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Date:         Mon, 25 Jun 2018 09:33:25 -0400
Reply-To:     Edward Maglott <emaglott3@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Edward Maglott <emaglott3@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Knocking sound
Comments: To: Thomas Casal <thomas.casal@gmail.com>
In-Reply-To:  <CAPb9TKzUcsu4jMczBworEM5ouz_gphG5taoQk=+hAFh+5x5+dQ@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"

I have an 86 with AT and everything stock. I have had an occasional knocking that also sounds like it's coming from the passenger side rear for quite a while. It is a very serious sounding sound. dull and heavy, like a big piece of metal is hitting another big piece of metal. it has no "ring" to it just thud, thud, thud and it's related to wheel rotation speed. it occurs under heavy load, usually while climbing a grade at higher speeds. ex: climbing a grade on interstate where I'm at full throttle and speed is slowly decreasing from 60, 55, 45, I then put the gear in "2" and the sound persists. The sound often "fades in" starting very faint, gradually getting to a steady intensity and then going away when I get to the top of the mountain. Going around a curve, swerving, braking or applying emergency brake (with still at full throttle) does not cause the sound to change. foot off gas in any gear and it goes away. It also doesn't seem to happen in the relatively rare situation of lower vehicle speeds at high load such as climbing a very steep hill in 1st or 2nd gear at close to full throttle. The sound that I hear is so heavy sounding... Not like what I think of coming from a bad CV joint, but then I've never had a bad CV joint in a RWD vehicle. I've heard them clicking and popping in FWD vehicles, when they are worn and have no grease and it's typically when turning. When I replaced my CV joint(s) trying to fix this sound, the old joint(s) looked OK to me without excessive wear that I could see.

I would have to check my records but I believe I replaced both the CV joints on that axle with new lo-bro joints. I know I at least did the outer one. The rear wheel bearings are possibly the original set on this van which has 225k miles. After I replaced the cv joint(s) the sounds went away for a while (couple thousand miles, a year or more) but then came back.

There was a post some time ago where a theory was put forward that the sound is the axle moving in an in-and-out motion as it rotates and the sound is the end of the axle hitting the back of the spindle where the wheel bearing is. I think that's what it said. It was definitely the axle moving back and forth along its length, which the CV joints allow. I can't remember what the OP said was the cause of this, maybe worn wheel bearings, which I am sure I have. This theory would support the condition where re-doing my axle/CV joints might make it stop for a while, and also that when you go under there and move the shaft in and out it makes it go away for a while. Try going under there and pulling the shaft toward the wheel. Does it make a knocking sound at the end of its travel? Sound familiar? have someone else do that while you sit in the van. is it the same sound you are hearing while driving? Mine was.

What I took away from the original post was that it sounds much worse than what's actually happening to cause the sound. I had all kinds of worry that my transmission or final drive was beating itself to bits and was about to fail. The first time I head this sound was probably 10-15,000 miles ago.

Good luck to you! Edward

On Sun, Jun 24, 2018 at 8:01 PM, Thomas Casal <thomas.casal@gmail.com> wrote:

> Sorry rear wheel well on the passenger side 2 wheel drive 84. > > On Sun, Jun 24, 2018 at 5:49 PM OlRivrRat <OlRivrRat@comcast.net> wrote: > > > TC > > > > Would be good to know what You are driving & whether You are > > talking > > > > Front or Rear ~ > > > > ORR ~ DeanB > > > > > > On 24 Jun , 2018, at 11:12 AM, Thomas Casal wrote: > > > > > Hello good people, > > > > > > I’m up in Maine on a trip and out of no where I started getting this > kind > > > of knocking sound coming from my passenger side wheel well. I pulled > the > > > tire off banged on the rotor and shook the axle a bit and the sound > went > > > away for a day then it came back. I have a small rip in the boot I’m > > about > > > to tackle there is still plenty of grease in there. I have all new > > > bushings I’m not dragging anything nothing is loose. I know my > > description > > > is terrible but anyone have any ideas of what it is? Seems to be worse > > > when I’m in gear but not a 100 percent sure about that. Peace tom > > > > >


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