('07) What does a bad front wheel bearing sound like?
 

My '07 has begin to make a noise since the weather turned cold. It sounds like tire tread hum, but the tires never made that sound before. The hum changes pitch according to the speed and sounds like it's coming from the front. Any ideas?

A Bearing makes a roaring sound similar to a tire tread sound. A bearing sound will change as you swerve side to side. Run your hands across the tires in all directions if they are choppy feeling that could be your noise. Rotate the tires see if the noise follows.

+1 on the tire rotation. For some reason, the front tires on Tahoes (all 4WD?) wear on the outer edge. I found that I have to rotate about every 5K to keep it under control. And yes the alignment was checked and in spec.

jacking up the front end and rotate the tires by hand and you can listen for any grinding, but something else besides a bearing is a dragging brake pad of worn pad gouging the rotor will make that sound too...

Hey Marc new Tahoe nice! sorry I've been a way from the forum have you posted pictures?

Not yet. Can't keep it clean in this winter we've been having. Never had this problem before global warming. ;)

Epilog....
 

Five weeks after my first post on this, we traveled from our home in central Massachusetts to southern New Jersey. As we approached our destination, the hum (which I had gotten use to) suddenly turned into a grinding metal on metal sound. I barely made it to the dealership where I had purchased it (salesman friend from the old neighborhood) where it promptly died and refused to move any more without considerable grinding and metalic crunching. I left it there overnight for servicing. The problem was diagnosed correctly. It was a total failure of the right front wheel bearing. The bearing and hub were replaced in 1.1 hours under the 100K drivetrain warranty, and I was good to go this morning! Surprisingly, I experienced a +2mpg difference in economy on the way home. Don't know if that is attributed to the new bearing, or the 40 degree temperatures we experienced on the way back to the icebox.

Not called for.

Nothing against you either..man...but perhaps you just don't read very well...or perhaps you just sit in wait to take pot shots at forum members. The only symptom I had was something that sounded mild tire hum. I drove 250 miles at 70mph without any problem. It wasn't until I reached the dealer that the bearing came apart. READ! "...as we approached our destination" ie. less than a mile. Of course, you no doubt assume that everyone (like yourself) knows what a bad bearing sounds like, and knows the hazzards.

You are right man i read part of it wrong. What If the bearing had came apart running 70mph and the wheel fell off. I dont just sit on here waiting to take pot shots at people. I mean if there is any chance even the slightest that a problem could be a wheel bearing it should not be put off even a day i think. But i should have stated that a little different before.

Half the dealers would have told him it was "operating as designed" and the rest would probably have told him it was his tires and tried to sell him four new tires at full retail.