I have a 2002 Crew Cab Duramax with 130,000 miles on the clock. I replaced the drivers side front hub and bearing appox. 10,000 miles ago. I was on my way home from a 6 hour trip yesturday and about 1/2 way home it sounded like the front drivers bearing was making noise. Seemed the noise was louder around 45 mph. It almost sounded like a real dry bearing up in that corner of the truck and under my feet.

I pulled into a gas station and asked a local there if there was a garage around that could look at it. He said the next town over, where he lived, might have one. He agreed to follow me and make sure I got there okay. We got to his town and the garage wasn't open. He happened to have a floor jack in the back of his truck so we lifted it and I checked it by grabbing the tire at the 12:00 and 6:00 location expecting to find some slop. I found nothing and I spun the wheel and it spun just fine.

I felt okay with driving the truck the rest of the way home. The noise will go away alittle when I turn the truck to the right, when I was driving down a straight road appros. 50 miles an hour. The noise would come rightback as soon as I when straight again. I think I looked like a nascar driver when they are warming up there tires before a restart. But I could get the noise to stop for a second when I turned it to the right. It is almost like a was putting a different load on the bearing? It just sounds like a dry bearing up there. Has anyone heard of a newer front hub/bearing going bad or drying out? Or is it possible that my inside brake pad is rubbing on my rotor and when I turn sharp to the right for a second that the rotor is moving away from the brake pad?

Also every once in a while I am hearing a pop in that area when I am turning left going into a gas station. The pop happens as soon as I run over that small curb. Mabey the brake caliper is binding and breaking loose causing the pop? Any help would be appreciated. I have read over and over about this wheel bearing problem but just don't know that mine would be on it's way out with only a few miles on them.

Just some more information as I don't have oversize tires on this truck. I have 265x75x16

Have you checked the CV joints in the half-shafts lately? 130K, they have given a good service life - if the haven't been replaced yet.

This may sound silly.....did you check the passenger side bearing? Good luck.

Thanks guys for the responses. I did check the passanger bearing also when I got half way home with the help of the nice person that had the jack in the back of his truck. It had no movement and spun nice. The noise sure sounds like it is up front, drivers side, up in the wheel area. I can only really hear it when I am driving it. I had someone else drive it while I was sitting in the passanger side and I really couldn't hear it there. The guy that drove it could hear it for sure in the drivers seat.

Pa32rt I haven't checked the cv joints yet. From what I understand I will crawl under the truck and push and pull on the shaft for movement? I will also check for any torn boot. I am going to change the front differential fluid and the transfercase fluid Tomorrow. Just trying the easy stuff first.

I am sure that when I changed that wheel bearing I used the instructions that are posted on Diesel Place. I am very fussy about following instructions exactly as stated. I don't think I would have over tightned the large axle nut. I wonder if I would loosen that nut up just alittle bit to see if the noise would go away? It sure sounds like a dry bearing out by the wheel. I will check the cv joint for any slop. If there is another way to check the cv joint please let me know how else to check it.

I am also experiencing the vibration some talk about. last week before my trip I took the tires down and had them all balanced. They were all okay. I was hoping they were off.

It just isn't fun when one is about 4 hours from home and the noise got me worried the wheel was going to fall off. I very seldom use my 4 wheel drive but that probably doesn't mean the cv joint isn't bad. I store it in the winter and really only use it in the summer for pulling my 30 ft. fifth wheel around to some camp grounds.

The thing that always bothered me was I originally checked the front drivers wheel bearing when the noise was up there in the first place. At that time I did find slop in the bearing and replaced it and figured that would take care of the noise. Well the noise really didn't go away if I remember right but it seems to be getting worse. Mabey it is the cv joint. I will check it and change the fluids Tomorrow. Thanks for the help. I love the truck I just wish I could get the little gremlens to leave. I wonder if being I leave the truck sit for a few months in the winter if I have flat spotted the tires and that might make it vibrate down the road? My dad says the flat spots should work their way out within a few miles. I am just trying to figure this out with the help from a good group of people.