I have a 98 blazer 4x4 auto. Its got a bad vibration in the front end. It sounds like a bad wheel bearing.It is noticeable at low speed but at highway speed its terrible. When you turn to the left, and you have to REALLY push it hard, I noticed it roared a little. But not like you would expect from a bad bearing, making this much vibration. I pulled the wheels and checked out Hub and Bearing, CV axle, ball joints. The hub and bearing seemed tight and didnt make any noise when turned, and there was no play when I tried to move it with a crowbar. The lower ball joint is worn out on driver side. But the main problem I think is that when you turn the Driver's side wheel by hand You can here a subtle clicking sound coming from the Cv Axle Shaft or where the cv axle enters the front differential. Im thinking it could be either a bad inner CV joint gone bad or a differential problem. There is no boot damage , and no grease around boot .It doesnt click like traditional bad CV joints when turning a tight circle. Could the inside joint still be bad ? And could this joint be causing that much vibration ? Any thing else I might want to check ?

 

I am wondering if the 4wd system is still partially engaged. That would explain the tightness while turning, but not really the vibration at speed...

 

I was just experiencing what you are for the most part and it was my front wheel bearing. Vibration and tightness while turning left only. I thought it might have been the whole hub assembly, but the vibration was the major factor. The clunking only happened some of the time while turning left only.

I took it in to have it repaired, $385 later, no vibration, my turning radius improved and all seems good. My tired did seem to wear a little oddly on the front, but I am not sure if the bearing caused that, just a heads up.

 

a bad wheel bearing would cause tire to wear funny.

 

I DONT THINK THAT IT IS IN THE WHEEL BEARING/HUB. THE TIRES ARE 2YRS. OLD WITH MORE THAN HALF THREAD. THEY HAVEGOOD ANDEVEN WEAR. I CHECKED THE BEARINGS BY SPINNING AND TRYING TO PRY THEM TO CHECK FOR PLAY.BEARINGS SEEMED TIGHT.I HEARD ACLICKING SOUNDCOMING FROMTHE DRIVERS SIDEINNER CV/DRIVEAXLE, WHEN YOU SPIN THE TIRE BY HAND. SOUND LIKE THE SAME NOISE THATS CAUSING THE VIBRATION. IT STEERS GOOD IT ISN'T TIGHT AT ALL, LIKE ITWOULD IF IN 4 HI. THE 4X4 WORKS GOOD IT SWITCHES IN AND OUT GREAT. I WAS JUST WONDERING IF THE INNER CV JOINT COULD BE BAD, WITH OUT A BROKEN BOOT OR LEAKING GREASE ? AND IF IT COULD BE AN ISSUE WHERE AXLE ISIN SOME KIND OF BIND IN THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL ? IT DOES GET A LOT LESS NOTICEABLE IN 4 HI VERSUS DRIVING AT THE SAME SPEED IN 2HI.

 

ALSO, I JUST CHECKED CV/DRIVEAXLE ON BOTH SIDES BY JUST GRABBING THE SHAFT AND MOVING IT AROUND. THE SIDE THAT IS MAKING NOISE MOVES A GOOD 1/2"-3/4" MAYBE 1" IF YOU GRAB IT RIGHT BEHIND THE INNER JOINT ON THE SHAFT AND MOVE IT FRONT TO BACK. THE OTHER SIDE HAS SOME PLAY MAYBE 1/4"-3/8", BUT IT ALSO HAS A LEAKY BOOT WITH GREASE ALL OVER THE PLACE. IS THIS NORMALTO HAVE THIS MUCH PLAY? OR ANY PLAY ?

 

That definitely sounds excessive on the side which has over 1/2" of play.

By the way, CAPS ==> off. It is like yelling...

 

Thats too much play for sure

 

WELL I TOOK MY TRUCK IN TO A WELL KNOWN FRONT END MAN FOR AN ESTIMATE ON REPAIRS, SO I COULD REALLY GET A PARTS LIST. WHAT HE FOUND AFTER A SHORT DRIVE AND LOOKING UNDER IT IS, A BAD RF WHEEL BEARING, AND THE FRONT END IS WORE OUT (L&R UPPER-LOWER BALL JOINTS, TIE ROD ENDS, IDLER,PITMAN, INNER CV BOOT ). HE SAID THAT THE CV AXLES WERE GOOD AND,THAT HE DIDN'T EVEN HEAR THE DRIVESHAFT NOISE WHEN SPINNING THE TIRE, WHICH I BELIEVE (IN THE NOISY SHOP). I WILL POST BACK AFTER I CHANGE BEARING TO LET EVERYONE KNOW IF IT KILLED THE VIBRATION.

 

Well I changed the F.R. Hub/bearing today and I didn't make no difference. It still has the vibration. I really think it is coming from the F.R./passenger side. I rotated tires front to back and It was same. I will replace all ball joints and shocks tomorro, not that it will fix vibration. My question is could a driveaxle's inner cv joint cause this kind of noise and vibration if bad ? Cause to me both side could use replacing. Driver's side inner joint has some play, and clicks softly when you turn wheel by hand. Passenger's side has a leaky inner boot (NO TEARS in boot). Could this passenger cv axle joint be going out, possibly the vibration is coming from this joint ? It doesn't have alot of play in the joints from what I can tell, But the noise sound's like its coming from this wheel. When taking a hard left, it makes a louder tone to the vibration. And when i put it in 4 hi it changes tone a little,(It doesn't getquite as loud or vibrate as hard),But its still bad. Does anybody think a bad inner cv joint would make a bad vibration with noise ? or am i barking up wrong tree ?