pinging from rear wheel
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
From: medford or
pinging from rear wheel
First time poster, longer time reader needs to know what is this pinging niose coming from the left rear wheel vicinity. Started shortly after I had the rear bearing replace bout a year ago. Only happens when accelerating, usually from a stop, or sometimes on deceleration. Think it might be the needle bearings in one of the half shaft u-joints? Both look fine to me. Is it possible those bearings are getting chewed up without any external signs.
I hate to replace them if they dont need it, but going on a 6,000 mile trip soon and dont want any breakdowns.
Oh...have been driving with this pinging for about a year, 10,000 mile.
If any forum members have any idea how I can pinpoint the problem, please let me know. Thanks.
I hate to replace them if they dont need it, but going on a 6,000 mile trip soon and dont want any breakdowns.
Oh...have been driving with this pinging for about a year, 10,000 mile.
If any forum members have any idea how I can pinpoint the problem, please let me know. Thanks.
Racer
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 429
Likes: 0
From: Oak Harbor WA
Re: pinging from rear wheel (ottasite)
Sorry I'm no help for the ping, just wanted to welcome you to the Forum. This site rocks, and is the reason the internet was invented!
6,000 miles in a C-3? Wow, sounds like fun. Keep us updated.
Dave :crazy:
6,000 miles in a C-3? Wow, sounds like fun. Keep us updated.
Dave :crazy:
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
From: medford or
Re: pinging from rear wheel (Monty)
The pinging is not constant. Just 3 to 6 pings upon acelerating from a stop....sometimes pinging when letting off {decelerating}. Dont notice any pings when braking and the e-brake shoes and pts. are off in that wheel.
Guess ill have to rplace the u-joints on that half shaft. Hate to do that though and still have the pinging. Id think thered be some external sign on the u_joint [such as heat discoloration]. Theres no play at all in the half shaft.
Did this trip about 4 yrs ago, same car, lot less miles on it. Only damage was about a quart of oil. Just cant beat cross country driving in a C3.
Guess ill have to rplace the u-joints on that half shaft. Hate to do that though and still have the pinging. Id think thered be some external sign on the u_joint [such as heat discoloration]. Theres no play at all in the half shaft.
Did this trip about 4 yrs ago, same car, lot less miles on it. Only damage was about a quart of oil. Just cant beat cross country driving in a C3.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 6,362
Likes: 7
From: Brazos TX
Cruise-In IV Veteran
Cruise-In V Veteran
Re: pinging from rear wheel (ottasite)
First of all, welcome to the forum as an official member. I too have a noise that sounds like what you describe. I just replaced the trailing arm/spindle assembly and half shaft u-joints (for other reasons). There was no change, it still does it. At the moment I'm at a loss for what it is. The only remote possibility I can think of is my e-brake cable. It has stretched to the point that I no longer have anymore adjustment. So the e-brake doesn't work now. Like I said, it's a remote possibility but perhaps it's the cable or hardware involved with it.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 6,362
Likes: 7
From: Brazos TX
Cruise-In IV Veteran
Cruise-In V Veteran
Re: pinging from rear wheel (burners)
Ok, one other thought. Analyzing this problem really gets my mind going. I noticed that I could make the sound by either medium or hard acceleration or deceleration, which you have pointed out. It will do it from a start but if you accelerate just hard enough to do it then jab the throttle more, it will do it again. So it's not something like a sloppy u-joint that, once loaded, won't make a noise until the load has changed direction. I think it's the clutches in the differential. Perhaps they creak as they adjust and slip. I have new gear oil in the diff that solved the "chattering around the corner" problem so I don't think changing the oil would help. Unless you changed the type of oil, I'm running Mobil 1 synthetic.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,310
Likes: 1
Re: pinging from rear wheel (ottasite)
Well, this probably won't help unless you put ralleys on your '81, but FWIW, I was getting a ping/squeak out of my ralleys because of the trim rings against the wheel weights. It sometimes was in sync with tire rotation, but sometimes it was random.
Good Luck & Welcome.
Good Luck & Welcome.
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Pro
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 536
Likes: 0
From: Lutz FL
Re: pinging from rear wheel (ottasite)
does it make the noise while doing turns at parking lot speeds? if its a ujoint, it should be very noticeable when turning relatively hard one way or the other as well. If its not, then its not too likely to be the ujoint...
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 2,313
Likes: 0
From: The cure for the blues is eight cylinders roaring
Re: pinging from rear wheel (Black68Vette)
I dont know if this helps but I think your rite about the differential. I have LockRite locking diffs in my jeep and when you make a tern they want to try to engage which makes a clunking noise and if idling through a tern does in gage and causes it to rock frount to back strongly.I think it may be the clutch in your diff that is causing the noise.
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
From: medford or
Re: pinging from rear wheel (ottasite)
Thanks for all the good reponses.
The posi fluid idea occurred to me because of someones earlier posts. Couple years ago I had the diff. fluid changed but never added any posi fluid. Yesterday I had some Redline put in along with a bottle of posi fluid but still had the pinging. Could I have damaged something by not useing the posi fluid for bout 2 yrs, 20,000 miles?
Pinging doesnt seem to occur on turns, but I will try that parking lot idea.
Dont think its my emergency brake because the cable isnt hooked up and the shoe and hardware have been removed.
Since the noise started soon after I had the rear bearing replaced [siezed up at about 75] Im inclined to look there. When I brought the car back to the mechanic, he said they used the old u-joints and that that could be the problem.
Will probably end up replacing the U-joints on that halfshaft whether it needs it or not. Will at least rule that out.
Thanx for all the suggestions.
The posi fluid idea occurred to me because of someones earlier posts. Couple years ago I had the diff. fluid changed but never added any posi fluid. Yesterday I had some Redline put in along with a bottle of posi fluid but still had the pinging. Could I have damaged something by not useing the posi fluid for bout 2 yrs, 20,000 miles?
Pinging doesnt seem to occur on turns, but I will try that parking lot idea.
Dont think its my emergency brake because the cable isnt hooked up and the shoe and hardware have been removed.
Since the noise started soon after I had the rear bearing replaced [siezed up at about 75] Im inclined to look there. When I brought the car back to the mechanic, he said they used the old u-joints and that that could be the problem.
Will probably end up replacing the U-joints on that halfshaft whether it needs it or not. Will at least rule that out.
Thanx for all the suggestions.
