1998 s-10 4x4
Problem is up at the driver's front wheel area.

I hear a humming and feel a vibration in the floor board. The humming is more a pulsing than a continuous sound. It increases/decreases with speed.
Turning the wheels sharply, engaging 4x4 have no effect on the sound. When jacked up, that side 'seems' to spin as freely as the passenger side.

I have a new(ish) hub up there with fewer than 900 miles on it. Also have new tires on all corners.

What I have done is swap that front tire to the back to rule out the tire and the sound persists.

While swapping the tire I noticed the boot on the front axle CV joint at the hub is shot. It sprayed its lube all over the inside of the wheel and the wheel well.

Soooo....here are my questions:

1) do I assume the new hub is bad and replace? Then go for a drive and if still humming it wasn't that.
2) do I assume the drive shaft joint is bad and replace the shaft?
3) can I pull the front shaft out on that side and drive or will the transfer case puke fluid all over the place?
4) is removing the front shaft easy?

thanks for any thoughts/comments

Will

 

How many miles are on it?
How did it start? Like all of a sudden or you could here it start.
Does it make a louder noise when you turn? I just replaced my cvs, it was not to hard to do. The hardest part I thought was trying to tap the cv end to get it from the front differential. I don't know if fluid will come out, I changed my fluid at the same time.

I also replaced both my hubs too they were bad.

When is the last time you replaced your u joints.

 

135 miles on Blazer....less than 900 on the 'new hub'. It began on the freeway when I was going on a 4 hour drive. Didn't notice a sudden start to the sound, just eventually said...."hey...that's a strange noise...I didn't notice that before." The noise got louder as I drove home.

No change in the sound when I turn. The hub I replaced would change sound when I turned which is why I'm not sure this is the hub again.

By U joints do you mean the ones on the front drive axle or the ones on the drive shaft?

 

You are going to have to repair that boot on the CV shaft before too long or you will end up replacing the front half shaft.

 

Do you think the shaft is making the noise or the replacement hub?

I have never replaced a boot, I assumed I would just replace the half shaft.