Hi all, new here...........hopefully I can find some info that will help me here. 1st thing i have a what I call a "whining" in the from what I can tell is the master cyl area, its the only thing i can think of being the problem, it does not get louder with increase of rpm nor does it get louder as you turn the wheel..........steady and constant, am I looking in the right place? 2nd when in 4hi from time to time there will be a "binding" in the front wheels more than usual it is in the drivers side, is this a vaccuum actuator issue as I have read about in previous posts or something bigger? Thanks in advance for any and all suggestions.

 

I have the same "whining" sound too in my 2000 blazer and am also looking for what it might be. The only thing i know about it is that its coming from the front of the car.

 

Glad to know im not alone..............for whomever can shed some light on this , may I add a twist to the scenario, I have outer tire wear on the drivers side tire............more than normal compared to the other 3. I will assume this is the bearing going out...........could all of my problems be associated with this?

 

Jack the tire off the ground that has the ware, and rock it in the up and down direction, if it has some give and doesn't feel very firm its probably your ball joint.

 

well looks like there is no help coming, im going to change my diff and transfer case fluids this weekend, i will let you know if it changes anything.

 

To the OP, does it sound like a plastic gear set stripping by (ie. one stationary plastic gear and another gear turning, clicking as each tooth flexes over)? If so, check the throttle and cruise cables where they pass over the passenger side valve cover. You want to make sure that they are not resting against the PCV line which goes from the driver side valve cover into the intake manifold. If this is the noise you are experiencing, it is from the rapid opening and closing of the PCV valve, the sound of which is being transmitted into the cabin through the throttle cable.

If that does not describe the noise or if you checked the lines and found everything fine, then I have some more questions.
[ol][*]Does it make the noise regardless of whether you are in 2wd or 4wd?[*]Does it do it in park? In neutral? In reverse? In drive?[*]Does the noise change with ground speed?[*]Is the noise louder when the engine is cold?[*]Can you attempt to pin point the noise?
[/ol]If the noise is present even when the vehicle is stationary, you can use a long screw driver as a sort of stethoscope, placing the metal end on various non-moving and non-energized portions of the engine (exterior of the alternator, A/C compressor, power steering pump, etc) with the engine running. The other end you will put up to your ear.

About the OPs "binding" when in 4HI. 4HI is meant for low traction surfaces. When on high traction surfaces and turning, it is typical for the front end to bind.

If you feel binding when going straight, then it is entirely different... Abnormal wear on the outside of the driver side tire could be a ball joint, but most likely is an alignment issue. When a bearing fails, you could get a whirring noise, but it would have to have been bad for a very long time to affect tread wear. The binding could be a caliper hanging up as well.

Oh, to kbaker308, nice attitude you have there. Two days and already with the "no help coming" comments. Way to get help... Thanks for letting me know.

 

I had a noise similar to that and found a small hole in the brake booster. Not enough to effect the brakes but enough to makae a funny noise.