metal rubbing sound in left front

[willrapppold]

my dad has a 97 explorer limited 5.0 V8 with a metal rubbing noise in the left front wheel. You can drive for a couple of miles before the noise starts, does it turning the wheel, going forward, backward etc. When the truck is on the lift at the shop and you run the wheels with no weight on them there is no noise at all. We found the caliper got stuck at one time and rubbed on the rotor but that has been fixed and the sound still continues. The truck has new tie rods, brake pads and rotors, and a new left front hub. Any ideas? Only thing we could think of is the axle. thanks.

 

[1997XLTRollover]

My first thought was wheel bearing. No play in the tire at all doing all the wiggle tests?

 

[willrapppold]

no play in wheel when on the test, the wheel bearing was replaced when the new wheel hub was put on and that was less than 6 months ago.

 

[Mike65]

Check to make sure the metal dust shield is not rubbing on the back side of the brake rotor.

 

[DjDom]

That's exactly my guess ^

The metal dust shield is rubbing the rotor making a grinding metal sound.

 

[willrapppold]

ok will check, the sound is hard to describe, I guess its more like a card in a bicycle wheel, but its metal on metal.

 

[1997XLTRollover]

Can you post a video of it?

 

[willrapppold]

we replaced the left front axle, no good still does it. Told it could possibly be the differential? ill try to post a video but no sure i can.

 

[willrapppold]

now after driving home from shop after a severly clicking rubbing noise and vibration in wheel, it has stopped making that noise and it making a faint brake whining, squeeking sound constaintly.

 

[willrapppold]

these are not my videos but this is what it sounds like.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oS6gdwNGyoU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vboTBpHWHKM

but is sounds like that in left front.

the fluid in the differential is good to.

 

[willrapppold]

We found out its the front differential!!!! How can I tell if it has a Dana/Spicer 35 Axle or not, I'm trying to buy a rebuild kit for the front differential.

 

[willrapppold]

well it wasn't the differential making the noise so we were left with transfer case or the cv joint on the front driveshaft, so we replace the cv joint on the shaft and haven't had a problem since, so if this helps anyone in the future, a new cv joint is a lot cheaper than a junkyard or rebuilt transfer case!!