Front end noise

Was driving home from the lake today in my 2007 pre runner DCSB 4.0 auto, pulling my boat as I have hundreds of times, and heard/felt an unusual sound from the front end (I think). The noise/sound/vibration was something like you might hear if you hit a 6" rough spot on the road. Just a little bit of a tick/rumble. At slower speeds it doesn't happen so often. After I got home and unhooked boat, we went for a short ride on the interstate and it happens apparently about anywhere beyond 50mph or so.

I quickly checked both wheel bearings (one was replaced by me a few weeks ago (ordered the complete bearing hub assembly from the guy that sells them here) and the other was replaced about 2 years ago. Both feel rock solid and make no noise when spun as fast as possible by hand. No play of any kind.

Anyone ever had something similar? Sort of sounds like what you might hear/feel if the wheel well liner was loose and rubbed against the wheel every now and then for a fraction of a second, but it is very hard to isolate where it comes from, other than to say most of the time I can actually feel it in the steering wheel... Going to take both wheels off tomorrow morning and check the bearings to be sure the 4 bolts are tight and that I don't see any issues behind the o-rings...

Other ideas?

 

Do you have 4wd? If so look at this thread and see if it matches for you.

Something that sounds like a rumble strip for me is a tire rub. Do you have stock sized tires?

 

First, its a pre runner (4 x 2).

Second, it is running 265x70 R16 and the noise is not while turning. Not while hitting bumps. On dead smooth road. I just took it for another test drive this morning, drove about 10 miles at interstate speeds, nothing. Which suggests it might be something like a wheel bearing that has to get hot before it starts to bind and make the occasional noise.

I jacked up each side, zero play in either front wheel, in any direction. Going to drag my boat to the river this afternoon (about 25 miles one way). Will see if I hear the noise, but I suspect not as I have pulled it down there 3-4 times a week for a while now. First time I heard this was yesterday on a 75 mile pull to a different lake...

 

Could it be your Serpentine belt/idler arm?? In proper tension or stretched/slipping belt might do the same?

 

checked that. No. In fact, at 70mph I turned motor off going downhill, and noise persisted...

Towed boat 25mi one way today (and back). No repeat. Didn't happen until the last 25 miles of the 75 mile pull yesterday. Might be temp related.

 

rotate your tires front to rear? See if your noise moves to the rear.

 

It usually manifests itself differently, but maybe a worn Ujoint or center bearing?
If not that, if it gets to the point that it occurs more frequently perhaps you can hang an action cam or cell phone cam in different places under the truck, either to hopefully see something or hear the event more clearly, perhaps narrowing down a location.

I just replaced my bearings and hubs. I've not heard of one intermittently failing after it warms up, but sounds like a possibility. Mine smoothed out with some heat before replacing them.

 

Did you ever figure out what it was. My 2007 DC prerunner 4X2 started doing the same thing last night. Only thing that I can see is possible steering stabilizer leaking. Any thoughts?