Metallic Grinding BUT Only with Passenger

[vertrx]

2001 Jeep, 3 inch lift, transfer case drop, new front hubs installed (Timken), Jeep Moab wheels with 265/70-16 tires.

I mention this as the last two, tires and hubs were installed in the last few days.

When I'm driving myself, no noises, everything seems to run fine. I added a passenger, probably another 140 pounds and I'm hearing grinding, intermittent, straight driving in 2WD, 4WD doesn't really change anything.

I don't see anything touching underneath, the brake dust shield seems fine, all parts to the hub were installed with anti-seize and bearing grease.

I lifted the truck up and spun the passenger wheel by itself. Nothing heard, free wheeling, no seeming issues.

Anyone got any ideas?

By the way, my first post

 

[old_man]

Did it start when you installed the hubs?

Why you hear it with a passenger is interesting. Can't see how it would be related to a passenger, but do you have the dust shields still on the front C's?

 

[dan1977p]

Put 140lbs in the passenger seat and have someone else drive it while you're outside the jeep listening for the origin of the noise. Is the suspension compressing enough to rub a brake line or a steering component due to the added weight?

 

[Madmanmarty]

Get rid of that noisey passenger.

 

[old_man]

Unless she is hot.

 

[mtbxj87]

Put her in the back seat

 

[vertrx]

Thanks, appreciate the comedy routine as well.

Funny, but I went to have it aligned. I hoped in and mechanic drove. Heard noise. After alignment he took a small guy with him. No noise. They switched sides...noise. They couldn't believe it.

Shop suggested it sounded like a shield or something rubbing.

Now these tires fill up the wheel well but there is clearance and no rubbing. Its a Zone 3 inch lift. Although when I was sitting on the passenger side, there was rubbing on that side in a hard right turn.

Maybe I ought to go to a 255 tire? Smaller?

 

[mtbxj87]

Do you have a adjustable track bar? It's probably rubbing the lower arm on the right cause the axle is over to the left.

 

[mtbxj87]

Does it make the grinding noise while accelerating, decelerating, maintaining speed?

 

[vertrx]

No adjustable track bar and it makes the noise with no specific action being done or all of them...

 

[mtbxj87]

Big tires and stock track bar is why your right front is rubbing the right lower arm. For the grinding noise, where is it coming from front, middle or rear of the jeep? Is the floor pan rusted to the point that the floor touches the exhaust? Or exhaust bent? With out a lot of details it's hard to help with out seeing it

 

[vertrx]

Thanks for the further ideas. I think I'll go down to a 245/65-16 tire from the 265/70-16's. I'll try that and see what happens.

As for the noise, sounds like middle to right front. So Passenger side. Exhaust is not bent and this is a southern jeep for the most part, so no rust.

Understand difficulty in diagnosing remotely.

 

[mtbxj87]

I'll guess it's driveshaft vibration. Also make sure the transfer case linkage is adjusted right

 

[vertrx]

Much appreciated that's for sure.
I put on the tires from the Wrangler Rubicon, 245/65-26 and it was the fix. The other tires, as initially thought were too large. Must have rubbed on something. Only thing I can figure is that there was a piece of plastic in the wheel well on top that was loose.