[ArcF1]

Hopefully, you can pull out from your memory bank one of those rare and surprising solutions for a problem that is reported often but for which the proposed and obvious solutions are not working for me.

I have a 2005 Dodge Ram 1500 short bed, 2WD, with the 5-speed automatic transmission and 4.7 L engine. Purchased new, never damaged, maintained by the book. Runs as perfect as a truck can run except for the following problem.

— Humming-whining-whirring noise seemingly from the right front.
— The loudness and frequency increases with vehicle speed.
— When I unload the right side by taking a right-hand turn, the noise goes away.
— If I load the right side by taking a left-hand turn, noise volume and character do not change.
— If I coast in neutral, there is no change in the noise characteristics.
— if I change gears but keep the speed the same, there is no change in the noise characteristics.
— When I brake or accelerate, no change in the noise characteristics.

I have fifty years as a car enthusiast and Saturday mechanic, working on all my cars old and new, specialty and non-specialty, and I am stumped. I would appreciate your critical thinking on possible causes and how I would test for the cause. My truck is almost 18 years old and in near perfect condition and I want to drive it for ten more years, but the whining noise makes it sound like a schlock rod.

BACKGROUND
I have eliminated tire noise, improper wheel alignment, and worn wheel bearing. Here is the story.

1. I don’t know when the humming-whining-whirring noise started (hereafter let's call it the whining noise) because I ran a Gibson Super Truck muffler for many years and the muffler covered up any noises that might have developed either gradually or instantaneously.

2. The truck came with P245/70R17 tires. I installed much taller P255/75R17 M&S on the stock wheels during the time I had the Super Truck muffler installed.

3. When I removed the Super Truck muffler near the end of the service life of the tires, the whining noise was present.

4. I removed the worn tall tires and replaced them with similar tall tires (P255/75R17 M&S). The whining noise remained. I rotated the tires after 2,000 miles. The noise was still there.

5. I had the best and most experienced alignment expert in the city check and adjust the front-end alignment. He worked on it for two hours due to the fact he missed the front springs dropped 3/4 of an inch over time, and he had to redo the camber. He noted the whining noise and said to keep an eye on the right front wheel bearing, though he said there was no play in it.

6. I eventually replaced the right front wheel bearing with an OEM wheel bearing, because, well, it sounded just like wheel bearing noise. That was a waste of money as the whining remained.

7. When I unload the right side, there is zero tire noise from the tires. Truck is very quiet. So that eliminates tire noise.

Thanks for reading this far. Here are some unqualified guesses on my part: transmission output shaft bearing, drive shaft universal joint, wheel or suspension resonance set up due to tall tires, transmission.

Thanks for any suggestions you can offer.

Regards,

Lowboy

View attachment 632036

The problem is right there in the picture. The truck is way to clean and has been over maintained. Get it out in the mud and put a few dents in it. 👍 nice truck.