2015 Tahoe/Grinding/rough noise from front of vehicle

[Fless]

Unless you need AUTO for changing road conditions, I would recommend running in 2HI to save wear and tear on the front drivetrain. Try 2HI anyway as a test to see if that changes your grinding noise.

 

[fatmonk8]

Unless you need AUTO for changing road conditions, I would recommend running in 2HI to save wear and tear on the front drivetrain. Try 2HI anyway as a test to see if that changes your grinding noise.

Thanks, I wasn't aware of this. I didn't think it would turn on 4wd if I was driving on pavement. First car with auto 4wd.

 

[wjburken]

Thanks, I wasn't aware of this. I didn't think it would turn on 4wd if I was driving on pavement. First car with auto 4wd.

Generally, when we’ve had vehicles with Auto4WD, we would only put it into Auto4WD if there was a chance of running into questionable road conditions, typically in the winter. Otherwise, as @Fless says, just leave it in 2WD.

 

[fatmonk8]

Generally, when we’ve had vehicles with Auto4WD, we would only put it into Auto4WD if there was a chance of running into questionable road conditions, typically in the winter. Otherwise, as @Fless says, just leave it in 2WD.

Gotcha. Wish I would have know that, but who's to say the person before me wasn't driving like that either.

Either way I've been driving it around trying to diagnose and I can say even in 2wd I still hear the noise.

It's seemed milder as I've not been driving the car much for 2 days as I thought something may be broken.

It sounds like either metal rubbing/or like a creaking metal part. It's very hard to tell.

I'd say it sounds like something rotating that's metal that's not happy.

 

[B-train]

Record a video and upload to YouTube. Then attach the link if you think the sound will come through

 

[fatmonk8]

Record a video and upload to YouTube. Then attach the link if you think the sound will come through

I can try but it's very subtle. I'll give it a shot though.

 

[B-train]

Have not checked diff fluid, have not changed it since I have owned it. (Only a couple months)

It's 4wd, it seems to engage and disengage fine with no noise. Have not put it into 4-HI a.d driven off road as I have not needed too.

It has ways been on Auto since I have owned it.

It would be pretty impossible for me.to jack the car off all 4 to be honest.

1 jack, 2 sets of harbor freight jack stands and you are set my friend. Jack up front first, set on stands. Remove jack and go to rear - repeat. Viola!

 

[fatmonk8]

Record a video and upload to YouTube. Then attach the link if you think the sound will come through

It's very subtle in the video, and the road noise doesn't help. But you can hear a subtle banging noise.

 

[fatmonk8]

Possible a bad ball joint or tie rod end maybe?

 

[fatmonk8]

I am seriously lost.

Jacked up all 4 off the ground, spun everything I could. I can't hear anything.

Greased ever joint I could.

Feel like I have checked everything.

The noise seems lessened and I don't really feel vibrations right now, but that could also be because the cat has been sitting, but I really am not sure.

 

[fatmonk8]

The passanger front wheel has the slightest of play in it.

I can't really tell of that's a bearing or not, and I can't pinpoint if it's making the clunky noise.

 

[wjburken]

The passanger front wheel has the slightest of play in it.

I can't really tell of that's a bearing or not, and I can't pinpoint if it's making the clunky noise.

When the wheel is not loaded, it’s tough to mimic what happens when it has 1500 lbs of weight on it.

Have you checked the play in your ball joints or tie rods? If you grab the wheel at 3 & 9 and try and wiggle it, are you getting any play in the tie Rod?

If you put a pry bar between the knuckle and the lower control arm, is there any play in the lower ball joint?

I’ve lost track of how many miles you have in the vehicle, but if it’s over 150K, might not hurt, if it’s in your budget, to replace the hub assemblies and see what that does. If it solves it, great. If not, you are probably close to the end of life on them anyways. Just my thoughts.

 

[fatmonk8]

When the wheel is not loaded, it’s tough to mimic what happens when it has 1500 lbs of weight on it.

Have you checked the play in your ball joints or tie rods? If you grab the wheel at 3 & 9 and try and wiggle it, are you getting any play in the tie Rod?

If you put a pry bar between the knuckle and the lower control arm, is there any play in the lower ball joint?

I’ve lost track of how many miles you have in the vehicle, but if it’s over 150K, might not hurt, if it’s in your budget, to replace the hub assemblies and see what that does. If it solves it, great. If not, you are probably close to the end of life on them anyways. Just my thoughts.

I checked all the ball joints and everything seemed tight. Sway bat links could probably be replaced, but not far enough along to cause a problem currently imo.

The only "play" I could feel was a little movement in the passenger wheel and even then all the joints seemed tight.

I have about 101k miles currently.

I have the hubs coming today so I may just go ahead and replace them.

 

[wjburken]

I checked all the ball joints and everything seemed tight. Sway bat links could probably be replaced, but not far enough along to cause a problem currently imo.

The only "play" I could feel was a little movement in the passenger wheel and even then all the joints seemed tight.

I have about 101k miles currently.

I have the hubs coming today so I may just go ahead and replace them.

Sway bar links are low cost items. Might be worth freshening thinks up with a set of new ones while you have the wheels off form something else. I don’t normally just throw parts at things, but these are wear items anyways so if it were me, I’d just swap them out while I have the vehicle up doing other stuff.

100K seems a little early for hub failure, but not unheard of at that mileage.

 

[fatmonk8]

Sway bar links are low cost items. Might be worth freshening thinks up with a set of new ones while you have the wheels off form something else. I don’t normally just throw parts at things, but these are wear items anyways so if it were me, I’d just swap them out while I have the vehicle up doing other stuff.

100K seems a little early for hub failure, but not unheard of at that mileage.

Maybe I'll see if I can get my hands on them today and replace them anyways.

I just don't want to waste my money on the hubs if it's not the problem, but I honestly have no other idea of what it could be.

Unless it's a differential bearing or something, but I would assume I'd hear it when spinning the wheels free.

 

[wjburken]

Maybe I'll see if I can get my hands on them today and replace them anyways.

I just don't want to waste my money on the hubs if it's not the problem, but I honestly have no other idea of what it could be.

Unless it's a differential bearing or something, but I would assume I'd hear it when spinning the wheels free.

Completely understand not wanting to spend money unnecessarily.

 

[swathdiver]

The spec for the ball joints is a half a millimeter of movement maximum. We measure this with a dial indicator.

Tie rods are maxed out with 1 millimeter of play.

The hub flange tolerance is .005 of an inch and stud run out is .010 of an inch.

Find some dirt, put the truck in 4HI and make some circles in both directions while listening for the noise.

If you have a highway nearby with cloverleaf ramps, listen for noises while she's making the turns onto the highway, both directions so you can test both hubs.

 

[OR VietVet]

I personally did not hear anything that worries me, on that video. If the noise was there, it is very subtle.

 

[fatmonk8]

I personally did not hear anything that worries me, on that video. If the noise was there, it is very subtle.

Yeah, it was definitely much more mild then previously. Idk if greasing the ball joints did the trick or not.

I actually just took my wife on a ride and she said she can't even heat it anymore.

I wonder if greasing the ball joints and putting the car in 2wd instead of auto was my problem all along.

 

[OR VietVet]

As strict as I am about maintenance, I recently had some noises at my front suspension/steering area. I change oil religiously but grease the front end every other oil change. In a hurry, I had skipped the grease process for 3 oil changes and it showed. I greased the components and my noises were gone. Lazy can cost you, if you let it.