Roar/Whine in front end *solved (bad wheel bearing)

[bubbat]

I have a 2002 Crew Cab that has a roar or whine in the front end, sound like it coming from the passenger side. At first I thought it was just the all terrain tires humming on the highway,but it still makes the noise on dirt roads or even crossing a grassy field. Noise starts around 10 mph and gets a little louder till about 40 mph the doesn't change till I slow down again. It quits all together on sharp right hand turns and on rolling bumps in the road when the suspension unloads. The tire is a little out of round on the right front but I don't know if that would be causing the noise. Going to rotate them tomorrow and see if that helps. I did check the front wheel bearing, it seems fine.
I don't know that much about the IFS 4x4 systems on these trucks all my 4x4s in the past have been straight axles with manual hubs. I thinking maybe it's a CV joint going bad, but I don't know what to check, it looks ok.

Ya'll got any suggestions on what and how to determine where the noise is coming from?

[roadrunner]

JMOP based on experience. Front hub/bearing assy. Noise quits when unloaded as in turns that direction and bumps unloading that wheel. I have replaced numerous front hub bearings due to this exact problem. Could be wrong but I doubt it.

[HenryJ]

Agree. Check the caliper slide pins while you're there.

[mars2878]

Yeah same problem here, except when I turn.
When I turn, I get a grinding / rubbing sound as if the 31" tires on a non lifted crew were rubbing the frame.
The tires only rub the frame when I'm @ full lock & the extra noise happens b 4 the tires touch.
I figured it was my hub bearings.
I had my buddy put it on the rack & he confirmed that my bearings r really bad.
I bought the truck in Aug & the dealer tried saying that it was the off road tires.
My Balljoints r original, so we r gonna do the bearings & Balljoints @ the same time & then move on 2 other repairs / services.

[Horsehammerr]

I had the same noise in my front end. I just finished replacing all 4 ball joints, moog problem solvers, all four tie rod ends and adjusters, moog and both hub bearings. The noise is still there. Will my front wheels engage with all 4 wheels off the ground so I can try to segregate where the noise is coming from ?

[HenryJ]

... Will my front wheels engage with all 4 wheels off the ground so I can try to segregate where the noise is coming from ?

If you have a G80 rear differential you have three wheel drive. The front differential is an open carrier, so only one wheel is driven up front. If you have an open carrier in the rear, it too will only have one wheel driven.
It seems crazy that in 4x4 you would only have a two wheel drive, one front and one rear.

[_STUCKY]

Wouldn't 1 tire on the front and 1 on the back spin backwards with the truck on jackstands? That is what happens on my jeep and k5 when you do that.

[_STUCKY]

And FYI... Lets say off road you lift the front passenger side tire. It will then get all the power because there is no resistance on it, while the tire on the ground does nothing. I do not know how the g80 reacts to that situation.

[HenryJ]

They may, but only one is driven.

Rear wheel bearings can sound fine with no load. Keep that in mind. Visual inspection is needed to confirm condition.

[bubbat]

I pulled the bearing assbly off the right front, no slack, no wobble, but gritty as hell. Put the new one on and no more noise. Now gotta put in a new fuel pump, it died today, at least it had the decency to quit while the truck was in my garage and not down the road some where.

[mars2878]

Glad that u solved it, sucks about the fuel pump though.