Untrackable sound

[dirtautoguy]

On my 96 k1500 I have had a noise for quite some time. I wrote it off as tire noise but recently it has gotten worse and started vibrating.

I originally could tell it was somewhere between the back of the cab and the pedals. So I started by checking the u joints. I found one ujoint that had some slop in it and the other u joint wouldn’t hardly move.

I replaced those last weekend and now the noise only be coming from the front. I drive 40 miles of the same highway everyday for work. The first time I really looked into it I could turn slightly right and the noise would get louder and be quieter going left I thought for sure was a wheel bearing.

The last couple days it’s not near as loud and I can only sometimes replicate the noise when turning and sometimes it even seems to be from the back of the truck again.

I don’t know that I would call it a grinding noise but more of a droning woooowwwwoooowwwwoowwwoww noise. My tires aren’t wore abnormal and they were rotated about 1200 miles ago and that didn’t seem to change anything at that time.

Tomorrow if I have time I will jack it up and check out the front left tire but I wanted to see what you guys might all think too.

Thanks

 

[Chevy-SS]

I've had two vehicles where I SWORE that kind of noise was mechanical. I searched all over them, looking for bad wheel bearings and u-joints. The noises drove me nuts. I couldn't figure them out.

Then, on the first vehicle, I needed new tires, so I put nice new Michelins on and the noise was GONE!

Second vehicle, again I started hearing noises, so I did check of wheel bearings and u-joints, and then IMMEDIATELY bought new tires. Again, problem solved.

My brother has a 2005 Silverado K1500 and we recently had it on my lift for a noise that sounded like he was driving in 4WD mode all the time. Again, we both swore it was mechanical. He put new tires on it two weeks ago, not to try & solve the noise issue, but because he really needed new tires. Anyway, his noise issue was SOLVED! No more noise, quiet as a mouse, he says.

Anyway, there's a good chance the noise is tires, but check everything else first.

 

[dirtautoguy]

If that’s all it was I would be super happy! However that does not seem to be my case.

I stripped both sides down to just the hubs and cv axles and spun them and they sound very similar to this just not quite as loud bad.

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I took a video but every time I try to post it here it tells me the video is to large. Do I need to post it on a different website and link it? If so what’s a good one to use?

The passenger side I could feel about 1/16 inch play at the 12 and 6 o’clock with the wheel on. When I stripped it down the only way I could find any sign of slop is if I pulle up and pushed down on the hub hard it would make a light clunk but I can’t feel or see any slop anywhere but it still sounds bad.

The passenger side I replaced roughly 40000 miles ago so that kinda sucks

The driver side I think is still original or hasn’t been changed to my knowledge so itcould have 260000 miles on it.

I think I’ll get some Timken hubs as replacement and get them done ASAP

Is there anything else I should look at?

 

[454cid]

The passenger side I replaced roughly 40000 miles ago so that kinda sucks

The driver side I think is still original or hasn’t been changed to my knowledge so itcould have 260000 miles on it.

I think I’ll get some Timken hubs as replacement and get them done ASAP

Is there anything else I should look at?

This past summer, I had to do brakes and hubs. They were Timkens. The passenger side was bad, and I suspect it was because several years ago I had a caliper freeze up and that side got super hot. The driver's side ended up being fine, and got cleaned up and re-used. They had about 100K miles on them. The other brand I'd consider would be SKF, but they don't seem to come with the ABS sensor, although it's available separately. Your truck may be different since it's a 1500.

I'd replace the bolts if the heads or threads are chewed up at all. Dorman sells them. Also maybe take a look at your brake disc shields, and your CV shaft boots. If you've got original CV shafts, and the boots are starting to leak, replace the boots.... aftermarket shafts are cheap and don't last. You've probably got seals on the back side of the knuckles too.... I do on my 8-lug truck any way. You might want to install new ones if you've not been there already.

 

[dirtautoguy]

Good info I’ll double check those too. I’m playing with the idea of doing control arm bushings too while I’m in there.

The only concern I have about them is the torsion bars. I have not messed with them before and I’ve seen several things about them but I don’t quite understand what is needed to remove the lower control arm.

I’m pretty sure the guy on a 1a auto video used a jack under the arm and loosened the adjuster bolt and then I believe he used the jack to release the control arm tension? But iv also seen where people say you need to use a unloading tool at the cross member..... can anyone elaborate on this?

I need to get the hubs done ASAP so push comes to shove I’ll just do the hubs and do the control arm bushings and such later.

 

[454cid]

I’m pretty sure the guy on a 1a auto video used a jack under the arm and loosened the adjuster bolt and then I believe he used the jack to release the control arm tension? But iv also seen where people say you need to use a unloading tool at the cross member..... can anyone elaborate on this?

On my truck there is still tension on the torsion bars when the adjuster bolts are fully removed. You have to remove the blocks that the adjuster bolts go into. Those steel blocks stop the keys from rotating down, when the adjuster bolts are removed. That's where the tool comes into play... it forces the keys up, so that you can push the blocks out. Otherwise, the keys under tension from the bars trap the blocks. Maybe if you push the control arm up high enough the tension will be released... you would need to hold the truck down while at the same time pushing up on the control arm and I doubt it would move enough before hitting the stops on the frame. I think some parts stores have the torsion bar tool in their loaner program now. When I took my bars out 10+ years ago, I used a big c-clamp, but it's dicey.... it could easily slip. Even so be very careful where you put fingers, and wear eye protection, no matter what tool you use to remove the t-bars. If something lets go, it could easily shoot rust/dirt/metal at you.

You may need to pound the bars out of the control arms and keys.

 

[dirtautoguy]

Ok so here’s an update:

I got the driver side upper and lower control arm bushings, alone with ball joints, and hub. The cv axle looked good. Some one had already knocked out the alignment punchouts on the upper control arms. The lca bushings were a freaking nightmare!!!

I started on the passenger side this morning and got everything tore down. When I went to press in the new lower ball joint the joint literals fits in and pushes out with my thumb! Fearing that my control arm was no good I took a closer look. The old ball joint will still press in nice and snug (I didn’t press it back in all the way just enough to see that it was still
Tight).

Has anyone ran into this before? The part numbers on the boxes are the same Moog k6477 and I have the welded arms?

For right now it’s still tore apart in my garage untill i can go to napa tomorrow and borrow a caliper or something and see what’s going on??

 

[dirtautoguy]

Ok I finally got everything back together. I took the “new” ball joint to napa and measured it with a caliper it measured 1.79 inches and one that napa had measured 1.810. The parts guy thinks it was probably boxed wrong or factory defect. I had to get it going so I got one from Napa and moved on. Now I need to see about sending the one that’s wrong back to rock auto.

In the end I replaced both hubs, both front shocks, upper and lower control arm bushings, all ball joints and the pitman arm. I did have new front axle seals but due to time constraints they are not in. I also cranks the torsion bars just about 1/2 just to level out the truck some

I just had it aligned today and the printer was out of ink but they said everything looked really good except my toe was out a little so I must of got it all back pretty close. But the steering gear box has some slop in it (which I was kind of suspicious of) it’s a napa unit so I think it has a lifetime warranty, but I also know the power steering pump is complaining so I’ll probably do both at the same time at a later time.

To anyone thinking about doing any of these jobs most of them are not bad. The absolute worst was the lca bushings for me. The biggest advice I would have to give is make sure you have the right tools they make everything so much easier. A BIG thank you to all those that helped me out!