noise from wheel
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 493
Likes: 4
From: Palmyra Pa
noise from wheel
'80 vette 54k miles, garage kept. New calipers and pads. When I drive at low speeds where I can hear the noise reflection, a sound is coming I believe from a rear tire. squeal, squeal, squeal. It reduces as I apply the brake, eventually disappearing. It does not sound like the typical pad wearing particularly when it goes away with braking. I have the stock rotors, if they are warped would they cause this noise with the pistons? I don't think so, they sound came from the old and new calipers. What does a bad wheel bearing sound like? Thanks :confused:
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 1,752
Likes: 1
Re: noise from wheel (Dsmith)
sounds like the problem I have every now and then. To test bearings I think you can jack up the rear and try to move the wheel forcibly left/right and up/down to see if thats wearing. In my case, I think it is the brake pad scratching along the brake pin. I lubed it up and it went away but just this evening I heard it again. Argh! :) I probably need truer rotors to fix my problem. You may have same issue.
good luck
-terry
good luck
-terry
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 493
Likes: 4
From: Palmyra Pa
Re: noise from wheel (Dsmith)
I agree. I have checked my bearings in the past and things seem adequately tight. I still think it's brake related too. I did greese up the pins though. I will have to check that one again. Eventually new rotors is the ticket. I don't like the thought of the caliper pistons pumping, possibly air. I just bled my brakes solid. I will notice if air comes into play into time. At least the stainless sleeves will help.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 493
Likes: 4
From: Palmyra Pa
Re: noise from wheel (Dsmith)
U-joints, didn't think of that. Will check. The fact that when I apply the brakes I can control the resinence of the sound, eventually eliminating it, it would lend me to believe that it's a rotor to pad problem. Warped rotor possibly. I am going to inspect all of this Friday while enjoying a cigar. :smash:
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 2,897
Likes: 0
From: Moon Township PA
Re: noise from wheel (Dsmith)
When you put the new pads on did you remember to apply some anti-squeek material to the pad? Since the pad "floats" on the rotor and the piston of the caliper rests on the pad, there can often be a bit of squeeking. If this squeeking diminishes when the pedal is lightly pressed you may have nothing more than pad/piston interference. Most pads sets come with this anti-squeek material, but in a pinch I place a very tiny bit of wheel bearing grease on the surface of the pad, where the piston comes into contact with it.
Gary
Gary
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 493
Likes: 4
From: Palmyra Pa
Re: noise from wheel (GaryS)
Yes I did put plenty of that orange gunk on the backs of them. I pulled the pins off and greased them up. It helped a bit. It is definetly pads to pistons/caliper problem. Use a gauge? I pulled the tires off and while jacked up, put the car in drive and inspected the rotor assembly. I could visually see the pads float back and forth slightly. Yuck, maybe about .05" :smash:
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 120
Likes: 0
From: Chester NY
Re: noise from wheel (Dsmith)
My 82 does exactly the same thing. Rear driver's side. Although the brakes were relatively new, I pulled all the wheels looking for it . . . the noise drove me nuts. I had a mint car that sounded like a junker. Finally took it to the local Chevy dealer. The "brake hardware" (read that pins) was in need of lubrication. $60. End of problem . . . until last weekend--so it lasted a little over a year. Go figure. The car hasn't even been wet in all that time. This time I'll do it myself.
Racer
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 369
Likes: 1
From: Finland
Re: noise from wheel (Dsmith)
I had the same symptoms, squek squek from drivers side rear which would go away when pushing the brake pedal. I also have new calipers and pads.
In my case it was excessive rotor runout. I had about 0.02", manual says 0.005" max. I used shims cut out of a coke can (tip from this forum :))between the disc and hub and got the runout to about 0.003". Fixed the problem 90 %, I think I have the same situation (though not quite so bad) on the passenger side also.
rgds Tomi
In my case it was excessive rotor runout. I had about 0.02", manual says 0.005" max. I used shims cut out of a coke can (tip from this forum :))between the disc and hub and got the runout to about 0.003". Fixed the problem 90 %, I think I have the same situation (though not quite so bad) on the passenger side also.
rgds Tomi