Memphis4X4

Well...I know it's cold out when my front passenger side wheel assembly (hub, axle, caliper, etc?) starts to howl !!! It only happens in the cold ( <30 F) and it is intermitent. The grinding, squealing howl will warble for a period of time (3-4 minutes) then go away only to return later in my trip. It usually starts as I'm trying to skulk silently out of my girlfriend's apartment complex at 3am.....announcing my every move and then goes away as I reach the quiet, uninhabited farmland on the route home. It comes back to trumpet my entry to my neighborhood.

Does it sound like a wheel bearing? Would a bearing only act up when it is cold? Or is it something morre complex like a demon in the ADD 4x4 system that my 91 Runner is equipped with?

Thoughts, ideas, suggestions regarding this problem?

David

williemon

I had a bearing to go bad that created a roar that was felt mostly.

metal22lica

Chech out this thread

i only noticed the noise when i was up against something. so it might always be there..but you can only hear it when its deflected back at you. i ended up getting done what Corey did to his in that thread.

dusty98

I had a similar issue on my 90 4Runner, mine was a severe rubbing sound on the passenger side and would go away once it warmed up.
They replaced my wheel bearings with a newer style and it never happened again. This was about 5 years ago, but I think there was a Toyota service bulletin that said to upgrade the wheel bearings to cure that noise.
Good luck,

Memphis4X4

Thanks guys!!! I'll give the wheel bearing replacement thing a try. It'll be good to get the Runner quiet again, so I can move silently around at 3am! My other car's motor/exhaust rumbles too much and it doesn't make for a good creep-around vehicle either.

I'll probably take it in to have my radiator replaced at the same time......the J-B Weld is still holding but it's only a matter of time......

David

jx94148

I had the same thing happening in the cold with the hubs locked. I didn't think it was too serious but I was wrong. My wheel bearing eventually totally blew up into a million tiny greasy pieces when I was in Arizona 800 miles from home.

I think It started with water getting into the bearings. When I took it apart there were some tiny dropletts of water in the hub behind the dial for the manual hub. I think in the hub the water was freezing and making the moaning sound.

At the very least you need to clean and repack the wheel bearings and hubs to make sure there is no moisture in there. Its not a bad idea to completely replace all 4 bearings up front. I did it myself. It wasn't too hard but it did require the 54mm or 2 and 1/8th inch socket to get to them.

Edit: If you have a shop do this ask up front if they have a 54mm socket. Mine had several chisel marks where somone (probably Just Brakes) had chisled the nuts out rather than using the proper socket. :mad:

Memphis4X4

Thanks Matt!

My best friend is the Service Director for the local Lexus Dealer. I take my truck to him and most of his Techs came up through the local Toyota Shops. Hopefully, they have the correct tools to work on my truck!!

David

DH6twinotter

My runner does the same thing. It only happens in the cold about the first 3 or 4 minutes too. It makes a little creaking noise (or whatever you want to call it) when just rolling down my driveway. When I get out on the highway it gets to howling pretty good until it warms up. Maybe it's time to get a bearing. :cry: Let us know if that solves your problem.

Well, have fun.
DH6twinotter

DH6twinotter

BTW, mine does it on the driver's side.