Growling in the rear stops when steering wheel is jerked to the right

[Number Twelve]

I can go to a retail shop and get them to diagnose this but I'm asking here...
Being unable to hear anything wrong with the 2005 Explorer jacked up and running...
being unable to get my nephew to puppy dog at the rear windows while I'm driving...
Having already replaced both rear wheel bearings...
I wonder if it is diagnostic to say the noise abates when I jerk the steering wheel to the right, but not when I jerk it to the left.

 

[96firephoenix]

The rear axle shafts have CV joints in them like a FWD car. I'd be looking for a bad CV joint.

It could also be the rear toe-links causing an unusual wear condition that is making noise until weight distribution is changed.

 

[kryhavoc]

or it could be the bearings in the pumpkin being forced further into their race when a CV axles pushes on them. Lots of examples on these forums of the pumpkin bearings grenading.

push and pull on the CV axles with the rear off and on the ground (as always be careful when doing so... vehicles are heavy and hurt people badly when gravity pulls them onto you)

 

[Number Twelve]

It could also be the rear toe-links causing an unusual wear condition that is making noise until weight distribution is changed.

I don't think so because I purchased (and watched) a 4 wheel alignment, and rotated the tires front to rear, and there is no unusual wear, and the sound did not change when I swapped the tires and replaced both wheel bearings.

The rear axle shafts have CV joints in them like a FWD car. I'd be looking for a bad CV joint.

Can I hope you're right on this one?

or it could be the bearings in the pumpkin being forced further into their race when a CV axles pushes on them. Lots of examples on these forums of the pumpkin bearings grenading.

Is that a, "call a tow truck" scenario?

push and pull on the CV axles with the rear off and on the ground

I don't have a clue how to do that or what I'm looking for. End play? Don't those half shafts slide in the pumpkin with a spline connection?

If the darn thing would just rumble a little while I'm under it, that would help a lot, but it's quiet as a mouse. Just a tiny, "swish, swish" noise near the drivers side half-shaft.
Then I put it back on the ground and it sounds like a straight axle welded to the frame with no springs or shocks.

This thing sounds like it's going to kaput any time now. I was hoping somebody could say, "Jerk right? Sure, I know what that is." My ear says it's a pinion rate of growling, but the loudness does not change for acceleration, deceleration, float, coasting, or braking. It starts roaring below 20 MPH and just gets louder as I go faster. I think we're talking pumpkin bearings or a CV joint but I don't know how to diagnose it.

 

[96firephoenix]

[QUOTE="Number Twelve, post: 3581021, member:
I don't have a clue how to do that or what I'm looking for. End play? Don't those half shafts slide in the pumpkin with a spline connection?
[/QUOTE]

So the test for CV joints is to try and rotate it. back and forth. There shouldn't really be much play. Basically the same as a U-Joint test.

this video seems to describe your symptoms pretty closely.

 

[Number Twelve]

Basically the same as a U-Joint test.

I can do that.