Originally Posted by bigragu

Ok, thanks. I will look into that. I hate to get into new brakes for the front, cause it leads to so many other things: rotors turned, new bearings, races, grease, etc. Now that I'm back to work, time is not on my side. I wanted to save for new brakes and bearings when I do the king pin and u joints on the axles. Plus, my pads still have a lot of life on them. So what do I ask the counter guy for, this rubbery goo? I do have raybestos brake pad high heat grease, which I apply on the caliper slides.
No one has answered my inquiry about what signs are for bearing failure. What are the noises, symptoms?

Originally Posted by bigragu

Ok, guys, thanks for chiming in with valuable tips to check on. Had a local Goodyear shop check things for me, so here is my update:
Had the manager pull that drivers side wheel off. Let me back up...the manager had one of his techs take it for a spin, and as he left I could here the whining howl. When he get back in the Goodyear parking lot, which was a long narrow strip, he punches it and slams on the brakes, and man that noise is getting worse. It even whines now slightly at a stop, while in Drive. The minute you pop it in park or neutral, sound goes away. I'm starting to wonder, last week when I almost got run over when I popped the driveline off to tighten up the transfer case yoke nut(I posted this situation elsewhere. Stoopid move, as I did not chock the wheels, and I was under the truck with the truck pointed slightly uphill)in a panic I tossed the driveline on top of the transfer case yoke and got my fat butt out from the rolling truck. I had marked the yoke to driveline so as to reassemble everything in sync. In my hurry to get out from the truck, I believe the sharpie marks smudged off, and at re assembly, I did my best to "remember" how the driveline reconnected back onto the yoke. That was on a Wednesday. Went to work the rest of the week, and drove 200 miles home on Friday night, and to my buddy's tire shop Saturday. No noise at all. None. It's been after the new wheels and tires that that sound came about, and is getting worse.
Now back to the tech's findings: inner, stick on wheel weights are clear of the calipers, the calipers are clear of the wheels. Not a scratch mark on either the wheel or the caliper, to show signs of rubbing issues. So, that's good. Tech and manager seem to think its transmission or axle related. All fluids in diff and tranny are only a few miles old, and fluids are up to level, so that is out. I inquired maybe my bearings on drivers side hub, but the noise is there even with the truck at a stop, in drive. Gone when in N or P. Reverse brings it(noise) on, too, but only slightly. Sheezz!
So, I can see TMans theory... That bent backing plate could be vibrating with the engine in gear, at a stop, couldn't it? Is that a simple fix? Procedure? What do you all think with my update diagnosis?

Originally Posted by jtamulonis

the answer is right the second to last paragraph. "the noise is there even with truck at a stop, in drive. gone in N or P . reverse brings it (noise)on, too, but only slightly. Sheezz!" if the noise is there while stopped,in D or R, the cause is NOT in the wheel, brake caliper,dust shield, wheel bearing, drive shaft or transfer case. the noise has to be in the transmission, probably the torque converter or flex plate. with the engine running, and trans in P or N there`s no load on the torq converter or flex plate, so NO noise. drop it in D or R and now there`s a load on the flex plate and torq converter. you need to check if the flex plate is cracked. take the little tin plate off the bottom of the bell housing and look up there to see if it is cracked. if it is not cracked, then chock all the wheels, set the parking brake, and have a helper put the trans in drive while you are under the truck and listen with a short piece of heater hose, if the noise is coming from the torq converter or flex plate area.the early trucks had a small problem with cracked flex plates and dodge/Cummins changed the flex plate ( I think with the P7100 engines) some one can shed more light on when that took place. that`s my take on your problem. Butch

Originally Posted by bigragu

What is the difference, as far as the style and which application it calls for, between these two lug nuts? My original wheels use the one on the left, the wheels given to me use the right one. Just want to know for my personal knowledge. Is the flare ones better?

Originally Posted by j_martin

How can it be from the wheel or brakes if nothing (there) is moving?

You have a transmission cooler coil mounted high on the driver's side.

Originally Posted by mknittle

I can't tell by the picture but if the taper at the wheel end is the same the length is for just for looks. If not different wheel makers use different nut designs for various reasons. most often it just amounts to the preference of the designer.

Originally Posted by bigragu

Thanks, Mark. My original rims are back on, and use those ones to the left. The lug nut to the right, being 2" in length, was needed cause the wheels my buddy gave me had really thick mid section area. Was just wondering about the cone type end vs the tapered end with a bulge(long one)