I have a 2006 Chevrolet Uplander with about 80,000 miles which has started to have a rubbing sound in the right front wheel. It began as being very quiet but has progressed to being rather loud. I am thinking that it is the wheel bearing hub assembly but just want to double check since that is a $150 part. It sounds like a metal joint rubbing. Thanks for the help.
I think it could be the wheel bearing/hub assembly however I had a similar metallic scraping/rubbing sound and found that it was the dust shield rubbing against the brake disc/rotor. The reason it started rubbing is that the dust shield started to rust where it sits on the steering knuckle right near the bearing flange. The rust was pushing the dust shield away from the knuckle and into the rotor. The point of contact was right near the lower ball joint. I’ve had the same thing on at least one other vehicle. I think it was my father’s '04 Saturn Vue. Anyway, check the dust shield. It might just need a minor adjustment. I bent mine back a little bit with my bare hands. A year or two later I got new dust shields for not too much $.
In checking my 03 trailblazer the mechanic and I went for a ride, he did mid speed sharp left and right swerves, do not recall if the noise got worse or better, but it did change, mechanic said wheel bearing, and after replacement ll was good. Just to tell you this was a good old boy in business for a long time in the pines of northern MN, Had another wheel bearing go out locally, they made the determination bad wheel bearing using a stethoscope. Many ways to skin a cat, and can there really be a good old boy in the north woods of MN? He was a white guy, so no racial crap inended, My other good old boy is a welder, fixes props, custom welding, harvests wild rice, has it pocessed by a great processer, sells it reasonably priced and have used him on many occasions, such as rebuilding props after relatives busted them on the rocks, rebuilding ancient adirons after too hot of an oak fire by someone? melted the steel etc.