Do I have 4x bad wheel bearings???
 

I've been chasing what I thought was a brake issue. Because most recent maintenance was brakes, and not by me. I've got napa reman calipers at all 4 corners, oem rear rotor, centric front, oem pads, and non-oem park brake kit. Paid to have it all done.

But I have a "creak" that happens only at low speeds, only while applying brakes, and only about 80% of the time. Mechanic said wheel bearings are good and has no idea.

And generally I'd say the truck handles like you've got dog shit on your shoe. Feels really uneasy in turns from a stop. Any sort of directional change. Which I just always chalked up to the tires (can't wait to get rit of), toyo at 2 E rated 275/65r18 on the 7.5" oem wheels.

So I finally pulled wheels and rotors...and I'm wondering about these wheel bearings. I get zero movement trying wiggle the hubs. But geeze, I'd think they should spin more freely??

Take a look, share your 2¢..

start pressing brakes ~6seconds, ~15-17 seconds you can best hear the trouble noise..
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Kod30_3H_Xg" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Front, driver's side,
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DaVrpxChUfE" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Front, passenger's side,
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iLurrFPaCk0" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Rear, driver's side,
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nVdKv72E8rU" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Rear, passenger's side,
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lQ7l-IcCRoQ" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

@BlackWorksInc Value your input, if any, thanks?

For wheel bearings try check it with tire installed
Check k for play
Hard to tell from videos
Best of luck

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

sounds like a u-joint.

So I tried checking for play with wheels on and couldn't feel any. Also tried the swerving back and forth. Assuming it's legit road/tire noise, because it stays the same. Read that you won't have movement until they're really shot. And to remove wheels/rotors so it's just the bearing spinning.

What points you in that direction? I have been curious about u-joints, I have been greasing drive lines and u-joints with oil changes. Tried pushing and pulling but don't see any movement in them. Any other method to try and diagnose u-joints?

the sound. it literally sounds like a bad u-joint.

Any ideas why I only hear it while braking?

And any other way to test/confirm/identify which? Other than the push and pull at the joint; which I'll do again and get videos to share.

it might be loading the joint just right to make the noise. typically that noise is associated with a tight joint, and will usually only make noise at low speeds. high speeds it goes away.


if it is a tight joint, you wont be able to feel it by shaking. you would have to drop the driveline. then check if any are stiff.


prior to that though, you can inspect the caps carefully. if any are showing red dust near the seal, that's the bad one.

A tight joint, now I haven't heard that mentioned anywhere. I can't really **** up the driveline by checking right? It's only 8 bolts, but intimidating me for some reason.

And yea I double checked last night, and my joints are tight. No movement at all. Do the wheels and driveline spin at the same rate 1:1? Because when I jack it up and rotate wheels, there is a certain spot where it has resistance, always at the same rotation. I chalked it up to the front drooping and maybe CVs binding?

Also, could a bad wheel bearing make this sound? Could feel the tinking in the UCA. When I checked before I didn't lift/load the front left suspension, and have read that that can make it hard to check for the play in wheel bearings.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5leplVJHkjs" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

you would have to try to screw something up. just don't pull the 2 pieces apart at the slip and you'll be fine. if I had to guess, its the rear ujoint making the noise. so you can just unbolt it from the rear end, and check that joint first.




no, the tires and driveline don't spin at the same rate. they spin at whatever rate you have for a gear ratio. 4.10, 4.56 etc. the driveline will spin quite a bit faster than the tire. It could have been the cv joint binding slightly while being drooped.


as far as that tapping noise, its hard tell. could just being knocking against the jack. it didn't look to be super stable.

Cool. I'll try and find time to at least drop the rear and check it.

And probably should've stated this earlier, but it's a V8 with the AWD. If that matters so far.

In that video it's on the ground, with me pushing and pulling on the tire at the 12oclock.

following this post. I'm not having the same grinding sound but I'm curious none the less. I'm going to record mine as well. After hearing yours, mine might be a bad CV Joint or bent dust shield. Can't find anyone with sounds of a bent dust shield to prove it. Thanks for helping with the elimination process and good luck.

So I did drop and check like you suggested. I didn't record anything, but it seemed pretty flexible, operating as I'd expected.

But it kept feeling like it was getting worse, and so I dropped it off at a mechanic. He says my left rear bearing is for sure gone, and that the wheel has a wobble to it. Says the wobble could be the result of the bearing(best case scenario), or it's due to a bent wheel, axle shaft or wheel. Won't know until he does a complete tear down during the bearing replacement.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SXPZcxu8fYo" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Just an FYI, on the rear there's no way a bad wheel bearing will cause the wheel to have a "wobble", the wheel can move up and down due to the bad bearing, or the entire wheel can move in and out for the same reason.

For a rear wheel to have a wobble it would have to be from a bent axle/axle flange or a bent wheel/rim.