I have a 2003 Ford Ranger FX4 4.0., Manual Tranny. When I drive their is a noise coming from the drivers side front end, a humming sound that increases in pitch the faster I go, it is very loud and obnoxious. It is not engine noise because it makes it in every gear including neutral. When I turn hard enough to the right the noise completely goes away. I hear it turning left and going straight. I jacked up the truck and their was no play on the wheel. Help?

 

It could be your CV axle, anyone of your brake components, shock, etc...

Get down there and look to see if you see any grease coming from the black boots.

Its a shot in the dark but, go to a car wash and use a power washer and spray the hell out of your front end. Sometimes things like little rocks etc.. can get stuck in places and make funny noises.

 

could be a wheel bearing going out.....

 

check everything that turns wheels bearings, brakes, cv joints, lockers, things like that.

 

Welcome to the forum, and thanks for giving us your truck info and being descriptive! (it is rare)

My guess is that your problem is the right side wheel bearing.
It is common to have trouble from them. If you cannot feel play in them it can be tough to diagnose which side sometimes, although it may seem obvious. I can think of at least one other person who described exactly what you are and replaced the wheel bearing on the wheel that got quiet when on the outside of the turn. In your case it would have been the driver's side. It turned out to be the opposite though, and it got quiet when the wheel had less weight on it, on the inside of the turn.

Check again for anything stuck in the brakes, anything that is rubbing, and rotate the tires front to back. If the noise is still there, check for wheel play again and then take your best guess at replacement!

The wheel bearing/hub is one sealed unit. Most people on here order from rockauto.com, and if you search here and retailmenot.com you can find coupons. Good luck!

 

what kind of tires do you have?

It also sounds like a WB to be but like Brian said, if there's no play in the bearings it makes it hard to diagnose. It could *possibly* be the ujoint on the front drive shaft but the noise going away on one turn but not the other makes it seem less possible. It wouldn't hurt to get under there and make sure it doesn't have any play though.

Try putting the whole truck up on stands, put it in 4wd and have someone carefully get the truck up to "speed" and see if you can see/hear anything then.


If there's one thing I've learned, real well.. Its that ANYTHING is possible, I've seen some really f'd up stuff in my relatively short career as a mechanic so far.

 

It's a wheel bearing by the sound of it bud. My truck has done the same it's very annoying but it's a cheep.messy.easy fix lol