TeufelHei

Here's one for the team:

In a previous post I talked about how my car had a funny noise apparently coming from the left rear tire region. When I asked the forum, you all agreed that it is probably a tire since it was more pronounced at higher speed and there was a distinct vibration at 35-40 mph.

The benevolent gods of chance decided to flatten my tire for me and force me to replace it. This was of course a good time to test all of yours (and my) suspicion. Unfortunately, the condition persists.

Here's the condition:

1. Mild vibration and howling noise starting above 15 MPH and becoming a persistent howl at 60mph. Sounds like a Ferrari does on the outside, but its on the inside.

2. Transistional (and significant) shudder between 35-40 MPH.

3. When at speed (15+ MPH) and turning left (as in changing lanes or turning) the noise goes away and the car runs smooth as silk. This and the fact that the noise seems to be right behing me make me think the left rear is the culprit.

4. All tires are properly inflated, the left rear has just been replaced and balanced.

5. The first owner had removed the innards of the left rear parking brake, which have been replaced by me. Did he know something I don't?


Anyone got a clue? If you do, pass it on.

Drewster67

CV Joint (Knuckle)

Or it could be the tranny flange (part where the CV Joint bolts too.)

Or the Wheel Bearings

Or a Bent Axle Shaft

Or Dragging Caliper (Doubt it)

Good Luck

ErnestSw

I vote wheel bearing.

ViribusUnits

Here's one for you.

Lose passangers side wheel flang...

I had an oil leak, and a noise that I couldn't find or diagnose. Turned out that all the bolts that hold the drivers side flang to the diff were less than finger tight. Uh oh.

2V4V

Tim,

Hard to tell without driving the car, but it has symptomology concurrent with a bearing going south.

Also, the (dreaded?) PO, may have had the axle removed at the time of the parking brake replacement for boots or something. If the axle nut is not TIGHT (spec is 322 ft lbs) , then things can start going wrong fast.

If you don't have a torque wrench capable of 322 ftlb on the scale, in a pinch you can use the old (body weight x breaker bar length) equation to get you close enough to get to a friend with semi-truck tools.

Drew has a nice list of possibles, but I'd still lean toward a bearing.

Greg

TeufelHei

I don't think it is any axle/cv type stuff. I just pulled those and inspected them. They looked good and have not had any trauma. I've been thinking wheel bearing too, but more than that I'm thinking parking brake.

How do you check/temp fix a wheel bearing?

John Struthers

All of the above seem like 'solid possibles' , since you have looked into some of them..........here are some more.
Take a look at your exhaust and hangers.
Related: If the exhaust has been modified: unused or cut-away hangers.
If cat-back install took place with a larger - 2 1/2 or bigger -exhaust pipe replacement and no resonator/Thrush pipe was installed and or -worse- there is nothing from the header pipe back to the rear muffler ... I'd look for a resonance problem. Associated with this would be loose and or missing heat shield retaining hardware.
Once these vibes start usually the tone stays the same but the frequency seems to increase with engine speed.
2. Simple stuff: Loose rear fender well splash shields.
Loose rear bumper facia hardware.
Battery cover has lost it's rubber/foam, seal which also acts as a tensioner of sorts for the battery cover latch.
Battery latch is loose/bent or simply unlatched.
Something is rattling around in the battery compartment.
Battery not secured.
Foam missing from wheel Batt. cover or the cover is not latched in place.
Hardware missing from power antenna. Believe it or not the retaining arm can be missing and the antenna will still work.
It will seem tight from the outside but wiggles freely from the underside -fenderwell. How would I know you might ask? Don't.
Loose interior panels they might seem tight but... the fastening clips are basically tack welded to formed but unsupported metal.
something loose in the tool panel/boot area.
TT bearings.
Loose half shaft retaining bolts, real easy to check.
Bearings, -Wally and most of the Guru's will say if it ani't broke leave it alone. And rightly so, as 'blind' parts replacement can get expensive fast on these puppies.- However if you do replace the bearings I'd recommend you do so in sets, BOTH SIDES !
Finally, how's the transmission mount.
When you hear this HUM again. turn your head slightly to the left, then slowly to the right.
If the sound gets louder to the side your head is turning it is because of resonance in the cars metal panels.
Sound that seems to get louder when you turn your head to the left is more than likely resonating out of the seatbelt retractor assy area -the long pillar panel -. Say you don't have kids do you? If so and they drop something into the slot where the seatbelt lives...
One last thing, If you have installed 17" fat tires SOMETIMES they just barely touch the fenderwell lip.
It'll look like you have clearance then you sit in the car and then the car settles a little ...

TeufelHei

Thanks for all that stuff John. By the way how's life in Odessa/Midland? I have a few friends there.

Since this is car-speed, not engine speed, related I've not considered anything from the input shaft of the transmission forward. There is a resonant vibration coming from the exhaust, but it's accounted for as a stretched hangar that I inflicted upon my car when removing and installing the half shafts.

I've checked the bolts for torque and they are all torqued to German specifications (goodandtight). I have factory wheels and normal (225/50-16) tires, so I know that's ok.

I'll look into the simple stuff first, but I strongly suspect the wheel bearings. Is there a way to repack the bearings without removing them from the car? How challenging of a task is bearing replacement?

Thanks again

John Struthers

Try the Nichols site for the bearing repack...pull em out for cleaning and inspection. I've seen and used pressure packers but they waste grease and are just as inefficient as hand packing ...just one of those gotta do's.
Let's see ...We owe at least 12 million on the airport, 46 million on the Stadium complex, and with a voter turnout of less than 14,000 we have just saddled ourselves with a Midland Independent School Tax of 176 million.... Total population? 92,000 sun-burned souls. 23,000 in public schools alone. I figure 45,000 home owners have to pick up the tab somehow.
Midlands biggest export? Our Children! No jobs here.
Oh well.... THAT'S LIFE in MIDLAND.
I'm outta here as soon as the kids leave the nest, told my wife I'm heading back to Pennsylvania and she's welcome to come...either way, I I want to see Midland -Home of the sceneically challanged- in my rearview mirror

2V4V

The rear bearing is of the permanently sealed variety - there are no adjustments other than whether you throw in in the trash overhanded or underhanded. Of course, it could be right or left handed too, I suppose...

You can pull the bearing and reinstall it on the car, but the simpler way is just to remove the whole rear hub carrier assembly (at least to me anyway).

You will need to press out the bearing and press in a new one. If you do not have a press (I would assume you don't) any halfway decent autoparts store should be able to do this for around $20.

Honestly, I prefer to heat up the hub carrier and chill the bearing, making it a "drop in" rather than a "press in" install - I've had much better luck getting them perfectly aligned that way - and if the alignment is not right, you'll probably destroy the bearing trying to redo it (YMMV).

Greg