Date: Sat, 5 Jan 2013 11:45:26 -0500
Reply-To: Mike B <mbucchino@CHARTER.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Mike B <mbucchino@CHARTER.NET>
Subject: Re: cv, wheel bearings, or both?
In-Reply-To: <BAY152-ds93328F5D031A0E1185B36A0270@phx.gbl>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Noise is friction and friction causes heat. An IR laser temp gun can
'see' which axle is getting hotter if you point it at the right spots
after driving it. This will help you find the bad one. You can even
touch the axle nut or hubcap and feel a hot bearing. Don't mistake the
brake heat for axle bearing heat and be careful not to burn yourself on
a hot drum or rotor.
Mike B.
On 1/5/2013 10:55 AM, Dennis Haynes wrote:
> Droning noises are almost always bearing or tire related. Front wheel
> bearings can often sound like they are in back. They are easy enough to pull
> the outer and insect. Almost always the outer will fail and show the metal
> flakes long before the inners. Direction changes affecting the noise also
> indicates wheel bearings.
>
> Dennis
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
> Ed Duntz
> Sent: Thursday, January 3, 2013 5:35 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: cv, wheel bearings, or both?
>
> As soon as it's not quite so cold out, I'll jack up the van and do a little
> more investigating, but until then, I pose this question here. This is about
> my 1984 Vanagon.
>
> I have two symptoms. One is a noise from the rear which I think might best
> be described as a "droning." I hear it almost all the time that the vehicle
> is in motion. I haven't really listened for it at low speeds, but I hear it
> when I'm going about 30 mph, my average speed on my back roads. It is more
> prominent when cornering to the left. I hear it whether the van is in gear
> or not, and whether the clutch is in or out. This is what makes me think it
> may be a wheel bearing.
>
> My second symptom makes me wonder if I have a cv joint issue. I realize that
> when a cv joint goes, it usually means that the vehicle won't move, as the
> transmission can't turn one axle if the other has a bad cv. But I was
> traveling on snow, and I wonder if that allowed the wheels to turn
> independently and made a difference. I was traveling up a slight incline on
> snow and the van went up the hill partially sideways, probably at a 30
> degree angle. It seemed like one wheel was turning more than the other, and
> I had to steer accordingly so that the van went up the hill in my lane, but
> at an angle. There was not significant difference in the rear tires to make
> me think that had a large impact.
>
> Any thoughts are appreciated.
>
> Thanks,
> Ed
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