I need help!!!

[DStreck]

I have an '02 Explorer and not to long ago it started making this loud humming noise in the front. Thinking it was the tires I rotated them. But it didn't help.

Before I go get new tires any advice???

 

[jimbo74]

can you be more specific on the noise? how many miles does the vehicle have? how are the ujoints, driveshafts, harmonic balancer, tires, alignment, bearings, could be a lot of other things, possibly even engine.....

 

[Curtis]

can you be more specific on the noise? how many miles does the vehicle have? how are the ujoints, driveshafts, harmonic balancer, tires, alignment, bearings, could be a lot of other things, possibly even engine.....

also, does the noise change with speed? change with RPM's? change when turning or straight?

 

[DStreck]

The tires are brand new and it pretty much does it at any speed above 35mph and even then you can still here it below 35mph slightly. I checked all of my wheel bearings, four wheel drive is fine and it has 96,000 miles on it.

After speaking with a few of my guy friends we have deducted that it may be the universal joint since the noise comes from right underneath the driver almost and the truck pulsates when we stop.

We also checked the brakes and roters to make sure the pulsating was not the roters.

Any insight......

-Nicole-

 

[stewie]

problem

I just replaced both front hubs/rotors on 02 explorer. It took me awhile to figure out the problem, just a hum or growling noise from the front. I first suspected the tires, etc. I figured out the hubs/rotors when noise was more noticable when turning steering wheel slightly at speed. I did all the manual checks of the hubs/rotors and everything seemed fine but I ran out of other choices and decided to pull and replace. Hubs/rotors were guilty. Only 65,000 miles on it.??????? Interesting to note- the axle nut was factory torqued to about a half of recomended.

 

[stewie]

correction to previous

I meant hub/bearing assembly not hub/rotor.

 

[DStreck]

So basically you needed new hubs and roters

See a bunch of people keep telling me it is the universal going out....

 

[stewie]

help

What I am saying is do not discount the hub/bearing assembly. I could not diagnosos it as being bad by traditional methods of jacking up vehicle and pulling on wheel or rotating wheel and feeling for roughness. What led me to it was driving vehicle straight with play in steering wheel and then slightly turning wheel left or right. The noise increased , and I could feel it, when I turned the wheel slightly- I could force the noise. The bad bearing is usually opposite the way the way the steering wheel is turned. If the noise is more pronounced when the steering wheel is turned slightly to the right, it is probably the left bearing.

 

[coled43]

I agree, don't rule out the wheel bearing/hub. I had a similar experience, where it just seemed to be coming from everywhere. I rotated tires, serviced the rear diff and transfer case looking for the problem. Those things seemed to help, but the vibration remained. Eventually it got a lot worse and started changing when turning the wheel (as described very well above), so it was obvious at that point. As soon as it was replaced everything was smooth as silk. Also, the wheel bearing/hub is very common on an 02 from what I have seen, where a u-joint is not (at least at your milage). It should cost about $300 per side. If you can figure out which side, there is no reason you need to do both.
The pulsating doesn't fit in with this though. That definitely points to warped brake rotors (different than the Bearing/hub). How were the brakes checked? Do you know how many miles on them (both Pads and rotors)?
It seems like you might have 2 problems. I would make sure the brakes are good first. To really check a rotor you need to test it for runout with a dial indicator, I believe. If they are worn and pulsating, I would just replace the pads and rotors. If you are doing it yourself, it is cheap and easy and needs to be done sooner or later anyway. Then you can go after the noise that is left. If you are going to a shop for brakes, it would be better to have them figure out which wheel bearing is bad and do it at the same time, since the brakes get disassembled to replace the wheel bearing you would save on labor.

 

[manaen]

A U-Joint can also do what you describe, I had a 90 sport a few years ago that had a bad U-joint. It would vibrate at slow speed and hum at high speed. The bearings in the U-joint were very dry and starting to heat up on long drives. Took me a while to find it, but eventually I tracked it down to that. It's not hard to pull the drive shafts and check them, also did you check your CV joints? Well if this is a 4x4 otherwise forget the CV's