vancouver.matt Posted March 14, 2016 Share Posted March 14, 2016 (edited) Hello r50, In a bit of a pickle and just looking for some opinions. Obviously without seeing and hearing the truck, it's tough to help diagnose the issue, but I will provide as much info and description as possible. So, over the past month or so I had been having some steering wheel shake at about 110 km/h (70 ish mph) on the highway. Wasn't horrible but it was annoying. I was waiting on my shipment of pro-comps to come in hoping that the shake was due to a bad tire or bent rim. Friday I got the new tires and wheels put together and on the truck. Great. On Saturday I was driving out and hit the highway. No noticeable steering wheel shake but it seemed to still slightly be there. I got to the shop, picked up my new lug nuts, and began the drive back home. Almost as soon as I pulled out of the complex I heard a slight pop and clank sound and then some noise coming from under the front of the truck. Pulled over immediately and went to investigate. Driver side all looked fine. Got under the passenger side and there was quite a bit of black grease build up around the outer cv (less so on the boot, more just around the bottom of the strut, etc. Didn't notice anything out of place with the cv boot but couldn't get the greatest look at it. The noise: while driving, it sort of sounds like something is scraping on the rotor, as if the brake pad wear indicators had just started. I got home and jacked the front passenger side up. I then spun the wheel by hand. The sound is more like.. a marble rolling around and sounds like it's coming from inside the hub assembly. Now, I'm more of a weekend mechanic and don't have a ton of experience, so I'm racking by brain trying to understand what it could be. Is it possible that a bearing has broken loose from the cage? I can't even picture that being possible, but that's almost exactly what it sounds like. Would a blown bearing throw grease in the inner wheel well? I'm tempted to just get a whole new axle and hub assembly, but having just spent $1500 on wheels and tires, I'd rather not replace stuff that doesn't need it. Any thoughts? I will try to take a video when I get home from work this afternoon. Secondly, for the life of me I do not know where to find a new hub and bearing assembly at a decent price. I've been scouring online but efforts have been less than fruitful. I appreciate any insight. Cheers, Matt Edited March 14, 2016 by vancouver.matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colinnwn Posted March 14, 2016 Share Posted March 14, 2016 I've seen some bearings in terrible shape. That sounds like what happened. It wouldn't throw grease but it could ooze out if it got hot from friction. To verify if you are wanting to get out as cheaply as possible, you'll have to pull the hub to see if the race is acceptable, but it may be toast. Not sure best place to get a new axle or hub new. Always could junkyard it. And there is LKQ. Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawairish Posted March 14, 2016 Share Posted March 14, 2016 It actually sounds like the outer CV joint has failed. It consists of large steel balls packed in grease and could very possibly gush grease and have a loose marble sound as you described. The wheel bearings are pretty well housed within the hub, encased by a grease seal and wheel hub cap...if that goes slinging grease, that would be a pretty serious failure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vancouver.matt Posted March 14, 2016 Author Share Posted March 14, 2016 It actually sounds like the outer CV joint has failed. It consists of large steel balls packed in grease and could very possibly gush grease and have a loose marble sound as you described. The wheel bearings are pretty well housed within the hub, encased by a grease seal and wheel hub cap...if that goes slinging grease, that would be a pretty serious failure. Hmm.. that's what I was initially thinking, but it just doesn't sound like it's coming from the cv joint. I hope you're right, though.. I'd rather pay to replace the cv/axle than the bearing/hub assembly. I'm just going to take it in to get diagnosed at the shop on Thursday. Once they give me a better idea I will decide if I have the time and tools to do it myself or just cough up the dough that I don't really have. Thanks for both replies so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawairish Posted March 14, 2016 Share Posted March 14, 2016 The outer CV joint is right behind the wheel bearings...in fact, I think it's just separated from the bearings by the grease seal...so it might be tough to tell the noise diff. What you can do is pull the tire and pull the wheel hub cap or manual hubs, if you have them. Doing so will disconnect the wheel hub from the CV. You can do this with hand tools (might need ring pliers...not sure the stock setup). If you can turn the wheel hub without noise/issue at that point, it's the CV. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vancouver.matt Posted March 14, 2016 Author Share Posted March 14, 2016 The outer CV joint is right behind the wheel bearings...in fact, I think it's just separated from the bearings by the grease seal...so it might be tough to tell the noise diff. What you can do is pull the tire and pull the wheel hub cap or manual hubs, if you have them. Doing so will disconnect the wheel hub from the CV. You can do this with hand tools (might need ring pliers...not sure the stock setup). If you can turn the wheel hub without noise/issue at that point, it's the CV. That's a good idea. I will give that a shot when I get home tonight. Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingman Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 You'd feel some side to side and up and down play in the wheel if the bearing is toast. Wiggle it around when it's up in the air with the tire on. They usually don't bang and pop suddenly but it's possible, sounds more like a CV issue like was said above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vancouver.matt Posted March 18, 2016 Author Share Posted March 18, 2016 (edited) Well, for anyone interested, problem has been solved. Little backstory: When I went to test drove the truck the abs light was on and I had told the seller that I would not purchase until the issue was dealt with. The seller took care of it and had the abs sensor on the passenger front replaced. So, I was debating pulling everything apart myself and figuring it out, but, being busy at work, I could not find the time to deal with it. I dropped it off at the shop in the morning and get a call a little later that they have finally figured it out. They noted the new abs sensor and that the previous mechanic had failed to pull out a piece of the old abs sensor that had broken free and was tumbling around in the hub. $160 in labour later and a day without the truck, just to pull out a piece that never should have been there. Oh well, at least it's done and dealt with. I had a feeling something was caught rolling in the hub as the sound was inconsistent and not typical cv racket, which is why I initially thought the bearing had given out. In regards to the grease. It seems that the cv boot had just leaked some out and there was no real issue there. Anyways, thanks for all the responses. Edited March 18, 2016 by vancouver.matt 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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