Particularly when turning -- Don't ignore it, particularly if the "Brake" and "ABS" lights come on. They're leading indicators of trouble to follow. I however chalked it up to low brake fluid and an axle u-joint going south and figured I'd get to it "next week."

Well, as we pulled the boat out of the water on Wednesday I was greeted with an horrific squeal and binding in the right front wheel. The owner let me leave the boat and trailer at the lake and AAA charged me $130 to bring the truck 17 miles home. The week prior we'd done 400 miles round trip to a week's vacation with the trailer....

Today I installed a new hub assembly and U-Joint. AT 90K miles the hub had completely gone south and the U-Joint had one race that was all rust.

Tow $130 with AAA card
Hub $299 Napa on sale (Dodge was nearly $500)
U-Joint $64 Napa ("Precision" greasable)
1 11/16 inch socket for axle nut $10
Showing my 15-year old how to use a press to change u-joints, $Priceless.

Brakes are still good but I changed the brake fluid and lubed the slides.

I was able to get the hub out of the knuckle by backing out the four bolts and banging on them with a Big Hammer, the hub just laughed at the slide hammer. We don't have salted roads, but anti-seize is now between the new hub and knuckle.

I'm also seriously considering upgrading my AAA towing. The basic package only gets you five miles, and doesn't cover the trailer. It was $10 per mile thereafter.

 

I have the upgraded AAA, they towed my rockcrawler from Lake Tahoe to Roseville when I blew a rear R & P on the Rubicon one time. Cost me nothing. The tow truck driver was a dang sexy little blonde !!!!!!

 

Did you guys make sure to ask for a flat deck tow truck? Not a great idea to be towing a four wheel drive suspended...
On a lighter note, OOPS, did you chat the blonde up and get her number?

 

The driver pulled the drive shaft off the rear end. I was willing just to push the pinhead switch to set the transfer case to neutral, but AAA was willing to cover the R&R of the drive-line, apparently.

Our chatting was limited to comparing notes about who was still in the towing business over Donner Summit on I-80. I'd done it for a couple years about 1980. I didn't draw a young nubile blond driver, unfortunately.

 

I had already taken the d-shaft off, did not want to bust my dual t-cases.

She dolly towed it, it was fine.

Wife was with me, she was driving when the R & P blew.