Symptoms:
Squeeling coming from driver side that comes and goes. Usually, after pulling away from a stop light after about 2 blocks...squeels for several seconds to half a minute, then goes away. Partial braking quiets the noise for a few seconds, but the sound returns. Once the sound goes away, it stays away for a little bit. Again, pulling away from the next stop light, though....it comes back.


Facts...
1) purchased c3 82 with 29K miles
2) car has had low miles on it for at least the past year
3) breaks (at least new calipers and pads) were replaced last year and look very new (I checked the front driver side to be sure)
4) A friend suggested bearings because the brakes were done a year ago and said to check the heat of the rim when we next stop
5) We drove the car about 10 miles and when we stopped we checked the heat of the wheels.....
6) The driver side rear rim (center and lugnuts) and it was VERY HOT to the touch vs. the other rims and vs. the rear passenger side

Sound like a bearings issue or maybe part of the brake set up (emergency brake?)?

I plan to take the wheel off an check it and bought new bearings and races just in case.

 

Hopefully it's just the brakes, try cleaning them with a can of brake clean, the bearings aren't so easy. Check by moving the wheel from left to right (3 to 9 oclock). If there's movement you may have a bad bearing. If you have movement from 12 to 6 it may indicate bad bearing or just end play in the axle, or even a weak strut rod bushing. Changing bearings is alittle more in depth than just removing and replacing though. Lot's of good help here on the forum.
Good luck. How's the crossfire running?

 

i will bet bearing as well. if you remove your rear wheels and see your discs are still riveted solid it generally means your rear bearings have never been replaced. once the rivets have been drilled out 99.9 % of people would never put them back . i hear they were just there for production line installation purposes. so if thats the case and yours are still there an 82 model is right in the time zone for rear bearings to give up. in fact thats quite a good run. dont rush out and replace them until it really dies and smoke comes out cause they are quite expensive . the only catch to that is you might get stranded somewhere.

on my 81 i still have one of the original bearings and the drivers side i replaced about 5 years ago. when it went it squeeked intermittedly, then it started to screech continuosly, then came the smoke, then came the wobble in the steering wheel, then i creeped it into my garage at 5mph ... this is all in about a 30 minute time frame so i was jucky to get home.

hopefully your noise is somethigng alot easier but your prognosis in number 6 is bit of a giveaway for me...if its rear bearing yours will most likely be beyond rebuilding yours . better off getting the complete bearing assembly from someone like vansteel.

 

Thanks for all the tips!

I hope to pull the wheel off today or tomorrow...

As i went through the first tank, it was running ok. But, it has been sitting. The idle was surging and going between 1200 and 600.....Idle air control sticking? I read a thread about that. But, I also have techron and premium in there. The original tank was half filled with regular unleaded that was probably in there for awhile....since last june or so...
?
Anyway, i used some carb cleaner on some of the parts, replaced the dist cap\rotor (think that they were the originals), plugs and wires next.

I'ts idling rough at first...i'm letting some of the cleaner evaporate and try to start again. It was running before, just started fluctuating idle when cold.