Dodge 2500 making noise it shouldn't(diamond s?)

[CowpokeJ]

I have on 02 2500 Dodge 2wd diesel. Making a noise, sounds like from the front starting around 25mph. Really noticeable at 50. Brake pads and rotors on front are brand new. Car does not pull one way or the other. Tires are maybe 6 mo old and rot/bal frequently. The noise sounds like if you had 4whl drive tires on your truck. If you swerve to the left, increases noise. Swerve to the right, sounds like it stops completely. Tires appear to be in really good shape with no noticable wear. Spun both the front and the rear end with no neglible noise. No real big play in the front tires with movement from the top and bottom. Help!

 

[c farmer]

Sounds like to me you have a bad wheel bearing, if I had to guess based on the noise changing I would say left front. You might not be able to get the noise to happen with the front on a jack becaue there is no load on the bearing.

 

[CowpokeJ]

My friend was telling me they don't have as much problems nowdays because those are sealed bearings. I don't know one way or the other.

 

[c farmer]

I am a certified dodge tech at a dodge dealership and I see alot of sealed bearing go bad even on newer trucks.

 

[CowpokeJ]

I am a certified dodge tech at a dodge dealership and I see alot of sealed bearing go bad even on newer trucks.

Is this capable of being a do it yourself job? What does it typically run at the shop?

 

[c farmer]

The bearing usually gets stuck in the knuckle, I will take a chisel and hammer and try to wedge it between the bearing and the housing to work it out.It is not a really bad job. We dont see 2wd trucks around here but for4x4 that job would cost around 500.00.

 

[DiamondSCattleCo]

Cowpoke, did you try side to side movement when you had the truck up? Thats generally your best indicator for wheel bearing issues (which I agree with the others and suspect it may be. If its making noise, get it fixed ASAP). The 4 wheel drives all had one piece hubs with non-serviceable bearings, so they tend to be pricy on install. I don't know about the 2 wheel drives. If they had serviceable bearings, you're looking at about 50 bucks per corner for bearings plus 1/2 hr labor per corner.

If its not bearings, the only other thing I can think of is some contact with the brake pad due to an issue during the installation.

Rod

 

[cfpinz]

I am a certified dodge tech at a dodge dealership...

That right there is a man with some serious job security! :lol2:

 

[CowpokeJ]

I grabbed the tire at the top and bottom. Wiggled it, with just a little bit of play. I don't know what the norms are as far as travel. I noticed this morning it was pulling some, but, on the new roads that they have built in the past 2 mo. it doesn't pull at all. May be the worn 18 whlr lanes. May not hurt to have the alignment checked anyway.

 

[Mat Man]

Try driven 10 or 20 miles then fill of both hubs and compare temps.

 

[Cowdirt]

My vote goes to it being a wheel bearing also. My daughter's Explorer was doing exactly the same thing. She had to have a new wheel bearing. It was easy to increase and decrease the noise by turning the steeering wheel.

 

[CowpokeJ]

Ok, took it to the tire place that does alignments, bearings, ball joints. Consensus says rt front hub assembly to the tune of 560 plus labor. Priced it myself at autozone for 350. Theirs must be dealership parts. Same, Same? Can you replace the bearing or does it have to be the whole enchilada?

 

[DiamondSCattleCo]

Dodge made the switch to unitized hubs (non-serviceable) back in, hmmmmm, I _think_ 1994 (someone correct me if I'm wrong here) on their 4 wheel drives, so I suspect they did the same with the 2wds. What brand were the Autozones? Moog? If they're Moog, I wouldn't be scared of them.

Rod

 

[D.R. Cattle]

Just got my '05 3500 4x4 back from the shop. Bad left front bearing. Sealed unit so had to replace the "hub assembly". Part was $374. Can't remember how many hours I was charged to replace it. Replace as soon as possible. Mechanic said the heat had made it very difficult to remove the unit. Any longer I might have been buying an axle shaft as well. Tie rods ends were worn. Cant replace. Have to replace entire tie rods with joints built in. 99,750 miles.

 

[CowpokeJ]

Update. I found the part online at autopartswarehouse.com. $165. Easy install. Pull the tire, rotor, and the wheel hub assembly slides right off. It is a sealed unit. No more noise! Thanks fellas.