Need Some Advise

[jmalisan]

I am new to this forum and I have really been inpressed with everything.
So now heres my problem, maybe some one would have some suggestions.
I have a 1999 F-250 and i have never had any problems due to regular maint. and keeping it up on things that wore out. So for the last few months I have been hearing a metal on metal sound coming from my front drivers side. I checked the shocks and they were shot so i got some new ones and that helped. But now when ever I hit a small bump or even a crack in the road i hear it again. It kinda sounds like the wheel is wobbling or loose. I also checked the ball joints and nothing looked or felt broken. Maybe steering linkages? Any ideas?

[silverF250]

Sounds like it is your hub bearing. I had the same issues and that is what it was. You don't say if your truck is 4X4 or not inyour signature so I checked your profile and am willing to bet the hub bearing is bad. It is not that hard to change but it is fairly expensive. You should be able to do one in about an hour if your mechanically inclined.

[jmalisan]

Thanks, I will look into it.

[mountainlander]

Welcome to the ORG!

[SMKSTAX]

to the ORG!! As Pat said check your hub bearing also double check your sway bar end links. They like to wear out and rattle too.

[jmalisan]

But would my 4X4 still engage if the bearing was broken. I go up the mountians alot to go snowmobiling and I am pullings a trailer with 4 machines on it and I think that the 4 wheel drive is kicking in. But last night i turned my manual hubs and the driver side seemed really easy to turn compared to the passenger side hub. But i will look at them this weekend. Thanks for all the advise!

[silverF250]

Yes 4X4 will still engage because the hub bearing sits behind the brake rotor. The knob to select 4X4 would be called the hub and can be taken off and cleaned. The hub- bearing (wheel bearing) is basically independant of the 4X4 system. It's kind of hard to explain but the hub bearing is your problem. I will see if I can get a pic of an old one to show you.

[silverF250]

Oaky in the pic above the top is the hub-bearing. That is what is bad on your ride you have to replace everything in the pic, it is all one unit. The spindle on the bottom is what your hub selector goes into it spins all the time. When 4X4 is selected the hub engages the axle and then you got 4X4. The bearing being bad wil allow it to still roll but will grind. You should have heard a squeel like the brakes when you turned the wheel. That is the first sign the bearing is shot, then it sounds like the front end is falling off. I know all of this because it happened to me at 70mph with a 25' trailer. Another sign is if your truck jerks hard one way or the other kind of like changing lanes and you don't want it to. I hope this helps.

[jmalisan]

Thanks for all the help. Iam going to tear apart the front end this weekend and do what ever needs to be done. Once again, thanks for all the adivse!!!