Noise at high speeds

[velacreations]

Hello all, I'm back with a noise issue on my '94 7.3L 4x4 turbo.

My right back tire has had some bad luck lately, and I've picked up about 4 nails/screws/metal chunks over a 4 week period. Anyway, the last time, I had my spare on few a while, like 100 miles. Nothing happened, everything ran great. MY spare is actually a real tire, but is a slightly different size than my others.

This week, I fired it up, with the spare still on, and went to town to get a new tire. When I got to 55 mph, I notice a noise, kinda like a hum/rubbing noise. It's almost the same noise as the vibrating pavement on the shoulders of the highways in AZ, if you know what I mean. It's not real loud, but definitely noticeable.

I just figured it was the spare tire, but even after trying 2 other tires, the sound is still there. I've looked at the drive shaft, all the joints, nothing is hot or looks like it is rubbing.

The noise starts around 55, goes until about 70-75 then gets less.

I've put the truck in 4x4 a number of times lately, and I'm worried it might be the 4x4 acting up. The 4x4 is strong, and works great, but maybe it's kinda engaged still or something?

Any thoughts?

 

[BIG GREEN 1991]

repack the bearings/ change? maybe a bad piston on the caliper?

 

[velacreations]

yeah, ok , that gives me something to check out. thanks.

 

[velacreations]

just looking through posts across the internet, I see a lot of things I can check out, basically all joints, bearings, 4x4 hubs locking (this is the most likely), etc.

I guess I'll start trying to find hot spots and joints with slack.

 

[OLDBULL8]

It's that damn Chihuahua barking when you get going faster than it can run.

I'll bet it's one of the front wheel bearings going out.

 

[velacreations]

It's that damn Chihuahua barking when you get going faster than it can run.

I'll bet it's one of the front wheel bearings going out.

hahaha that damn Chihuahua!

Is there a quick way to tell if a bearing is going out? I don't notice any slack in the front wheels. I guess I can see if either one heats up after driving for a while.

 

['94IDITurbo7.3]

what size is your "normal" tire and what size is your spare tire? Running two different sized tires on a drive axle is bad news.

 

[velacreations]

what size is your "normal" tire and what size is your spare tire? Running two different sized tires on a drive axle is bad news.

The normal size is 265/75 R16, I believe. Not sure about the spare, it is under the truck, and we got 2" of rain last night, so I'm not going to climb under there right now.

It's just slightly off size, but I do know that it is bad to use different sizes. I didn't really have an option, cause we live about 60 miles from the city. So, ti is what it is, and I hope I didn't screw my axle.

Is there a way I can check if I screwed it up?

EDIT: the spare is 9.50 R16

 

[velacreations]

I discovered today a broken leaf spring on the passenger rear side of the truck. 1/2 of one leaf is gone, broke just behind the axle. I suspect it broke, but took a while to fall out.

Could this have been the vibration at higher speeds? It makes some noise on our dirt roads,and I will be getting it fixed this week. I want to go through all the wheel bearings and ujoints as well, just to see if the vibration is coming from something else.