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Rearend/axle or brakes making a noise - front passenger wheel is culprit


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Just recently my Comanche has started making a noise at slow speed.  I think I can still hear it at faster speeds, but at the higher frequency is it less audible over road and wind noise.  The video linked below is 1.4MB.  I held my phone out the rear window to record. 

 

See video attached.

 

- I am doing about 1-3 mph.  It's the loudest when I am barely rolling. 

- the noise stops with just a little brake pedal applied.  Release brake and it's back instantly.

- I think it is making the noise more than once per wheel revolution, but I am not 100% positive.

- I am fairly sure it's the right side. 

- the first few times i heard it like this, it did it after the truck had been driven a few miles.  I think it's worse now.  I could barely hear it cold when I moved the truck in the driveway last weekend.   

- I hear it if I coast slow with trans in neutral. 

- I put the rear axle on jackstands, then put it into gear.  The left wheel spun and the right barely turned.  I didn't think too much of that.  I've seen other vehicles do that...

- I put a chock under the left tire to force the right side to spin.  I could not hear the noise. 

 

I've wondered if it is related to the drum brakes since very light application of the brake makes the noise go away.  I'm hoping it's not an axle seal/bearing.  My dealership inspected and bled the brakes for me about 6-7 years ago as a precaution when I first got the truck.  All was fine.  It has only had about 8K miles put on it since then.  I don't off-road.  It's just my backup daily driver. 

 

There is a 2" lift on the truck.  The previous owner that lifted it disconnected the rod that adjusts the rear brake pressure for varying loads in the bed.  It appears to be zip-tied in the position that mimics a loaded bed.  I can see how that leads to premature wear.

 

Any advise is appreciated.

Edited by 87MJJeep
replaced bad weblink with actual video
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There I went assuming again. I had my mom let it slowly roll down the street so I could listen more closely and count wheel revolutions per whine. It's the passenger side front wheel or brake.

One thing I forgot to include in the first post... It doesn't make the noise in reverse.

And no wonder it didn't make the noise when I had the rear end jacked up. LOL

I sorta know my way around disc brakes. I'll report back later.

If it is the 4wd ujoint at the wheel, that will be new ground for me. I see those two front axle joints do not have grease fittings. I hope it's the brake...

 

Edit:  I am fairly certain it is related to the rotor and pads.  The pads have even wear (side to side and along the whole length of the pads).  Before I took the tire/wheel off, I tried to see if they wobbled when gripped at the top and bottom.  There was none.  Would a wheel bearing seizing up make this noise and not create enough slack for the wheel to have play when tugged at the top and bottom? 

 

 

 

 

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I think I found the problem.  There are shims (?) behind the pads, and they have slid inward toward the hub of the rotor.  Both sides have done this, but the passenger side has a fresh cut line in the rotor.  You can just barely see that shiny line in the second photo, shims2. 

 

In shims3.jpg, I tried to push them back fully behind the pad, but they bent.  The driver side slid back where they belong. 

 

I will start a fresh thread with several brake questions. 

shims2.jpg

shims3.jpg

Edited by 87MJJeep
replaced bad weblinks with actual photos
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