Seems every time I fix one thing on my car something else goes out! Just got my brakes fixed (after replacing the booster, master cylinder and two calipers) and now I'm driving down the road and the back wheel is making a grinding noise. Sounds like the wheel is rubbing against something but I jacked it up and it isn't (nor can it) touch anywhere. I was told that it is probably the bearing going out.

When I had my 78 Vette (some 10 years ago) I had both of my trailing arms rebuilt by some guy in Illinois, but I can't remember his name nor can find any info on him. He did a great job and didn't charge much (I think the did them both for around $400). Does anyone know who I might be talking about, or know of anyone else that rebuilds these at a decent rate?

I ran out of money a long time ago and actually toying with the idea of selling since I can see about $2,000 more worth of things that need to be done before I can get to the things I want to get done. I just want to be able to drive it safely for now. Anything I can do to the bearing until I get it rebuilt?

 

I know the feeling. I posted awhile back i was done with my winter projects.. next thing a/c heat/cold lever adjuster broke..turn signal something broke, lever just hangs down now. ain't got around to fixin those yet. if i pull console to fix a/c it may lead to new carpet and seat covers, door panels, weatherstripping......etc, etc, etc. I've had my vette bout 8 years or so now. I do enjoy? working on it. I do all the work myself or I couldn't afford it. It has come along way and is a blast to drive. This forum has a ton of knowledge here and has helped me alot. I just fix a little at a time or wait for winter months and do several projects at once. I have replaced my front and rear bearings,
bearings are fairly cheap if you do it yourself. Don't give up. just my 2cents

 

It could be a few other things. Check your half shaft u-joints, it could be something in the parking brakes has come loose (but you have to drill out the rivets in the rotors to check that), make sure nothing is caught in the brake pads and that the pads are in good shape (not worn down to rivets).

 

Brake pads are fairly new and the calipers are brand new (at least re manufactured). The sound is like the wheel rubbing against something, you hear it more at low speeds and not so much once you get over 35 mph. I just noticed something else, the inside of the tire is rubbed in some spots, not sure what it could even rub on. That wheel looks to be tilted out some, I haven't had time to try and adjust it, doesn't look like anything under there has been touched since new, thin layer of surface rust on almost everything, probably original ujoints. Planning on changing those if I change the bearing. Parking brake has not worked since I got it, I guess something could have fell apart making the noise inside... probably the bearing or the parking brake in pieces. None of it happened until I replaced the shocks that were completely worthless.

 

Bearings are cheap but all I read are horror stories on replacing them correctly. How did you do yours?

My problem is I traded off my Durango for this car assuming I could drive it everyday. So, it isn't a summer car, it is my daily driver. This is my 7th Vette, I drove everyone of them on daily basis with the exception of my 78 (my first one). Now I have to catch rides with my wife until I get it fixed, or decent weather ever hits and I can get my Ninja back out. I'm not a very practical person... with a sucky job sometimes driving to and from work is the best part of the day.

 

jack it up, grap wheel and check like you would front wheel bearings.
does sound like a bad bearing, good luck.

 

I had the exact noise, and it was my U joints. They did not feel loose either. Couldn't tell they were bad until I took the shaft out. U-joints dont take long to replace and its cheap to try before you go down the bearing path.

 

wheel cocked
link pin rub
whirl sound

jack it up already

 

It's on jacks now... been on jacks most of the time I have had it (a real grocery list of items I have already fixed). If you grab the wheel and there is no back and forth, and you can spin the wheel and it doesn't make a sound. I may just change the ujoints to see what happens, since that is just a $20 fix and it needs done anyway. . I know I am going to have to cut the trailing arms off... not looking forward to that.

 

What kind of wheels do you have? Sometimes a trim ring can make some noise if it doesn't quite fit right or isn't tight. If you have trim rings and hubcaps try taking them off and taking a test drive to see if the noise goes away.

 

Well, I feel dumb. Working 10 hours a day gives you little time to mess with your car at night, but I pulled the wheel off tonight and saw that the dust guard was bent a little by the caliper, I hoped that was it but I couldn't see how that could make any noise, but when I laid down looked underneath I could see that the guard was bent at the bottom too, not a lot but it looked like the rotor could possible hit it (even though it didn't when you just spun the wheel by hand). I bent it straight all the way around and took it for a ride and guess what, no grinding sound!

I still have a noise that sounds like it coming from the rear somewhere. Sounds like if you were to hand something from a piece of string under your car and it bounced around as you drove. It doesn't do it all the time, comes and goes at different speeds. I have checked for anything loose anywhere on the car and everything is tight. Not sure what that is...

Even though it did not turn out to be a bad bearing I still need to rebuild the whole back end. Needs new ujoints, bearings and I would like to get a mono spring to replace that original one (did that on my 78 and the ride improved immensely). Have to wait until some cash frees up before the overhaul can happen.

Thanks for everyone's help on this, I usually get enough ideas to make me think it through and find the right answer.

 

don't give up, its part of owning old cars. owned corvettes for over 30 years and its never ending battle. I guess thats how alot sit neglected for decades.

When I see totally restored cars for 40-70K people have put 1000 hours in fixing everything perfect. The prices seems very reasonable .

 

U joints can make that loose item rattling noise you describe. I wouldn't drive it until the U-Joints were changed on the back axles. Some expensive things happen when they break. My weird noises actually started as the rattling sound and a few drives later turned into the horrible squeaking that I thought was a brake dust shield also. I still think you have a bad one or two.