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Wheel Bearing whine, or something else?

3K views 43 replies 7 participants last post by  drew54 
#1 ·
Is there anything else (like a differential bearing or something) that can sound like a wheel bearing?

I ask because it sounds just like a wheel bearing whine, but behaves a little differently than what I've experienced in the past w/ other vehicles...

Mainly, the sound comes in around 60 mph, increases till you hit 65, stays steady until around 72 and then disappears. That all sounds like a wheel bearing to me... BUT...

While in that sweet spot to hear it loudly, if you take your foot off the gas the sound INSTANTLY goes away, and then instantly comes back when you're on the gas again. So if you keep the Jeep in the 60-70 range and keep taking your foot on & off the gas you'll hear whiiiiine... quiet .... whiiiiiine ... quiet... whiiiiine

I don't recall wheel bearings behaving like that, but I'm no expert. Any thoughts on this behavior? Thanks in advance!
 
#3 ·
Is there anything else (like a differential bearing or something) that can sound like a wheel bearing?

I ask because it sounds just like a wheel bearing whine, but behaves a little differently than what I've experienced in the past w/ other vehicles...

Mainly, the sound comes in around 60 mph, increases till you hit 65, stays steady until around 72 and then disappears. That all sounds like a wheel bearing to me... BUT...

While in that sweet spot to hear it loudly, if you take your foot off the gas the sound INSTANTLY goes away, and then instantly comes back when you're on the gas again. So if you keep the Jeep in the 60-70 range and keep taking your foot on & off the gas you'll hear whiiiiine... quiet .... whiiiiiine ... quiet... whiiiiine

I don't recall wheel bearings behaving like that, but I'm no expert. Any thoughts on this behavior? Thanks in advance!
I'll preface this with the disclaimer that I'm not a expert, I throw spanners at my Jeep for 'fun' but the fact that it disappears when you get off the power leads me to believe its *not* wheel bearings. More likely something bad in the front propshaft (CV or Uni), rear driveshaft (unis) or the pinion. I've been chasing a similar noise in mine, it builds while under power and once off the power and coasting it disappears, I done both propshaft and driveshaft as there was slop in both and the CV boot had failed on the propshaft, but I've still got my noise as I've not wanted to leap into the differentials just yet.
 
#4 ·
Thanks for the suggestions guys. I think toxic0n is likely correct...

1) My front diff bushings have needed replacing for a while now, and I'm going to get that done next week finally.
2) I have 148k on it so it probably had some wear to begin with?
3) It's my 1st Jeep and my first ever 4x4 so not knowing anything, the diff fluid went WAY beyond the change interval before I did it... nothing in the owners manual stating how often to change it, so I just did it with the tranny/transfer case fluid change at 120k... .which apparently is too long!

So I guess maybe a combination of all these things caused wear to one of the bearings in the diff? Is it something serviceable, or is the mechanic (he's honest) going to tell me I need a whole new diff?

Thanks!
Bill
 
#6 ·
This site has the maintenance intervals, bookmark it:

http://www.wkjeeps.com/wk_maintenance.htm
Thanks! There seems to be some discrepancy between that site & the PDF schedule they link to...

Site says change ATF every 60k, but the pdf (and my own manual) state to check & change if necessary: "Change the automatic transmission fluid and filter(s) if using your vehicle for any of the following: police, taxi, fleet, or frequent trailer towing". I don't do any of those things, just normal road driving. Otherwise, it doesn't say to change it until 120k..

Says the same thing for transfer case, but that site says to change it every 30k.

Site says to change the axle fluid every 15k and PDF says to check it every 16k with no guideline on when it NEEDS changing at all (which is why I went too far on mine).

Who's right? I've been going by the manual thus far, and fluid looks old but not burnt by the time I change it.
 
#7 ·
Toxic0n,

I'm having the front diff bushings changed next week. They have to drop the diff to get at one of them right? Shouldn't cost me much to have him take a look in there while there at it, should it? Also, what happens when the diff "grenades itself" lol, what exactly happens? I imagine the noise will get much louder as that approaches?
 
#8 ·
The dif can totally grenade as well. Like all things it cost less to fix right away then after its parts on the ground. Bushing<>bearings what is more important?

Bad news is Dif work can get costly. replacing any bearing in it is job that takes a bit of OCD to get right.

what you can do check pinion for lateral movement. they will rotate but should not move side to side at all. Pull the Dif cover, look for issues in he oil excessive metal pats broken etc. Does it have oil? most issues tend to be from the lack of oil.
 
#9 ·
what you can do check pinion for lateral movement. they will rotate but should not move side to side at all. Pull the Dif cover, look for issues in he oil excessive metal pats broken etc. Does it have oil? most issues tend to be from the lack of oil.
Thanks for the response! Diff fluid only has about 10k on it, did it myself last year. What does the pinion look like that I'll be checking for movement? I'm a bit of a noob with some of this stuff LOL :grin2:
 
#10 ·
Well, this is strange. I needed to replace the front diff bushings. I did the far forward center one myself with OE rubber. I ordered Super Pro poly bushings for the other 2 and had them installed. That whine is DRAMATICALLY quieter now?! Could really worn bushings cause a whine that sounds like a wheel bearing is going???? It's still there but so much quieter that I'm wondering if it's just NVH from those poly bushings?
 
#11 ·
It could be both..

Wheel bearing noise should change when turning left or right.

Get the noise going and crank the wheel side to side (maybe not in traffic) and see if it changes.

A mechanic stethoscope can be helpful too, get all 4 wheels off the ground, put it in neutral, remove wheel from suspected bearing and rotate while listening. Any sandy gravel type noise replace it.
 
#12 ·
A mechanic stethoscope can be helpful too, get all 4 wheels off the ground, put it in neutral, remove wheel from suspected bearing and rotate while listening. Any sandy gravel type noise replace it.
Can you hear this without a stethoscope, or does that depend upon how far gone it is? I tried the turn thing in the parking lot, but didn't hear anything... of course I can't go 65mph in the parking lot :grin2:

I was thinking on this.... could it be a bad pinion or carrier bearing in the diff? Say, replacing the really shot bushings took enough strain off it that it's not whining as much now, but still has issues?
 
#15 ·
To me, it sounds like it's not the bearings, especially since there is no difference when turning. Noise that only comes on under throttle is most likely drive train related. The fact that new diff bushings reduced the noise tells me you're on the right track.

Is there a reputable diff/gear shop near you? It should not cost more than 1-2 hours of labour just to open the front diff up and inspect the condition inside.
 
#16 ·
Is there a reputable diff/gear shop near you? It should not cost more than 1-2 hours of labour just to open the front diff up and inspect the condition inside.
My local mechanic is pretty good, but he's not a tranny specialist. He suggested it night be a pinion? I've also looked into my symptoms and found that a carrier bearing is likely?

Is bearing replacement a big job... is it basically a rebuild or just replacing a bearing?
 
#17 ·
Well I got my Jeep back from the bushings replacement and it now has axle bearing issues.

I'm sick. It sounds worse than before. Mechanic tried to play it off like not their fault.

Maybe it isn't, maybe it is. It sure did t sound this bad before.
I've seen stories on here of others having that problem after the bushing replacement.

I'm going to swap in some new gear lube to try and flush things a bit.

I don't even know what to say.
 
#18 ·
I took it for a 60ish mile drive and I do think the "bearing" sound is slightly better as if it pulled some trash out.

So I haven't had a chance yet, but I will be changing the diff fluid first thing in the morning.
The guy installed 80/90 instead of 75/140... I have a QDII @ 150k miles. I'm sure that isn't helping.

I'm guessing the carrier and or pinion bearings are tired. I'm not sure if the new bushings have altered the location and position or the driveshaft angle.

I'm assume there is some slight difference in ring and pinion fitment that is leading to some of this. Driveshaft?

I'm hopeful fresh Amsoil and Mopar friction modifier help me out.

I feel like the initial acceleration sound is mostly gone now, but it starts to whine around 25 mph.
The 50-75 whine is still there.

Maybe it will wear in a little bit and quiet down.🤷‍♂️
 
#19 ·
Update.

The correct fluid reduced the lower speed growling sounds. Still slightly there.

I still hear the whine slightly at 25-30 and LOUD at 55-70, both under acceleration.

I'm guessing the old fluid all leaked out of the axle while they had it on the bench. I didn't see evidence of them removing the plug to drain it. This allowed any trash to filter through the bearings.

Also the poly bushings likely make the sound much more pronounced than the failed rubber ones were. As well as altering the axle location creating the slightly different alignment of the driveshaft.

I'm going to have an axle shop give me their opinion on Monday.
 
#20 ·
If anything, the alignment was wrong with the failed bushings and it's now in the correct position. I wonder if the incorrect position vis a vis failed bushings causes the extra wear on the bearings or other components... and the longer you let it go the worse it gets? Then if it's gotten enough damage you hear it more when everything is once again correctly aligned?

It's pretty unlikely fluid would leak out from this job. They aren't opening the diff, just dropping it out, intact.
 
#21 ·
Something happened. It still has a low speed growl too. I think @SteveROntario had this problem after replacing his bushings.

Reading through his prior posts it appears that he let his pinion hang down and it got filled up with metal debris.

I'm guessing something along those lines happened to mine while at the shop.

Looks like I'm just going to have to suck it up and replace my front diff.

I regret not doing this job myself and trusting someone else to do it.
 
#22 ·
Reading through his prior posts it appears that he let his pinion hang down and it got filled up with metal debris.

I'm guessing something along those lines happened to mine while at the shop.

Looks like I'm just going to have to suck it up and replace my front diff.

I regret not doing this job myself and trusting someone else to do it.
Does a bad pinion require a whole new diff?! Can't you just replace the pinion for a lot less, or has it caused other issues internally?
 
#23 ·
I have an axle specific shop lined up to look it over tomorrow.

I honestly think my driver side half shaft is popping now too.

I'm not sure if they tried to undo the half shaft bolt on my wheel bearings but I wonder if they are overtorqued now or or could be transmitting some extra noise via the poly axle bushings.

Could the driveshaft not reinstalled in the original position cause some whining noise too?

My Jeep is now worth less than ever and I just spent $500 to make it "better" and eliminate the axle thump when shifting from reverse to drive.

I'm guessing it's not back to normal for less than $1,000 in parts alone.

Sorry to hijack your thread.
 
#24 ·
Went for a test drive with the differential mechanic. He could hear it basically the moment he let his foot off the brake.

Confirmed at least bad front pinion bearings via the stethoscope test and it is visibility pulsing when running. He didn't want to lay blame on the other mechanic, but assumed the fluid change and work probably triggered it to become much worse.

Possible driveshaft or transfer case making noise too.

I'm looking at $1200 to replace all the differential bearings. I'm going to go that route rather than rolling the dice on a salvage yard swap.

So I'll fix this and it'll still be cheaper than having a steady car payment.
 
#25 ·
So a huge holy crap moment. My front diff on this Jeep has always had a slight whine to it. With the new bearings installed it's so quiet in there it doesn't feel normal now.

It could be due to my lighter wallet, lol.

My CV on the driveshaft is torn so the clock is ticking on it and that will be my next job.
 
#27 ·
Yeah, the bill was mostly labor. Ended up being $1,400.

My shop replaced all the bearings, o rings, and seals. They replaced everything with OEM from Mopar. He called it a "full bearing and seal rebuild kit."
He said they'd had some bad luck using aftermarket bearing kits lately(cough, China, cough).

They didn't have to replace the ring and pinion, but had to replace the yolk. Mine was messed up from the pinion pulsing for so long.

About a week in and this thing is so quiet. It still feels like a different car. When accelerating now all I hear is my engine 😁

I can now hear the clicking of the driveshaft at the transfer case end. My boot is torn and I'm debating the Dorman 932303 kit or to go with a full new driveshaft.My mechanic thought the front felt fine and wasn't notchy.

It's funny, I was hearing that sound before and just associated it with the differential bushings.
 
#28 ·
#30 ·
That's the one I bought and from Rockauto. Hopefully I'll have time next weekend and I can get it installed.

I can't convey enough how glad I am I found a good honest mechanic who was able to put my Jeep on a lift and listen with his stethoscope to pinpoint all the trouble spots. As old as our vehicles are, and most all of us over 100k+ miles, if it moves it's about to start making some noise.
 
#31 ·
So life got busy but I was finally able to rebuild my driveshaft using a Dorman 932303.

Removal was pretty straight forward. A major pain squeezing a small ratchet on the transfer case side to get the bolts out. I used a gear wrench and got it stuck.

Mine had all the clamps lined up with a bolt hole. I was able to mark it and get it exactly back on the same spline orientation.

I taped all the bolt holes and packed the grease in like it was a wheel bearing using the pad of my hand. I did all six balls on both sides. Pretty amazing how much of that grease they can hold.
I made sure I filled in the boot and a back cover with all the leftover grease.

I did have to hammer it on which hopefully doesn't mess anything up on the slip joint.

Test drive confirmed the old one was starting to pop and click. Those sounds were all but eliminated. I do on occasion hear a bit of thump, but my ears are hyper paranoid and it's probably the road joints and uneven pavement.

I do feel like the old one was starting to whine, so this could be a cause of your noise. I now can notice a super slight hum which doesn't change with accelerating. Probably my tires or wheel bearings but nothing I am worried about right now.
 
#32 ·
So life got busy but I was finally able to rebuild my driveshaft using a Dorman 932303....
Tell me about it, I haven't been on the forum in over a month! I ordered a Power Stop front wheel bearing back in Sept. and just got around to putting it in last week LOL. Well, the old one looked like $h!t, all rusty and didn't turn smoothly at all, so it was probably going to need replacing soon. It was NOT the cause of my whine, but it did fix another very minor issue... I had very slight surging when coming to a stop. It was not warped rotors, I had replaced those over the summer when I did the brakes. It was a very slight surge, only when just about stopped. Had to have been this bearing since it's now completely gone. Who knew!? It was super easy to replace and pretty inexpensive.

https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=8746128&cc=1443413&jsn=262&jsn=262

I now can notice a super slight hum which doesn't change with accelerating. Probably my tires or wheel bearings but nothing I am worried about right now.
You replaced the stock rubber bushings with poly right? That's probably what you're hearing :)
 
#33 ·
Turns out my howl at highway speeds had NOTHING to do with the Diff or TC... it was my CV joint at the transfer case. Saw that the boot was really badly torn, so since I was pulling the shaft out anyway I did both ends. Swapped the joints, re-installed the shaft... and she's quiet as can be! What a relief it was something so easy and inexpensive!!!
 
#35 ·
I had my axle shop look everything over again in summer of 21 and they tightened things up a little and injected some more grease in that driveshaft. Ran pretty good after that.

My PCM was starting to fail on hot days I'd get the intermittent transmission over temp.

My radiator sprung a leak in December and the PCM problem was looming as summer approached. I had a few other issues on my radar so I ended up moving on to a WK2 in March.

I just got burned out fixing things and didn't trust it on long trips anymore.
 
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