Originally Posted by dja4260
Originally Posted by mclasser
Wheel bearings can sometimes make noise but have no play and vice versa.
To rule out a possible bad tire, rotate it to the back and see if the sound moves.
Okay, I did just that and the noise was the same. I put the vehicle on jack stands and spun both the front wheels. The one in question was much louder...
I'm heading over to rockauto right now...
Here are some useful ways to test:
Grab the tire at 3 and 9 and rock. See if there's play. If so, could be tie rod or bearings.
Grab tire at 6 and 12 and rock. if play, could be ball joints and bearings.
Spin wheel with one hand, grasp a coil of the spring. bad bearing will pass on vibration most of the time.
After some city driving, get out and feel wheel hub(s). A hot one can indicate a bad bearing or stuck caliper bolts/piston (dragging brakes).
Between all these test, you can get a pretty good idea of problem.