7]

The more a bearing heats up (lack of lubrication & wear and tear) the tighter the tolerances will be so the more friction there will be. So yes, itll be louder.

 

[1AJeremyD]

I would check to see if there is a rock stuck on the skid plate or something else rubbing.....ask me how I know lol. It could always be the wheel bearing but figured I would just throw that out there first