I prefer to use my little brother... This one time we were chasing a rear end noise in his newly acquired 70 bus. He had me drive while he hung his head out the sliding door with an ear cocked towards the rear. I had one eye on the road and other on him. When we got to about 30 mph he suddenly yelled "STOP!" I was a bit startle by his sudden outburst and pressed a little too hard on the brakes. Next thing I heard was the sliding door moving forward at the speed of light and out of the corner of my eye I saw my brother pull his head back inside the van in the nick of time. Then I heard the slider hit its door jamb HARD! So hard in fact, that it immediately fell completely off the van and was skidding down the road ahead us on it's (formerly) shiny side.

The look on my brother's face was absolutely priceless.

Today is his birthday and he is now 48 (and much wiser).

Happy Birthday Dana!

-----Original Message----- From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Dave Mcneely Sent: Friday, December 09, 2011 6:34 AM To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Subject: Re: Rear Wheel (bearing?) noise.

---- Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM> wrote: > Use a stethoscope or the screwdriver to ear method to further isolate > the noise. Rear wheel bearings last a long time but they do require > lubrication at some point. If a rear wheel bearing is suspected they > really need to be replaced as a failure under way can be catastrophic > and will often result in the stub axle or wheel flanged being trashed.

> Bearing noise with acceleration changes point more to transmission > problem than a wheel problem.

Hmmm ..... . How does one (of course, a mechanic with a lift might be able to do so) use a stethoscope or a metal rod to listen for the exact point from which a noise only evident in motion emanates? Wheel bearings, axles, transmissions only emit their noises when the part in question is being driven. Or is there some way to get them to by noisy when stationary? mcneely

> > Dennis > > -----Original Message----- > From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On > Behalf Of Don Hanson > Sent: Thursday, December 08, 2011 3:18 PM > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > Subject: Rear Wheel (bearing?) noise. > > Not long ago I replaced both my CV joints on the right axle, having > done the left a season ago. I was hoping this CV replacement might > also quiet down the right rear wheel...but it has not. Since I put on

> some new rear Hakka tires, I can hear this 'bearing-style' noise more > clearly, especially when I am running straight at about 30mph (below > where the wind noise drowns it out) on very smooth asphalt. The noise > I am hearing has been with the van all along, I think, but not enough

> to be really alarming or a "stop driving, something's gonna bust" type

> noise.... Since I'm leaving soon to do about 4000 miles along mostly > remote rural highways on my annual winter snowbird migration, I am > trying to address most of the problems I can anticipate...within > reason, of course...I can't afford to rebuild the whole bus or buy a Go Westie Gold-plated Syncro with Extended warranty. > > This morning, while I had the floor jack out to do some lubing of > the shift linkage and to spread some peanut oil on my header system > (inline four with custom exhaust) I did some 'diagnostics'. With > either rear wheel lifted and the vehicle in neutral, of course the > wheel in the air spins....5sp manual tranny.. but you can stop it with

> your hand....So, neither wheel makes any unusual noise in that > mode.......Grabbing the tires, top and bottom and rocking the > wheels....both feel very similar in 'play'....what you normally feel when testing like this...maybe about 1/8" > of rocking...over all...similar to what I always feel on any > wheelbearing for freeplay...Ok... Now, when I put the tranny in gear > with one rear tire in the air....the driver's side is quiet...the tire

> turns like when it is being dragged over in neutral...at about the > same noise level and it feels smooth....but on the right rear wheel, > when you let out the clutch....that one sounds like bad > bearings....Shift into neutal and let it go round...quiet.... > So, with new CV already and no undue freeplay at the wheel > indicating bad wheel bearings...and no alarming noise when the wheel > is turning under clutch drag, but ugly noise when it is turning in 2nd

> gear with the wheel up....What? Maybe related....I sometimes get a > buzzing vibration on hard acceleration from a dead stop, combined with

> a left turn...I have surmised this is caused by my 50degree engine > configuration allowing some contact with the body...but maybe not...maybe related to the right wheel drive in > some way. .I have a new set of wheel bearings for the rear that I planned > on taking along as spares on my trip.. > > I have no indications of transmission problems (unless this noisy > right side drive wheel is one). I am running Swepco, changed out > twice per year and I have not seen any metal in the old oil.... > > I'm OK doing repairs away from home on my own, but I don't want to > lose a transmission while on a trip. This noise has been with the van

> for as long as I have had it...I am 'caught up' enough on all the > other stuff now to let it bother me a little.. Should I just do the

> wheel bearing and see if the noise remains, then worry about the > tranny or something else? Any way to further isolate this > off-sounding rotational noise without doing the wheel bearing right > now? (it's 27degrees in my shop, I'd rather do it in the desert in > 80degrees, despite the sand) > > Anyone have any thoughts on this that might help?

-- David McNeely