4 Wheel Drive/SUVs: JeepGC making loud humming noise when started, power steering pump, wheel bearing

Question
Hi. I'm hoping you can lead me in the right direction here. I have a 95JeepGC.
It started getting cold this past week and yesterday  I started it and it had a loud
humming noise from the front. Ilet it run for about
for a few minutes then it stopped. Then it did it again today when I 1st started it then it went away.What would be the cause of this?    
Also another question is when I drive it on long distances(atlease 30miles)
after I get off the interstate it will not make a sharp turn,its makes a clunking sound
and jolts hard as I attempt slowly to turn either direction. If I drive just
intown its fine or if I let it set after a long drive it stops.

What causes this and what would I need to do to fix this?  Is it serious enough
I shouldn't drive it long distances until its fixed? Thank you

Answer
Jennifer,

The first thing that I would check, would be your fan belt.  If it is slipping then it could make the humming sound.  This could explain your steering problem also.  When you make a turn, the fan belt turns your power steering pump and if it is slipping the pump may not be working properly.

This is just a real quick guess, as there are other components that could cause this, such as a faulty component in the front axle, such as a wheel bearing going bad.

If the fan belt is tight and working properly, then I would take it into a reputable front end shop, and have the bearings and steering components checked out.

Carl