[mattk]

Ok I have done a search on this and have not really found anyone with the same problems, so I am going to post this and see what happens. My Durango is a 4X4 with the 5.9 and 120,000 miles. The problem I am having is when driving between 45-65 mph I have this bad rumbling noise that I cannot pinpoint where it is coming from. I have ridden in the back, in the front, hung out the window while my wife drove down the road and cannot tell if it is a front or rear noise. Anyway the sound does not start until 45mph and rumbles all the way until you get to 65-70mph and it goes away. It sounds like a bad tire but I just had new tires put on and it didnt change. I have read on hear about bad front bearing assmeblies but didnt want to change it out yet not knowing if this might cause this noise. Being my Durango has all wheel ABS the bearing is $160.00. I replaced the front right half shaft the other day due to the rubber boot being torn. I need to replace the tie rod ends, and when you jack up the Durango and grab the wheel at 12 & 6 o'clock you can move the wheen back and forth. Would this be the tie rod ends or the bearing assembly and could this cause this noise? Sorry for the long post and any info would be appreciated.

Matt

 

[WarrensD]

If it's not suspension, maybe the pinion?

 

[Soykes]

Matt,
I just did a post on this and then saw your thread. It sounds like the wheel bearing. The only other thing to look at when you move the wheel is the upper control arm bushings. If you can see these moving, then they are shot. If they do not move and the wheel assembly does, it's your bearing assembly. Believe it or not, $160 isn't bad. I paid double that for mine. I'm sure there was a markup and my D is a 2000 with ABS 4x4 which might be different, but all is well now that job is done. At least the shop threw in a free alignment and fixed a caliper bolt problem on my spindle with no extra charge. I guess you could say I bought "peace of mind", which is priceless when you are riding with family on trips.

 

[mattk]

Thanks for the replies. I am really leaning towards the wheel bearing from what I am getting from searching. I guess I should go ahead and change it and see what happens. I do know the tie rods ends are shot because you can grab them and wiggle them back and forth. Those are getting replaced here asap. I agree with you on the family safety too. My wife drives the Durango more than me and I want it to be safe. I get to drive my little Metro to work......LOL!!!! Hey what can I say it gets 45-50 MPG and runs great with 180,000 miles on it. I drive around 75 miles a day round trip so I couldnt afford to drive the Durango. Besides my Metro cost me $1500.00. Cant beat that for an everyday commuter. Anyways didnt mean to get off the subject. I think I am gonna change out the tie rods ends and the bearing and go from there. I will let you know what I find out. That $160.00 for the wheel bearing is me doing all the work. I pretty much do all my own work, so that saves me a lot of money.

Matt

 

[mattk]

Ok I just replaced the bearing assembly tonight and just my luck there was no change in the rumbling noise. One good thing is that the bearing was definately shot so it wasnt a waste of money. I did have to HeliCoil the caliper bolt due to it being stripped when I went to put it back in. Also when I went on the test drive my ABS and brake light came on. Anyways so I am back to square one on the rumbling noise. Any other suggestions would be great if anyone knows where I shoud go from here.

Matt

 

[NH_driver]

$160 is definitely a decent price. I paid 2X that for factory non-ABS bearings.

Are you sure the other bearing is OK?

To date, my '98 has had both front bearings, inner and outer rods, upper and lower balljoints, steering coupler shaft, and shocks. And, it still feels sloppy. I think the steering gear has play. I also think I'm due for the steering idler.

If your noise isn't the other bearing... well... whoa. It could be front CV or front diff. Did the noise start AFTER you replaced the shaft? Check the universal joints? Check rear pinion or rear axle bearings? Just a few ideas.

 

[mattk]

The noise started right after I purchased the vehicle before
I replaced anything.......Imagine that!!! I am not getting any movement on the drivers side wheel like a bad bearing. Like I said in my first post I really cant pinpoint if the noise is coming from the rear or the front. No movement from the rear wheels either so I dont suspect a rear wheel bearing either but you never know. I hate to just start replacing parts not knowing what it is but I may be at that point. Just strange that the noise only happens between 45-65 MPH. I really dont know where to go from here.

 

[WarrensD]

Sounds like rear pinion....

 

[Soykes]

Hey Matt,
The mechanic that changed my bearing had to switch to a different manufacturer (not sure which one) because my ABS light also came on. It turned out that the sensors in the bearings were not detecting any speed at all. He ended up tearing it all apart and re-doing it again--both sides. He made no money on the job that day. I was hoping the bearing was your problem.
Good Luck,
Soykes

 

[mattk]

Is there a way to check the pinion or is it just a total rearend rebuild and hope it fixes it? Also how do I know if my sensor on the new bearing is working?

 

[Soykes]

I'm not sure about the pinion, but the sensor was checked by the mechanic using a device that connects to the computer which reads the speed when you are driving and tells you the speed of the front and rear wheels which I believe controls the ABS system. In my case he found that the fronts were both zero, and the back showed the correct speed. It's getting real tough for the "Backyard Mechanic" not in doing the job itself, but having all the tools to do the job!

 

[mattk]

Well I finally got back to the Durango today. Found out why my ABS and brake light were on. I figured I would put my old ABS sensor from my old bearing back on and see if the new one was bad. When I got to the new sensor I found that the brake rotor was rubbing on the sensor wire and had worn through the insulation. The wire wasnt broke but it was bare and against the rotor. I figured it was shorting out and throwing the lights. I taped up the wire real good and wire tied the wire out of the way. All is well no lights!!! Now to figure out the rumbling noise. I guess I will rebuild the rear end and see if that fixes it. I will update you guys as I go along. Might be a couple of weeks before I get to the rebuild. Getting busy at work and working more hours. Wish me luck!!!

Matt