Date: Thu, 17 Oct 2013 23:37:04 -0700
Reply-To: Neil N <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Neil N <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Rear wheel noise... can't be good 1000 km from home :(
In-Reply-To: <5260D07C.40803@williamsitconsulting.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
Hi Steve.
Knowing the year of the Vanagon will help others help you. You have an
automatic transmission? (likely not relevant)
If it were me, Vanagon on level surface, wheels chocked, I'd use the
stock jack to raise each rear wheel and spin each to see which wheel
makes the noise. I'd also carefully check each wheel for in/out play;
hold wheel at 6/9:00, gently push/pull or wiggle it. SAFETY FIRST
since e-brake would be off and van out of gear. And DON'T keep your
arms/hands up under van or any amount of time!
It could be a rear brake part causing the noise but the squeaking
sound seems strange. Any rear brake noise I've heard is more like a
scraping "eep eep eep" type of sound.
Take any dirt roads lately? I did on my last trip and had a sound
like a failed and fallen rear brake spring against the drum. Carrying
a jack stand finally paid off! All I can figure is that the noise was
caused by a small rock between drum and lip of backing plate. Removing
parts and re-assembly cured the noise.
image
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-xL5DLeybWok/UkozLzXFS6I/AAAAAAAAIXA/6RlAh7mkNUk/s700/Wheel%2520Off%2520While%2520Exploring.jpg
Neil.
On Thu, Oct 17, 2013 at 11:09 PM, Steve Williams
<steve@williamsitconsulting.com> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I'm on a bit of a road trip (2500 km so far), currently in Washington
> State (Bellingham). I'm 1000 km from home still (Calgary, AB). I've
> pulled more sustained hills on this trip than ever before, even going up
> to the "Windy Ridge" lookout on Mt. St. Helens.
>
> Not that it's very relevant, but I drive very gently, never "flooring"
> the gas pedal only pressing down on the gas the while the vehicle will
> accelerate. If it won't accelerate/sustain, I let it slow down & grab a
> lower gear. I keep the "working" RPM's in the 2500-3500 rpm range.
>
> I have a very strange noise coming from the rear drivers side wheel. It
> almost sounds like squeaking rubber, it's hard to tell because it
> doesn't happen until 45 km/hr. My gut" feeling is that it's got to be a
> CV joint, but I thought I'd get some list wisdom.
>
> It only happens under "medium" acceleration. When the noise starts,
> backing off on the throttle or flooring the throttle will make it go
> away. I had lots of time to experiment on the Mt. St. Helens road, 16
> km uphill in 2nd or 3rd gear (steepish, windy road). It either subsides
> or the road noise overpowers the noise as the speed increases above 55
> km/hr.
>
> Happens between 40 & 55 km/hr with some sensitivity to going around
> corners. It seems to be quieter when making a left corner, though the
> size of parking lots that I can find to test in limits this test a bit.
> Does **not** happen in neutral or when going down a hill.
>
> I have been monitoring it all day (I had a meeting in Bellingham that I
> had to get to). The hub is not getting hot driving sustained highway
> speeds, so I don't think it's wheel bearing.
>
> Additionally, when coasting (engine off, neutral) in the parking lot on
> a gentle downhill in a parking lot (with me walking beside the vehicle),
> it sounds like there is something rubbing on the brake drum for part of
> the revolution of the wheel. This noise doesn't happen in reverse.
> Part of me wants to blame the brakes for this one...
>
> Once, when I parked & forgot to put the parking brake on & it rolled
> ahead, I got a little "tick tick tick" out of the wheel for about every
> 6 inches it rolled ahead.
>
> I have tightened all the lug nuts.
>
> I'm in Bellingham, Washington with a bit of a flexible schedule... I am
> going to call around tomorrow (Friday) and see if anyone can have a look
> at it. I'm pretty sure I'm limited to what I can do with the tool box
> that I have, and my spare alternator isn't going to help in this case! lol.
>
> What's the list wisdom on what this might be?
>
> Thanks,
> Steve W.
--
Neil n
Blog: tubaneil.blogspot.ca
'88 Westy http://tinyurl.com/c8rlw6p
'81 VanaJetta 2.0 "Jaco" http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/
Vanagon VAG Gas inline-VR Engine Swap Group:
http://tinyurl.com/d7gd5ej
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