Some times when i start moving in the truck it sounds like something is rubbing in the front passenger side. It also pulled to the right a lot. So i had an alignment done and also had lower/upper ball joints replaced as well as pitman arm and sway bar bushings changed. I also changed the wheel bearing hub assembly. However the noise still happens. Less since the bearing was changed, but it still does it. I am at a total loss. think it may be the cv joint, but i had my mechanic check it and he said it was alliright. 4x4 works fine so i'm hoping it's not the transfer case. To make the noise go away i just stop, normally, then it makes a pretty loud clunk noise and it stops.Also now and then it sounds like a bad wheel bearing. This is all very frustrating because it dosen't always happen. I am just about to pull my hair out. I hope someone can give me some insight into this problem.
Thanks in advance.

 

Could you describe the sound further?

And try to describe on what situations the noise starts, and stops

Is it a grinding, a squeak? A terrible noise can be a lot of things

 

It sounds like the mud flap is catching in the tire. But i have checked and see no signs of rubbing.
It does it when i start moving after i park in reverse, it gets louder the faster i go.It stops when i come to a complete stop with a loud clunk, then it wont do it until the next time I park
it did it once just from driving after about 300km.
Also it may be unrelated, but i doubt it, sometimes i get the whining sound of a bad bearing. Both hub assemblies in the front are new.
Also i know binding in the front end is normal on 4x4, however mine did it on a loose surface last time i tried it (gravel) while turning right.Maybe related?

thanks for your help.

 

i have the same exsact problem right now but it will quit as soon as i push the 4wd button. have you figured anything out ?

 

Your front axle may be engage partially. Mine did something similar right after we got it. Crawl up under the truck and find the Transfer Case vacuum switch. It is located on top of the front of the T-Case around the front drive shaft, its not very big and has 3 Vacuum lines going to it. its like a 9/16 wrench. If you pull it out and the little ball is jammed up in the switch, it's bad; you should be able to see like a 1/4 to 3/8 of the ball

 

thanks, i will check that out tonight it is a good possibility because i had the motor out and i could have hit it. the noise is deff coming from the pass side.

 

The other thing I would check is the engagement sleeve gear. This is what engages the 4x4 and it is a loop with a fork shaft that the vaccuum acuator pulls into mesh. This gear is pretty indistructable but the gear it meshes with is pretty soft and can be stripped. This is kinda a big job but is not impossible. You don't have to take out the front diff to do it, and you don't have to pull the whole diff carrier apart to do this either. Somewhere ive written my experience on when that vacuum switch fails altogether. And the gear stripped completely.

 

Thanks for the help, though its too late, i got rid of the truck cause that noise really freaked me out.

 

wonder how this turned out?

 

i havent fixed it yet but through research iam pretty sure its the vacume switch on top of the transfer case partially engaging the front axle. i unhooked the actuator under the batt and the prob went away.