Wheel Bearing Video

Cupping normally is tire balance, or shocks. Loose ball joints, or tie rods can also cause an issue. Normally you would feel a shake in steering wheel however with loose parts. I would lean more towards tires or shocks. I did not see that you noted how many miles on tires? If both sides cupping I would not think a wheel bearing is at issue. 62K is pretty low miles for wheel bearing problem [not that they can't fail], very unlikely.

 

That sounds exactly like mine! Is it possible that the 8” clamshell is just a noisy diff, and I am just overthinking it?

 

Thanks for the feedback. Still have the “from-the-port” Nittos on there, so the tires also have 62k on them. I didn’t consider that the tires could just be out of balance until you just mentioned it … They have worn so well thus far that I never had to worry about it (tread wise I could probably get another 10k miles if they didn’t start cupping). The cupping only began ~8-10k miles ago, I didn’t even notice at first until I had rotated cupped fronts already and saw that all 4 are now cupped. They’ve been getting much louder obviously due to the abnormal wear. The pattern is clear to see now: on both edges of the tire, the tread is cupped in which every other tread is 1/8-1/4” lower than those next to it.

Do tires need rebalancing throughout their service life? I had always assumed (perhaps ignorantly), that once they are balanced they are good to go as long as the tread wears evenly.

 

I also have a similar noise only on the driver’s side, and it sounds like it’s coming from the diff. I don’t think mine is as loud, but it could just be the microphone proximity in your video. I also can’t hear anything while driving. I’ll add that I already have the ECGS bushing, so it’s not needle bearing related.

 

I ordered the ECGS kit just for the hell of it.

I more want to get rid of the clunk I get once in a while and maybe the shaft is loose in there.

I did not remove the hub to see nor am I going to until I do the bearing. Might as well do it now it’s almost guarantee to need to be replaced.

let you know if it gets rid of my noise

 

Tires do need rebalancing at times due to tire wear, or weight loss off wheel. Usually when you buy new tires MOST tire shops offer LIFETIME FREE rotations, balancing and minor flat repairs.

 

This is a very informative thread even though the solution problem hasn't been completely identified. I thought the needle bearings were in the hub assembly. Are you guys taking the hub apart and replacing the bearings? I must be missing something here...

 

The needle bearing is in the differential, where the CV shaft rides. That bearing is notorious for having sloppy clearance, and can wear out prematurely, creating noise that usually can be heard in the cabin, which goes away if you put the TC in 4H. The noise I've read about from owners who've experienced it, though, sounds nothing like that in post #14.

The fix is replacing the needle bearing with the ECGS bushing.

 

Another early symptom of a wheel bearing failure is a high pitched squealing when you turn one direction or the other while driving.

 

Ok that makes sense. Thank you. And aren’t the bearings in the hub assemble also referred to as needle bearings? I had them go bad on my Raptor a while back and had to replace the hubs. The little bearings were all over the place.

 

I'm still wondering if it could be completely normal since several people are reporting it with no symptoms.

I would be SUPER cool if a few of you could toss a jack under your LF, give the wheel a spin by hand and let us know if there is any noise like in Blutos vid or this one:

 

Just finished replacing my needle bearing.

Absolutely 0 noise from the diff now. I could not get the clunking sound in the 15 min I drove so will keep and eye on it.

The slight rumble while slowing down is also gone.

I’m assuming I caught it early but glad I got it out of the way. My suspension is stock minus the road active suspension add on for the rear.

Pic of needle bearing it looked ok.

 

So the rotational clicking/tapping noise in your vid is gone? So strange, Ripmo said the bushing did not help his noise.

 

Completely gone. I didn't bother to take a video since it wasn't making noise.

Maybe it wasn't the needle bearing since mine looked fine. I couldnt feel any play in any of the needle rollers.

All I know I'm glad its gone.

 

At least you know your needle bearing won't go out now.

 

Yeah thats why I did it.

Cheap insurance.

 

Wanted to update the folks who took part in this discussion, or those who might have a similar concern:

I replaced the needle bearing with the ECGS bushing. The clicking sound from my original post was/is still present. I am fairly certain that it’s just a normal noise created by the gears in the front diff - possibly louder at full suspension droop. I’ve still had zero issues in 2WD/4WD.

The alarm was originally sounded by my old tires cupping severely. I replaced the shocks on all 4 corners. No cupping yet in the first 4k miles on the new Mickey Thompsons - we shall see.

Thanks again for everyone who contributed advice. Cheers!

Off topic: Two thumbs up for the Baja Boss A/Ts - I’m definitely not a tire guru, but I’ve been very impressed.