Weird noise ???

[Lone Watie]

This will be a little difficult to describe. When I first get the truck rolling in the morning, I'm hearing a rubbing sound which sounds somewhat rotational, in that it is not constant. It seems to be coming left front. It started a few weeks ago after I changed my crankshaft position sensor, where the only thing I had done was remove the started and reinstall. I have not lifted front end up yet to check wheels, but this noise stops after a few hundred feet, and seems to be only when the truck is not warmed up. If you have any tips please let me know so I can start checking into some things. The starter is brand new rebuild as of yesterday (warrantied one went out yesterday), and it's in there securely.Here's a little history:1. In Feb of this year I changed my starter2. Back in end of July, I replaced my crankshaft position sensor, and had to remove starter again3. This past weekend my starter went out at the store (had her towed home to fix)This sound is not so much a rubbing but a rumbling sound and like I said, it's not continuous but like there's one spot it's rubbing as I roll and then it stops (I think) after a few hundred feet, and doesn't do it again until the truck is cooled off. I was concerned it was the starter mechanism not retracting fully and rubbing the flywheel, and then retracting, but with having to replace a starter (which may have just been an auto zone dud) again this past weekend made me focus on the starter. I'll have to lift the front up a bit to roll the wheels around to check out if it's coming from the wheels to rule that out, but as I mentioned this all started when I replaced the crank sensor a few weeks ago. Any ideas?

[Lone Watie]

No one has any thoughts on this? I'm really baffled with it. Thanks.

[98whitelightnin]

I would jack up the truck and spin the tires.

[TROOPER254]

What about wheel bearings?

[Lone Watie]

Possible on the bearings, but just replaced those couple months ago, and they've been fine. Plus, it only does this when the truck is cold. If I went out right now and drove slowly forward with the truck warmed up, I won't hear it.

[Mopar1973Man]

I would look at...

[*]Wheel Bearing

[*]Brake calipers (Make sure the caliper is binding up)

[*]Brake hardware (bolts, caliper mounting, etc.)

[*]Front axle u-joints

I've seen over time where brake calipers bind up rub the rotor excessively and after sitting all night and cold rub and do weird things. I've had a report from anyother Dodge owner that was losing the hardware to the caliper and allowing it to rub at a weird angle.

[flagmanruss]

It's possible for a caliper to drag, either intermittently or even constantly. I had both front seize & the truck drove normally except for lousy mpg. Even went through state inspection (at a dealership, no less) with it. A year later a real mechanic jacked the front to check the ball joints & found he couldn't force the wheels to turn. The interesting thing was the pads weren't dragging but rust beyond the swept area.

[Lone Watie]

I will check that stuff out, but my concern is that this noise started only after I replaced my crankshaft position sensor a couple weeks back, and had to remove/reinstall the starter.

[Mopar1973Man]

Don't let your last repair hang you up too much sometimes thing just happen to fail at the same time of the failure too. So double check your work but don't let it hang you up too.

[Lone Watie]

Bearings and brakes are okay. Friend at work listened as I got going this morning and heard the noise coming from the front of the engine compartment. I'm leaning towards my belt slipping on the cogs of the fuel boss mechanical pump. I'll check the tension later. I'll keep you posted.