Front End Noise, disappears in right turns.

For a little while now, I've noticed a deep humming, growling noise coming from the front end. After some canyon driving, I noticed the sound would vanish in right-hand curves. I'm thinking unit bearing or u-joints? I've checked play some, but it's so little, it's hard to tell how much is tire and how much is bearing play. There's a tiny bit of play in the right u-joint, the inside shaft can move maybe a thousandth of an inch, where as the left seems solid. Is that enough to cause a problem?

Wheel bearing.

Okay, I've been leaning that way. Probably the right one? Or are these something you should replace both at the same time?

Personally I would do both, for me it's a piece of mind thing. I usually do things in pairs, lights tires bearings etc. When one goes the other usually isn't far behind

Okay, thanks, it's probably a good idea to do both I suppose.

Makapo said:

Okay, thanks, it's probably a good idea to do both I suppose.

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I've replaced the right hub on my 88 twice, the left is still the original (nearly 300,000 Miles). From what I've read, replacement parts can be iffy sometimes. I most always tend to follow the mantra "if it ain't broke don't fix it".

Jack up the problem side and grab the wheel at 12 and 6 (top and bottom) and try to rock it. You can hear/feel the play.

Or take the tire off, the brake caliper, the disc and do the 12 and 6 thing. Gently turn the hub by hand and listen/feel for a bearing rumble. Don't let the caliper hang by the brake line, it can kink and add to your headaches. I always wire it up out of the way and try not to tightly bend the rubber brake line.

You might as well check both sides. Drive line noise can be hard to pin down. Noise travels through the drive line components and where it is actually coming from can fool you.

Check side to side as well as up and down play. This is also a good time to check ball joints and tie rod ends. 8Mud is correct when listening for wheel bearing noise a lot of people mistake brake noise as wheel bearing noise and never hang a caliper off the hose.

I' m pretty certain it is the right side wheel bearing now. Is there a particular brand that's preferred with these? I was thinking Moog or Timken. Looked at Mopar but it's hard to justify that big of a price jump over the others.

Buy Timken.