Thought it was a wheel bearing...

[ryosten]

...but now that I've replaced the wheel bearing the growl is still there.

I was sure it was the passenger side since when you turn to the right the growl goes away. Everything went back together fine...I'm stumped. Same symptom now and the growl goes away when turning right still. :yield:

 

[fdbyrne]

I've read a lot of reports of other people being certain that it was one bearing when it was actually the other. Your next most likely culprit is the bearing that you didn't replace.

 

[ryosten]

Sounds like this is me...

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-g...ing-front-end-while-driving-2.html#post902488

Don't understand though. I might try my passenger side bearing on the left in the morning just to check. :redbrick:

 

[strathcona]

I've got the same hum. Due to the posts I've read here I suspect it is the left side (no sound when I turn right).

As mine is an 03, I am just going to change both sides. It's only a matter of time before the other side goes, and I change shocks in pairs, why not bearings?

 

[ryosten]

I put the old bearing assy from the right on the left and noise gone. Why is the 4Runner oppo from ever other car I've seen?

 

[ebg18t]

I ended up replacing both since one was starting to rumble.

 

[ryosten]

That's the smart move.

 

[fdbyrne]

Why is the 4Runner oppo from ever other car I've seen?

It isn't always.

I'm glad to hear that you got it figured out and it wasn't anything major.

 

[SteveAndStaci]

Similar issue

Grrrr I'm afraid the same thing might be happening to me, but want to get your thoughts.

-I have the classic hum noise typical of a bad wheel bearing while driving straight and while turning left.
-If I turn right, the noise goes away.
-Naturally, I replaced the passenger side front wheel bearing and hub assembly.
-Since I had so much trouble removing the old assembly, I probably pried and hammered more than I should have on the axle.
-Put everything back together just fine, but noise is still there.
-Replaced the tires and got a re-alignment. Noise is still there.
-If I jack up the front end and rotate the front passenger wheel with my hand (the wheel with the new bearing), it seems stiff. The wheel stops instantly when I stop manually spinning it. If I do the same with the driver side, the wheel will easily rotate 2-3 full spins after I stop manually spinning it.
-I can't feel any play in either wheel when I wiggle them up and down while jacked up.

So... is my driver side bearing bad? Or did I put a defective bearing in the passenger side? Or could there be something other than the bearing that's bad (e.g. maybe I damaged something else while replacing the passenger side bearing)?

 

[ktom3001]

Grrrr I'm afraid the same thing might be happening to me, but want to get your thoughts.

-I have the classic hum noise typical of a bad wheel bearing while driving straight and while turning left.
-If I turn right, the noise goes away.
-Naturally, I replaced the passenger side front wheel bearing and hub assembly.
-Since I had so much trouble removing the old assembly, I probably pried and hammered more than I should have on the axle.
-Put everything back together just fine, but noise is still there.
-Replaced the tires and got a re-alignment. Noise is still there.
-If I jack up the front end and rotate the front passenger wheel with my hand (the wheel with the new bearing), it seems stiff. The wheel stops instantly when I stop manually spinning it. If I do the same with the driver side, the wheel will easily rotate 2-3 full spins after I stop manually spinning it.
-I can't feel any play in either wheel when I wiggle them up and down while jacked up.

So... is my driver side bearing bad? Or did I put a defective bearing in the passenger side? Or could there be something other than the bearing that's bad (e.g. maybe I damaged something else while replacing the passenger side bearing)?

Same thing happened to me. I went back and replaced driver bearing and its fixed.

 

[SteveAndStaci]

Well you all were right. I replaced my driver's side wheel bearing last night and the problem is fixed. So bizarre... I've had a lot of wheel bearings go bad in previous vehicles in the past, but never one like this. The sound was completely opposite what it should have been!

When I took the old bearing/hub assembly out, I could spin the bearing around the hub freely with one finger. The new bearing required a good grip and a little muscle. Big difference.

 

[Sungod]

You should always replace your wheel bearings in pairs. They have the same number of turns on them. If one goes out the other can't be far behind. They don't always give notice and if one goes, it is ugly.

 

[rooost]

I agree...but you are discounting the additional curb side pounding of that right side being in the ditch or gutter vs the driver side being in the smoother middle of the road...

That right Ball Joint will always take a greater beating, same would apply to the bearings too !

..But hey your jacking it up and getting all the tools out...more efficient to do both and call it a job well done

 

[fdbyrne]

I'm doing both my rears this weekend. That's not nearly as easy of a task as just bolting on the fronts. I'm not looking forward to actually doing it, but it'll be nice to have them done.