Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

The folks on this forum always seem to have the answers and I have another strange issue.

1994 T100, 3.0L V6, 5 speed Manual, free hubs installed.

For years now I have had this strange noise tied to the revolution of the front wheels. The sound is a low rumble. RRRRR, RRRRR, RRRRRR. As the wheels go around. Kind of like a bent fender rubbing a tire. It is not a solid noise but builds and falls. This only happens when the temperature is around ZERO degrees F and with the front end disengaged. A year back I installed free hubs on this truck. With the hubs in the free position I don't get this noise so it has to be tied to the front differential and shafts. Lock it up and engage the front differential and it will usually go away. Sometimes it will still make the noise in 4WD but the problem is mostly with the hubs locked and the differential in 2WD.

A dealer service dept. has told me it's due to cold grease balling up around something called a stub axel. When things warm after a few miles it will stop. The dealer also told me it would be about 1000 bucks to dissemble the thing and get it cleaned up and new grease installed. That seems expensive to me. I put new rotors on a year back so I know how to remove the front hub and stuff. 1000 dollars to grease something is kind of ridiculous.

Does this explanation make sense to any of you? Do any of you have any parts diagrams of where this stub axial is? I still plan to deep six this entire ADD system. I think it sucks anyway.

Thanks to all of you who have posted help to the rest of us. I only wish I had the skill and background to be of the same help.

L