need help diagnosing noise
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 2,305
Likes: 5
From: Orlando,Fl,USA
need help diagnosing noise
I was driving home yesterday and all of a sudden the car started making these wierd noises. It sounded like a clunking rotational noise accompanied by a squealing sound from the pass side rear. The clunk could be felt under the seat so its from the tail of the tranny to the rear wheel. I'm hoping that its the u joints as they were getting kinda loud when putting it in gear. I have replaced in the past 2 years the rear bearings (Van Steel) calipers, rear diff rebuild (Corvette masters) side yokes along with rebuild, rear spring, trailing arm bushings, and recent new 350 tranny. I jacked up the car last pm to take a look & did notice that the tranny mount bolts were loose so I tightened them up real good but didn't notice anything else. I test drove it after and it still made the noise. Its not a grinding sound but a clunk and squeal almost as if something was rubbing the tire. I did notice the squeal sound when I rotated the rear pass tire by hand? What do you think.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 2,305
Likes: 5
From: Orlando,Fl,USA
Re: need help diagnosing noise (silvervetteman)
Brute force u joints, are they the one they sell at disc. auto?. I just called a local pep boys to see if they do these jobs and had told me that they sell u joints from $8. to $12. each and it would cost $92. to install.
Oh I put the car up on jack stands and did a visual plus tightened up anything that was loose . All looked well so I ran it in gear with the back wheels off the ground. The noise seemed prevalant to the pass side. What I did hear, and it was disturbing ,was a rattling sound like a loose piece of metal kicking around somewhere so it may be the differential or the u joints. This sucks. If its the diff than this maybe the time to upgrade to the 3.55 gears.
Oh I put the car up on jack stands and did a visual plus tightened up anything that was loose . All looked well so I ran it in gear with the back wheels off the ground. The noise seemed prevalant to the pass side. What I did hear, and it was disturbing ,was a rattling sound like a loose piece of metal kicking around somewhere so it may be the differential or the u joints. This sucks. If its the diff than this maybe the time to upgrade to the 3.55 gears.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 5,635
Likes: 4
From: Orlando Floriduh
Re: need help diagnosing noise (dogboy)
I think Brute force is sold by Auto Zone. HOWEVER I wouldn't use anything but Spicer.. I know they cost a little more but it is cheap insurance. Some say Brute force are good, although I've never tried them myself. BTW I see you are in Orlando too.. Where about?
[Modified by silvervetteman, 12:44 PM 6/23/2002]
[Modified by silvervetteman, 12:44 PM 6/23/2002]
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 2,305
Likes: 5
From: Orlando,Fl,USA
Re: need help diagnosing noise (dogboy)
Found source of noise; 2 things actually. I changed out the pass side universal myself and upon removing outer u joint 1 cap was a pile of rust to where the needle bearings once lived. Change out was fairly easy. I used a socket ,small sledge ,a few peices of steel, and was able to pop them out & in without any problems. The other problem I discovered was that the front drivers side shims disappeared from the upper control arm. This created a braking noise that sounded like a broken motor mount. I found some shims in my garage and installed them & tightend the hell out of them. I need to have an alignment now. This is the second time I lost the shims to that same spot. Anyway all is well and it didn't cost me a small fortune this time.
