~440 Hertz road noise goes away on veer left

[AnotherOldJeepGuy]

This is not a job that is going to complete quickly (do any really).  Problem is I had no way to know what was coming when I pulled it in the garage somewhat sideways taking up way more room that normally taken.  And it's kinda stuck there.  Do towing companies generally have anything they can use to move a vehicle that doesn't have all the wheels installed?  I'd like to get it out of the garage and put back on the slab at the end of the driveway where it normally lives while this plays out so I can have my garage back in the mean time.

[Pete M]

  On 3/27/2025 at 6:42 PM, AnotherOldJeepGuy said:

Yeah, well probably good for you cause I would have probably asked you to help install it too

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I'm known for doing just that.  

 

 

you can try using a harbor freight car dolly and putting it under that corner.

[AnotherOldJeepGuy]

I am not surprised!  I think you are off the hook @Pete M... if my video file can be played it will be more convincing although perhaps it will have to be downloaded to play.  If not I know pictures work.  I have not tried a video before.  In short, the 3/4-16 Die appears to have worked much better than I expected.  I have undoubtedly used up all my luck points for at least the first 6 months of 25.

 

 

   

MVI_0078.AVIFetching info...  

 

[watchamakalit]

Looks good 👍. Glad to see it turned out to be a easy fix (no axle swapping)

[llhat]

i'd give a big thumbs UP and proceed as normal!!!

U get the seal out??

[AnotherOldJeepGuy]

  On 3/28/2025 at 12:07 AM, llhat said:

U get the seal out??

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I tried a bit but didn't push it too far yet.  I checked at Napa and they didn't have a matching replacement and didn't even see anything that looked like the seal on the rotors I have.  I looked online and didn't find one that looked like that one either, so I was hesitant to beat it up too much.  I am considering just replacing the rotors with ones that have easily available support parts.  Would solve the problem of finding the seals that match the rotors I have now (which will have to be replaced sooner or later anyway), and maybe next time around the search would be easier.  That's where that's at now anyway.  But if a part number for the ones I need should happen to show up here, I might decide to go that way.  Decisions, decisions...

[AnotherOldJeepGuy]

Test drive after reassembly, the same sound is still there, and it still goes away when I veer left.  It may be a bit less loud or I might just think it is.  I swapped front wheels but the sound did not change, still goes away on veer left.

 

When I started this, I first checked for wiggle on the wheel with the truck jacked up, and got some wiggle top/bottom on the right side.  This lead to disassembly of the right side and the discovery of the mangled threads.  I did not feel any wiggle when I checked the left side.  During debug and attempting to verify if the nut from the right side was good or bad I did remove the nut on the left side so I could try the nut there (it was bad or the wrong thread [potentially the cause of the thread damage in the first place]).  

 

Once both sides were fully reassembled I checked for any wiggle at the rotors before putting the wheels back on and there was none.  But with the wheels on, I do feel a little wiggle on both sides now.  The only thing I have done so far now is shake my head in disbelief that the "good" side is now also not good!  Can't think why if the rotors don't wiggle, why there would be a little wiggle with the wheel on and the wheel lugs tight.  My only guess at the moment that when I took off the nut on the left, then put it back, it somehow is not tight enough.  I just hand tightened both sides, moving the rotor a bit to seat well, then just slightly snugged again with a wrench, maybe 1/8 of a turn.  Do I need to put a torque wrench on and torque to some value?

 

[rokinn]

Hornbrod - May 8, 2010

 

This is true. The correct method for the 2WDs is to tighten the bearing nut to 17-25 ft. lbs while rotating the wheel to seat the new bearings/races. Then loosen the nut 1/2 turn and retighten to 19 in-lbs of torque.

 

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[llhat]

you indicated reassembly,  did you remove both bearings and clean and examine the rollers and races?

 

if your noise remains and you did not do this, will probably continue to make noise

 

also follow that posted above on seating,  In all my years never used a torque wrench... 

[AnotherOldJeepGuy]

The right side was disassembled cleaned and inspected, bearings repacked and then reassembled.  This was the side that was originally wiggling slightly and the side I repaired threads.  This is also the side I pictured that I could not get the back side seal out.  In trying to do that the rubber was damaged so I know that is another problem to fix, but I am assuming the rubber on the back side seal is not immediately necessary, that is, that won't cause noise or wobble at least on 1 day.  At the moment I have not removed the left side because I am pretty sure I won't be able to get that inner side seal out either so until I resolve the right side I am not messing with the left side further.  What I am trying to understand is why the left side has a little wiggle now and it didn't before.  I did remove the nut so I could verify the nut for the right side was correct thread, and to test the replacement nut for the right side was also the correct thread, but I did not touch the left rotor at that time, so it sure seems to me that I SHOULD be able to re-tighten the left side nut and not have any wiggle since it didn't wiggle before.  If I can't even re-tighten a nut on a "non=wiggling" assembly and have it not wiggle, my confidence that I can put on all new hardware with success is pretty weak!  So I am trying to understand this, and learn what I need to learn on the hardware I have before going further.

[AnotherOldJeepGuy]

  On 3/29/2025 at 4:43 PM, rokinn said:

Hornbrod - May 8, 2010

 

This is true. The correct method for the 2WDs is to tighten the bearing nut to 17-25 ft. lbs while rotating the wheel to seat the new bearings/races. Then loosen the nut 1/2 turn and retighten to 19 in-lbs of torque.

 

Also

 

 

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I like the video.  It doesn't say anything about the 17-25 torquing followed the the 19 torquing? So not clear on which method you are recommending..?

[rokinn]

The video does say to torque to 12 ft/lbs for seating the bearing.  The point would be to seat the bearing with more than the 19 inch/lbs while rotating the rotor.  Just finger tightening alone will not seat the bearing and will be loose when it's all put back together.  When I did mine one worked well and the other was loose and I had to go back and do it over to get it set properly.

[AnotherOldJeepGuy]

Ah OK, I think I got it!  Will give that a try.

[AnotherOldJeepGuy]

I have now repacked bearings on both sides and re-seated both sides so there is no wiggle.  I think the first pass issue might be that "finger tight" for me now is not as much torque as it used to be, so I had to assist just a smidge with tools.  My low roar is still there unchanged with this completed and also front wheels swapped .  The bearings don't look at all damaged.  I went ahead and ordered new rotors (ones for which dust seal are still available) and new bearings and I'll get them in sometime in the near future.  If the roar is still there then I guess I just have to let it roar until I get new tires and just maybe somehow that is still the cause (although I would have though it would have changed when I swapped them if that was it).