Left front wheel noise or is death wobble ahead?

[Metrodps]

OK so I have noticed that me truck wants to "float" a little as I drive and the steering wheel seems to turn farther than normal while driving.

Next if I take it out of 4 HI into 2 HI I get a cross between a growl and a tick noise if I put it back in 4 HI it stops. Hubs are in Lock position (they are warn hubs).

Also the tranny for the first time (in three yrs) needed to have a pint of fluid put in.

Last year I did go through several streams one where water was up to the bumper but stream was only like six feet wide.

SO is this how death wobble starts? I have not tried putting hubs in free for fear it will screw it up. I can at least drive it 34 miles to a shop now. Thoughts would help me bu-choo!

 

[Fordum]

Lord, you rock climbers. You just don't know what to do when crossing water.
First thing, pull the fill plug on the front chunk and see if its overfull. And milky.
If so, don't panic, if you have kept it spinning a lot, odds are its ok. And I will get called on this one, but water in the grease is not very damaging if you don't let it sit.

Over the years, I have put thousands of miles on water contaminated rear ends, front ends, and manual transmissions.
The only time I saw damage was when the truck sat for a week. Then everything above the grease line rusted.

Then, jack up one front wheel at a time and look for trouble. Shake it ,wiggle it, and spin it. You are looking for a bad ball joint/kingpin and/or wheel bearing.

Try to do these two things soon. The water in the oil can damage things, and a bad wheel bearing can freeze up and send you off road, or even come off. But, if you have front disks, they will usually keep the hub and tire on even if the bearing fails completely.

Next, do the obvious. Watch the linkage while someone turns the wheel. Best if the engine is not running. Just have them turn it from where it gets tight to where it gets tight the other way.
Don't turn it so hard the wheels move, you are looking for play in the system, not whether the steering can move the tires.

And also check the air in all the tires. Stiff truck tires can be really low and still look full.
A low tire will cause all kinds of hunting. Especially on the rear.

 

[Metrodps]

Ok so now today I wake up and we have had about eight inches of snow. I have a doctor appointment and drive it. I go to leave and pull up their drive and it acts like it is in 2 wheel drive. The hubs are locked and it is in 4 HI by the shifter. I am taking it in Wednesday to have a place look it all over and see what they see.

I betting is is something bent or sheared off. Just my luck I will need a new Flangamacallit and it will be $8 killzilion dollars.

Fordum I don't have any one to help around here so as best I can tell no slop couldn't jack it up to do other. Will see what they tell me next week.

 

[Metrodps]

OK multiple problems;

Lower ball joint on LH has about 1/8 play seems I washed the grease out of the hubs and have stripped them! Good thing they are Warn Premium hubs ($239.00) NAPA will replace the part free once I find the receipt.

Cost to fix the ball joints (upper and lower) repack wheel bearings and install new hubs $300.00

Time to find something to sell!