Hey Guys,

So for a few months now, I've had this speed-dependant "thumping" sort of noise - increases or decreases frequency with speed. The sound is coming from (what seems like) the right front. It's gotten a little louder as time went on since it started. When you turn left (even just a light left sweeper) the noise gets wayyyy louder. Using car logic - this means that the problem is on the right side.

I can also feel a vibration at the same frequency in the steering wheel - though it's very minor, it's there nonetheless. And perhaps it's my mind playing tricks on me - but the car feels a bit more squirrely than normal - especially at WOT (i.e. - going to pass someone, having to cross the center line on a crowned road - I do not recall it ever being that much to deal with before this).

So, I replaced the front right wheel bearing - no change. Just got done replacing the front right halfshaft assembly - no change. Since it's louder when turning, specifically in one direction, I can assume it's not anything to do with the wheels/tires (I'll be switching back to my steelies in a couple weeks for cold temps/winter storage - so I can test this).

I'm really all out of ideas/parts. Anyone had a similar experience and solved it? As a note: I'm at about 115k miles (~75k since I put the blower on, back in 2009).

Thanks!

 

Control arm bushings or end links most likely.
Just went through that myself. Powell cabs fixed it for the most part. Still need to do end links since mine were rusted on and I didn't have a cut wheel to get them off. But the clunking is way less and it's allot more stable as far as following road grooves and passing on uneven terrain.

 

You think those would cause a noise based on rotation of the wheel, not just when going over bumps (it doesn't make the noise any different going over bumps, braking or accelerating that I can tell)? It didn't seem to have any kind of excessive play in the control arms when I had everything all apart.

I do have Moog end links, so those are greasable, so those shouldn't be the problem.

 

Make sure you grease them regularly.
Perhaps I'm not understanding what the noise is..
When you throw your winter tires On see if it makes a difference. Maybe you picked something up in your tread or have some funny wear. So it's only speed dependent?

 

Grease em every oil change.

I'm going to try swapping the tires on that side and seeing if that does anything, since that's pretty quick. My ZIIs were always loud - but not in this way - but they're mega sticky, so maybe something is on there, but I haven't seen anything in the tread.

But yeah, it gets faster as speed increases and slows down as the vehicle slows down. You can't really hear it below 10 mph, at least that I can tell. Kind of a "hollow thump" noise. Thump thump thump.

 

That definitely sounds like tires. You could have something stuck in and not lose air as well. Maybe a nail or tack. Or just normal road debris.

 

It's possible - though turning shouldn't have any effect on the noise.

Since it'll still be decent out when I get home, I think I'll switch the wheels front to back and see what that does, since it's relatively easy. Can inspect the tread too at that time.

 

Putting more weight on the effected tire would certainly effect it. I.e. Left turns

 

Check your control arm bushings & even the sway bar bushings.

 

Is there an easy way to check the CABs, without disassembling everything? I'd rather not have it apart again if I don't need to. When I was testing the wheel bearings a few weeks back, moving the wheel side to side, up and down, and what not didn't show any excess play.

 

Nah a wheel bearing will not always show itself that way... That is an old mechanics trick to figure out a bad wheel bearing but isn't always the case.

You can jack the car up, remove the wheel and with an extendable mirror inspect the rear cab bushing for separation from the bushing sleeve or tears.

 

Oh believe me, I know. My left front bearing started howling (this was a couple years back), and I had no play in the left front wheel at all. But replaced it, and the noise went away.

 

That's just your car trying to tell you there is another base model terrorizing the area too

 

Hahaha

Well I just went and swapped the right side tires front to rear - no abnormal wear on the front right tire - and it didn't make a difference, so that rules out the wheel/tire being the culprit.

Confirmed that braking doesn't affect it either. It may have just been from not being able to hear as well due to exhaust - but it didn't seem as bad when accelerating (normally - not WOT or anything). But like I said, it may have just been from the windows being down and the exhaust that I couldn't hear it as well.

Tried to get a couple shots of the rear CAB on the right side with a camera. It may also be bad - but I can't see how it would cause a sound that is rotationally based.

I'm thinking I'll throw it up on stands and let the wheels turn and see if I can hear it.

 

Did you ever find a fix for this? My 2007 is having this exact same issue. A hollow thumping coming from the front right starting at around 10mph and only increasing with speed.

 

It was the front left hub/wheel bearing. I, as a test, threw the original RF wheel bearing in (that I had replaced initially)...and it was gone.

In fact, that original RF wheel bearing still lives in the LF.