2002 ford explorer front end noise

my wifes explorer has a growling out of the front end, mostly when turning . you can feel it in the steering wheel. when straight it is not as loud or as felt. mostly can only feel it at low speeds. to it to the ford shop, they said it was the wheel bearings, they changed the 2 left one but no help. My wife thinks it started after a wheel change from a flat tire she got. now last week she said she was turning and the wheel got real hard for a sec. it did it a couple of times. fluid is fine and so is the belt.

Its defiantly in the wheel bearing, weather it be a bad hub or Ford didn't change the races.

wouldn't there be slop in the wheel if it was in a hub? no side to side movement.

Growling noises are often associated with power steering pump noises. The symptoms described could be consistent with a power steering pump that has air in it. You might try turning the steering wheel all the way in one direction to the lock, then hold it there for no more than a couple of seconds to see if that's very similar to the growling noise your wife hears.

If the steering were turned, either at the wheel or with the steering wheel, while the engine was off during the flat tire change, it may have introduced air into the system.

Did the dealership witness the same growling noise before determining wheel bearings were the problem? I don't understand how a trained technician would confuse power steering pump noise for wheel bearings.... In the early stages of bearing failure, there may not be perceptible play in the bearings.

You might search the forum for 'power steering' as there have been a few threads related to purging air from the system.

Also, my dad, who's a retired mechanic/technician of 45 years, has told me a story about a Ford Thunderbird that another shop had replaced the rack and pinion, flushed the power steering system, then put a pump on to try to solve a power steering noise. The noise failed to go away so they brought it to my dad for suggestions. Almost by accident, he found a very dry, very tight ball joint to be causing the problem. It was loading up the steering enough to cause a growl and inconsistent power assist at lower speeds. At idle, the IAC was having a hard time compensating for the large load on the system. It's difficult to imagine this would go unnoticed during a bearing change, but then again, I would think it would be noticed during a rack and pinion change as well.

-Rod

the tec thought the noise was from the rear end and said it was the cluch pack,he put in some additive and said it was ok. but i feel it in the steering wheel. the wheel can be in the same and not im motion. would a air do that? it almost feels like a tire rubbing the fender. i know its not that but kinda shounds and feels like it. the turning hard is new but the growling is 6mo old and i getting louder and more often.

the wheel can be in the same and not im motion. would a air do that?

I'm not sure what you're asking here. If you're stating that you don't need to be moving to feel something in the steering wheel, then, yes, air in the system could do that. Or, if something in the steering is binding, causing a constant load on the power steering pump, that could cause it too.

-Rod

sorry lets explain better it not when turning the wheel it self but if wheel is turned and i move then you here and feel it.

How fast do you need to be going to hear it? How fast to feel it? Do you always hear and feel it at the same time?

Are there any descriptors other than "Growl" that you might use to explain the sound?

-Rod

its always at the same time. It starts as soon i i move. the faster you go the less it is or just less i can feel it. the best way to describe it is like the tire is rubbing the fender,( its not) but not as loud, it deep and quiet. If feels like your holding somthing that is spinning in our hand and it not smooth. nothing hard but like rubbing and the tred is shaking the wheel. mosty when turning.or more like the turning stared it. doesnt matter how sharp. but can't here it from out side the car. when it started my wife said only when she turned left sharp, but now it doesnt matter.it seem to stop mosty when you go straight, when it does do it you can barly tell. its not constant, it will do it for couple sec then stop then do it more but will do it with most turns at slow speeds under 30mph

That doesn't sound like wheel bearings to me from your descriptions. I do feel that a power steering pump growl would be audible from outside the vehicle, which you say isn't the case. It could be an outer CV joint.

I think you need to ask around to your friends to find out if there is a different shop they would recommend, then have an experienced tech go for a ride with you.

-Rod

ty for all your help im in the city this week so ill take it to a different dealer

Please report back with what they suggest or perform to repair the issue.

-Rod