New to me 2005 TRD Off Road, front end noise

I'm a new forum member as of today and need a bit of advice.

I just acquired this very nice 2005 Tacoma TRD Off Road V6-4.0 2WD 179K miles in great condition inside and out. It's a 2-owner family vehicle, great maintenance history and I'm likely going to make a few repairs and then re-sell it. I picked the truck up in Dallas last week and had to get it back to my home in Atlanta over the weekend. I wish I needed "another" truck but I don't, otherwise I'd keep it. I put a brand new set of Goodyear Wrangler Territory AT's a few days ago and an alignment as I attempted to deal with some front end and drivability issues when I got the truck late last week.

The problem is it's making a font end grinding noise, sort of like the noise you get when driving on the grooved highway edges. It makes this noise at all speeds >20mph, and makes it when driving straight or turning left. When you turn right the noise goes away until you straighten the wheel again. Knowing it was making this noise and needed tires badly when I got it last week, I had the work and the tires done at Toyota of Dallas and they diagnosed the noise as the front right hub/bearing assembly, so they replaced it when they did the tires and alignment. After these repairs, it's still makes the noise but I had to get it back home to Atlanta over the weekend, so I drove it as-is and it made the trip just fine. I'm going to bring it to a local Toyota dealer today to re-diagnose it.

The obvious fault here is still wheel bearing, but the front right was supposedly the bad one and replacing it made no difference. I had the front left checked at an Atlanta Goodyear store and they said it is solid and good. WTF?

Other than this, it drives and runs great, I was getting 21MPG at highway speeds 70-75. The fuel meter is not operating correctly, I understand that is a common problem. No other issues than what I wrote here. Any advice from this forum?

 

Jack truck up and spin wheels
If its bearing u can usually fee; it
It should feel smooth, try both sides
If u turn and goes away usually bearing

 

This is exactly what I did when I had Goodyear look at it after I made the drive back to Atlanta (800 mile drive). They put it on the lift, spun and checked stability of both front wheels, and the rear ones for that matter, too. They said it all felt tight and was smooth. A quick test drive confirmed noise still exists, but they couldn't replicate it on the lift.

 

Even if the noise clearly comes from the front? When Goodyear looked at it, they had it on the lift and spun the rear wheels by putting it in "D" and letting the rear wheels spin. No noises.

 

Yup noises can be hard to track down
In the spring i had a similar noise
Sounded like pass side. Asked my friend told me yea pass side
I replaced wb and noise was still there
Turned out to be the drivers side
Not saying its wb but has all the signs as it is
You should check it yourself
Jack it up spin it both way listen real close
Some times you cant hear it but fell it when u turn by hand
Good luck

 

Cooling fan shroud, interesting. You'd think it would make noise at all speeds including some intermittent noises at idle, right?