Left front wheel noise on 98 4x4

[badgett]

When I go up the large hill that leads to my house, my truck jerks and the left front wheel makes a noise like it is going in and out of 4wd. Like it's engaging and disengaging. It aggravates the crap out of me.

 

[badgett]

Do I have a bearing problem or is it the 4wd ?

 

['97 V8]

When it jerks, does the feeling go through the steering wheel? Lets start a process of elimination. Jack te left side up,grab it 6 and 12 and pull and push opposite of each other. If theres movement then its your bearing. When my bearing went out i got jerk and the same thing you described. If it where going in and out of 4 wheel drive then both side would make noise, not only one.

 

[badgett]

I get a little bump in the steering wheel. I makes kind of a metal jolting noise. hard to explain but definitly the left front wheel. I'll jack it up and see how it feels. How hard is it to replace the bearing ?

 

['97 V8]

its pretty simple. Take the center nut off,Loosen the three bolts holding the assembly on. Its the bolts in a triangle pattern. jack the truck up,then take the wheel off, then pads and disc. Take the bolts out fully and slide the old assembly off. After that clean all the old grease thats on the spindle and put new grease around the spindle..The put some grease on the cv spline and then slide the new bearing in. then reverse the beginning process.