Strange Sound from front wheel, 78 300SD
 

Hi All,
Life got very stressful and busy but I need your help.

Sound coming from left front wheel (drivers in case I'm wrong on the LEFT thing). Sounds like water coming from the downspout when it rains on your house. Or light grinding but not.

Sound doesn't change when the wheel turns or goes over bumps. Sound doesn't get louder or softer with turns or the speed of the car. Does make a different sound from still to moving, like at a light or stop sign. Like it doesn't really want to go but does. Car drives and turns fine, nothing in the feel of the wheel or the way the car moves. Turned wheel and looked behind from both front of it and behind. Nothing leaking or wet. BUT the cap on the bunt (sp?) seems to be leaking grease around it. It's wet. Bearings?

After being on the highway for about 8 miles at 65-70mph, the sound stopped and I couldn't get it to start again after several turns and bumps, stops and starts. Soundless all the rest of the way home, maybe 5 miles.

Any idea what it could be and even more important, is it something that makes the car undrivable until it's looked at? Gotta have my car for work and right now I'm the ONLY person working in my kitchen. No employees there right now so if I'm not there, there is no kitchen.

Thanks!

Heat on that wheel?
 

Is that wheel (the Brake...maybe dragging...could that be the sound? Of metal
backing of a worn out brake pad rubbing on the rotor?) much
warmer than the right front after you've run 5 miles or so? Be careful,If it
is dragging the caliper + rotor may be hot enough to burn you.
The lube seepage might be caused by over heat?
Or you're right it's a bearing.

Wouldn't the dragging of the brake cause the car to want to pull to the left?
It doesn't at all, no pulling, I can drive a long way with no hands and the car drives straight and true.

O.K. Maybe it's the bearing
 

Jack that corner up(after engaging the Emergency brake and chocking the wheels) , see if the bearings make any noise a you spin the wheel in the air.

And grab the wheel at top and bottom and try to move it. Repeat from side to side. Should be no movement.

Maybe the dust shield is bent and rubbing on the rotor? The brakes always have a slight amount of drag to them (the pads are always gently touching the rotors); maybe something was stuck to the pad or something. If it went away and did not sound like the wheel was going to fall off I would not worry too much.

Could it be a worn out brake pad?

I had this sort of grinding sound, could feel it in the go faster peddle. my wife couldn`t feel it, but every sound or feel I wonder how big is this $ going to cost.? It was sort of like driving on a rough surface feel.

Ended being the L/F wheel bearing, after I replaced the center support/bearing, and thinking it was also the U-joint.
Shaking the wheel there wasn`t any looseness, but when I removed the hub, the inner bearing cage was deformed. pulling the bearing and cleaning it out with brake cleaner the thing was in bad shape. all bearings really loose.

replaced bearing, all better now. also replaced the other side since they had the same miles on them.

Charlie ☺

Jacked her up, shook the wheel (no movement), turned the wheel, took off the tire, inspected the area and the brakes (still half a pad left) and found nothing. I know that if it's a bearing I wouldn't be able to see it, but got no sounds, no bad movements and when I went to the pet store there was no sound.
Wonder what it is/was. . .