2001 Tacoma Rubbing/Grinding while braking??

Usually, not always, the easiest, quickest way to test wheel bearing, at least for me, leave truck on ground and grab the tire at 12 o'clock position and push and pull aggressively. You're trying to feel a little bit of play. You may already know this, not trying to be captain obvious or anything.

 

^^^
That's how I first found the slack...

 

Wheel bearing may have a little play, but from the sounds and symptoms you're describing that doesn't sound like typical wheel bearing symptoms. Most describe it as more of a hum, that increases as vehicle speed increases. You can also bump the steering wheel(safely) left and then right, at 35-40+ mph, to put more vehicle weight on one side. Then the hum will be more pronounced, usually, one side over the other helping you narrow down which side has the failing wheel bearing.
To me, your symptoms don't sound like the typical symptoms of wheel bearing failure. Doesn't mean it's not that, just not symptoms I've heard.
So it's a clunk? Coming from a front wheel? Does turning either way affect the noise you hear? How do the tie rod ends look/feel?

 

I crawled under the truck yesterday again. And tried to look everything over. The tie rods felt tight. The only other thing I can think of if it's not the wheel bearing is the lower ball joint "having increased motion up/down/sideways" causing the thud/clunk and the slack in the wheel. As I push the wheel from side to side it has slack and a little thud.

I have not had a chance to completely break down the front drivers side to inspect everything.

 

You don't get any humming while driving?

 

No humming while driving, just a clunk/thud at low speed braking.

 

So I managed to get my truck at a good angle to take some pressure off of the front drivers wheel. I can feel slack in the upper ball joint when I hold my hand on it and wiggle the tire back and forth. The ball joints are only a few years old, sucks being the original set lasted about 12-13 years.

 

Alright guys well guess what??????? I changed the ball joints out and my clunk is still there. The ball joints definitely had slack but that wasn't the root cause of the sound. I'm at a complete loss now....... I have shaken and pulled on everything i know to try and reproduce the sound but no luck. Maybe it's telling me its just getting old..... haha

 

I wanted to give you guys an update on what I have found. I finally got time to do a complete front end disassembly and I feel my "clunk" was due to a broken lower strut bushing mount. It was allowing the strut to twist with brake pressure causing the clunking/thud. So I have my new bilstein 5100's on the way and should be good to go for the life of the truck. Anyone interested in some toytec 2.5" front aluminum spacers? I will be doing away with them since I'm moving to the 5100's.