Date:         Mon, 5 Jun 1995 12:03:17 -0500 (CDT)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         dakhlia@wuecona.wustl.edu (Sami Dakhlia)
Subject:      noise from wheel well

Howdy,

maybe someone can help. For a while, I've been hearing a clicking sound
from one of the wheels (my guess: right rear), very much like a
chronometer. It goes faster when the bus goes faster, independently of
engine rpm; so it's not the engine.

Now, on the GNATT trip (of course, right after Joel had left us), another
much worse sounding clunking noise started to haunt the bus. I think it
was coming from the same rear-right wheel, but I'm not certain. First it
happened when the bus was coasting, later when it was under load (going up
hills in third gear). So, we all stopped and looked. The Schwarzmeister
helped me take off the right rear wheel and do some casual checking, i.e.,
turning the axle by hand, checking the CV boots, but we couldn't find
anything. Put the wheel back and repeated the process on the other side.
Still nothing. We decided to just keep on going, David riding with me, so
he could hear the noise and judge for himself. Of course, the noise had
*completely* disappeared by then. 

The next day, the Gnatters veered off to the West and Maria, the bus and I
continued towards St.Paul, Minnesota (home of lenti.med :) ), drove
another 1,000 + miles through Wisconsin and back to Missouri, without a
problem and without any noise from the wheels.... up until 5 miles from
home. Torrential rains caused an accident on hwy 64 and I had to hit the
brakes hard. Upon this the loud clunking resumed, the vacation was over,
and darkness set in. :I

Opinions? Thanks!

-- 
Sami ('75 Westf.)
dakhlia@wuecona.wustl.edu