Medium pitched whine from front/driver side

[tmarti22]

I have a medium pitched oscillating whine coming from the front drivers side of my 2002 Ford Ranger (XLT, 4x4). Vehicle has about 60k miles.

- Sounds like rubbing finger on the top of a wine glass rim while using a wa-wa pedal.
- Does not occur when first driving the car. Starts after about 10-15 minutes of driving.
- Does not change with engine speed.
- Does not change with brakes applied/not applied.
- Does not change with 4x4 or 4x2 switch
- Pitch & wa-wa frequency changes with vehicle speed, "goes away" above 25 mph or so.

I think its either the 4x4 CV joint or wheel bearing. CV boot not torn or anything and its not a "grinding" or "popping" noise, so probably the wheel bearing but I'm not sure.

Questions:
Can the wheel bearing / hub be "easily" replaced on a 4x4? (easy == no special high dollar dealer-only tools required. I've changed CV axles before, so e.g. I'm comfortable taking off an axle nut).

I saw this thread, but it is a 4x2 and I'm not sure of any gotchas specific to the 4x4.
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1499844#post1499844

Any other suggestion as to what it might be? Things to check?

Thanks,
Tim

 

[rwenzing]

On 98+ 4x4s, the dust seal for the wheel bearings will sometimes get dry or dusty and whine like you describe.

If you do decide to replace the wheel bearings, they are contained in a hub assembly that bolts to the knuckle. Not too hard but you need to be able to retorque the axle nut to 162 lb-ft on reassembly.

The bearing/hub assemblies are not cheap.

 

[tmarti22]

Thanks for the info. Is the whining seal something that could be lubed, or do I have to replace the entire hub at this point?

The hub/bearing assembly looks to be in the $200-$350 range depending on brand and where you buy it. AutoZone has a Timkin brand 4x4 4wABS for $234.

Any tips where to buy a new Axle nut (besides the dealership)? AutoZone, Kragen, and NAPA don't appear to have them in their online catalogs.

Tim

 

[rwenzing]

For that kind of money, I'd definitely take a shot at lubing it. There is one seal in the knuckle that is replaceable independent of the hub assembly. I haven't had the squeal problem in my own truck yet, so I'm not sure if lubing/replacing that seal will take care of the problem.

Ford recommends replacing the nut/washer every time it is disturbed. You may have to go to the dealer if you can't find it elsewhere.

 

[Red FX4]

That howl from the front wheel seal is something I just live with. It is not loud enough to be totally annoying but is still kind of distracting. I don't think there is any reason to replace everything unless it is driving you nuts. This is something that some seals just do but mechanically still work fine. Mine seems to come and go in cycles. It seems to be worse after dusty off-road conditions.

I would be hesitant to use oil or grease to lube it because that will hold dust or dirt particles which could wear the seal faster. Maybe a silicone spray lube would work better because it seems to dry out. It probably won't last long though.

 

[tmarti22]

Thanks!

Thanks for the help, guys! Seems like it was the seal - lubed it yesterday, drove around all today and it hasn't made a peep.

Thanks!

 

[rwenzing]

Excellent!

 

[redranger4.0]

Excellent!

Is there anything you dont know about the ranger? You never cease to amaze me...

 

[Red FX4]

For future reference, what kind of lube did you use and what was your procedure to get it on the seal?

 

[rwenzing]

The factory manual says to generously coat the knuckle main seal with high temperature wheel bearing grease.

 

[tmarti22]

Yeah, that's essentially what I did. I used wheel bearing grease, but I'd say it was only 1/4 of a "generous" amount.

Just out of curiousity - what section of which factory manual says this?

 

[rwenzing]

Just out of curiousity - what section of which factory manual says this?

"Front Suspension-4x4", page 204-01B-19 of the Ford Ranger 2002 Workshop Manual.