Hub? Which Hub?

dichdoc · August 23, 2008

2000 Chevy 2500 (newer body style) 6.0L 4x4. 80,000 miles. developed "Road noise" and slight vibration in steering wheel around 35-60 mph. Tires have approx. 5,000 miles on them fairly aggresive tread but never noisey before, took to tire store and they rode with me said it was probably a front hub bearing checked the tires anyway ,slightly out of balance, balanced them, I left still had noise. I replaced the drivers side hub assembly still has same noise. I rotated the tires tonight haven't driven it yet assuming noise is still there what next? other hub? Is there a way to tell, I couldn't hear anything strange when I spun the hubs by hand. I'm not sure why I assumed it would be the drivers side hub. Travis

Zembonez · August 23, 2008

Aggressive treaded tires do get progressively louder as they wear in and the rubber hardens. Fact of life. Some are worse than others. I'm not sure however that this is all of your problem but I bet the roar is partly tires. When these hubs die, they are usually pretty obvious when you spin them and they develop excess side to side "slack".

rickfinn123 · August 24, 2008

["Road noise" and slight vibration in steering wheel around 35-60 mph.

When my Saturn has a front wheel bearing going out, I accellerate to 35 or so and saw the steering wheel back & forth. Noise worse on left turn: bad right side bearing (its the one being loaded more) and vise-versa. and as mentioned when they are bad enough, you will feel a little play in bearing with wheel raised off the ground.

good luck,

Rick

dichdoc · September 14, 2008

an update: I rotated tires with no change, it has now developed a low speed squeek ( 10 MPH) that doesn't sound louder from either side leading me to think its coming from the middle area (diff). I pulled the drain plug on the diff and found some metal shavings not a ton. Carrier bearings? Difficult ro remove diff?

bartlanz · September 15, 2008

Shavings in the diff is not that unusual, just like when you do an engine oil change you will have some on the plug magnet. I would try greasing your u-joints on your front drive shaft, this sounds to me like what was happening to my 98. U-Joints that are in a minimal flex enviroment tend to ware out faster because the do not distribute the grease with out motion. If they are non greasable u-joints, remove the front drive shaft and give them some motion, you will be able to tell, they should move nice and free, with out slack and with out noise. I know when I did this also it improved my gas milage in 4wd from single digits to double digits.