Sounds like the bearing is going out. What do you think?

[Slow Ride]

I have a 2007 Dodge 2500 4X4, 6.7L Cummings that has an intermittent "squeak" that comes from the driver's side front wheel. It only occurs while the steering is turned (either direction) and then subsides when straightened out. It was really loud a week ago. I was tied up at work and unable to get to a repair shop for a few days. Then out of the blue it stopped! So, I decided to wait a while and see what happened. As of today, the "squeak" returned but much less noticeable. I assumed it is the bearings but I know little or nothing about that part of the truck. I almost sounds like two pieces of wet rubber rubbing together.

What else could it be and if it is the bearing, is it similar to changing the bearings on a trailer? I'd like to tackle it myself but don't want to get in over my head.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Sounds like the bearing is going out. What do you think?

Get a second opinion from a local mechanic. Could be a bearing or a U joint or both

It is doable but depends on what you have on hand for tools....... look at this you tube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_eIw9wf2wk

 

[Angrywasp]

Re: Sounds like the bearing is going out. What do you think?

I would lean more towards it being the bearings in the hub assembly. Jack the truck up, pull the wheel, remove the hub, and rotate it by hand feeling for any roughness or excessive play. Like Bob_VT said get a mechanics opinion and the repairs are doable with a good selection of hand tools and some mechanical skills. U joints are doable too but they require a little more skill to avoid damaging them during install.

 

[skargo]

Re: Sounds like the bearing is going out. What do you think?

Cummins...

 

[stackz]

Re: Sounds like the bearing is going out. What do you think?

as said it could be the wheel bearing or u-joint on the front axle.

also as a long shot, it could be the brake pad feeler starting to make contact with the rotor to tell you the brakes are getting low. most pads these days are floating type and will move around a little when the caliper pistons are pressing on them. inertia in a turn can cause it to travel to the rotor sometimes.

 

[ctopher]

Re: Sounds like the bearing is going out. What do you think?

I agree with stackz, check the breaks first. I had many bearing issues with my 4x4 cummins. It was a few years older but had a friend with a newer one and he had the same issues. I could always tell when it started making noise I would look at the front wheels and one would be leaned in slightly at the top. I would also take it for a ride and hop out and feel the two wheels and see if one was noticably hotter. I would jack it up and give it a spin and check for free play. One thing I also noticed was every time one went out the brake sliders on that side were sticking. I always thought that this was the cause of the bearing failure, getting things too hot. As for changing them they aren't too bad, they are a sealed bearing unit that bolts on. Sometimes the bolts can be a bit tight/siezed and when i ran into that I would heat them with a torch and replace them. Just 4 mounting bolts, axle nut, and the abs wire is it. They are a snug fit into the spindle so you may have to hammer it out which is pretty easy just don't beat up the spindle. It used to take me about two hours depending on how siezed things were. If you have connections in a shop somewhere have them get the part for you, as I recall I was paying about $250 cost through a friends shop. And steer clear from aftermaket!

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: Sounds like the bearing is going out. What do you think?

WOOOHOOOO YOU LUCKY GUY!!

Heres what happened to me and my 2006 Cummins 3500, I had a similar problem as you but I couldn't track it down, after awhile it got pretty serious so I looked at the axle Ujoint and guess what? Dodge in their infinite wisdom used non greasable Ujoints.

I had to have them replaced by a pro as my years of rockcrawling and 4 wheeling didn't give me the ability to replace the Ujoints myself with the typical sledge hammer, Oxy Acetylene torch etc in other words pay to have them replaced with quality Ujoints WITH a grease zerk.

BTW I love my Dodge, 220,000 miles on it now. It just seems stupid some of the things manufacturers do sometimes....

 

[Slow Ride]

Re: Sounds like the bearing is going out. What do you think?

Skargo, Cummins! LOL! Yes it was late when I made that post and I had been working on a paper for a college class I'm taking. Needless to say, I didn't proof read any of that post.

I got home from work (active duty military) late today and didn't have time or energy to pull the wheel off but I did throw the floor jack under it and raise the wheel off the ground. I spun the wheel while trying to listen to where the noise was coming from but I can't be sure. I'm thinking its the U-joint like some of you mentioned. However, the wheel is hard to turn! It does not spin freely and takes much effort to move it. So, I jacked up the other side for comparison and it is the same way. It doesn't make any noise but it is also very hard to turn. It this normal? It kinda has me thinking breaks at the same time. I can change the U-joints (I think) but I'm not up for tackling a break job in the driveway.

I have replaced the U-joints on the drive shaft of my chevy z71 in the past. Should this be much harder than that?

 

[duped]

Re: Sounds like the bearing is going out. What do you think?

Drive shafts are easier, trust me. If you have a press, the axle shafts are do-able, but its a pain. Since you dont live in the rust belt it might be easier than mine were, but otherwise, you could take the axle shaft somewhere and have them do it quick. Since you have to pull the wheel bearing anyways, you might want to take the opportunity to replace it if you got miles on that truck. Dodges are hard on everything in that front end.

 

[Slow Ride]

Re: Sounds like the bearing is going out. What do you think?

Thanks for the help guys. I dont know where the "rust belt" is but I do live 200yards from the gulf coast on corpus christi bay and I assure you, everything rusts around here. I think I'm going to have the local shop do it so I can spend the afternoon watching the LSU vs Bama game.

Thanks again!

 

[Slow Ride]

Re: Sounds like the bearing is going out. What do you think?

Thanks for the help guys. I took it to the local shop and changed the U-jont. Problem solved for $138.00!

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: Sounds like the bearing is going out. What do you think?

good deal, did they put a greaseable one in?