Could be brakes: stuck caliper, but if you had a stuck front caliper, you'd have felt it in the steering, particularly on the highway. The van would have pulled HARD to the right. You didn't report this, so I'm assuming you didn't feel it. Sounds more like a fried wheel bearing to me. Since the right front wheel takes the greater number of curb bangs, pot holes leaps, and sewer-grate plunges, that wheel bearing is often first to go, usually with a squeal on catastrophic failure, sometimes with a low rumble when it is simply worn out, and has a hundred miles or so before it decomposes. No, thankfully I have not had this experience, but I've seen it happen on customer cars when I used to be greasier for a living. Since you continued to drive it after something (probably the bearing) catastrophically failed, you may be in the market for a new steering knuckle, which is slightly more expensive than the wheel bearings, which will provide a very memorable learning experience. It is almost ALWAYS cheaper to have your vehicle towed when something has obviously failed. Continued driving only worsens the matter, and this might be a classic example. Keep us posted. From historic, walkable Mount Olive, NC, G. Matthew Bulley Bulley-Hewlett Corporate Communications Business: www.bulley-hewlett.com Alliance: www.ntara.com Home: www.MountOliveNC.info
-----Original Message----- From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf Of Les Shiaman Sent: Sunday, January 20, 2002 1:28 AM To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Subject: Brake woes Listees - Well here's another story to add to my struggles with vanagon ownership. As I was getting on the freeway onramp this evening I heard a brief high-pitched squeal from the front right wheel area. I didn't hear it at freeway speed, but about 8 miles up the road I smelled burnt brakes so I pulled into a gas station and saw smoke coming from the front right wheel well. I parked for a while, then turned around to head home. I tried using brakes as little as possible and I noticed as I took my offramp home that I could hear a new sound from the front right wheel -- sounded kinda like metal on metal! I will look at the area tomorrow, but this doesn't sound good. Has anyone had this experience? Why would one brake stick? Thanks again, Les ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/. |
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