Free spinning rear wheels?
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 173
Likes: 1
From: Clermont-Ferrand France
Free spinning rear wheels?
Hi, car is a 76 L48 manual.
Hand brake released, gear in neutral. Rear end jacked up.
Am I supposed to be able to spin the rear wheels freely with some minimum effort?
The driver side takes a lot of efforts and I can hear some scrapping noise. The passenger side is better but I can only rotate it by 1/3 of a rotation before it stops.
I have been chasing some scrapping noise and cannot figure out if I have a dead bearing (although no play when I shake the wheels), seized calipers (or hand brake) or a differential problem.
The later was the subject of a different thread as I noticed a cracked diff cover (thank you guys for helping on that one, very much appreciated).
Hand brake released, gear in neutral. Rear end jacked up.
Am I supposed to be able to spin the rear wheels freely with some minimum effort?
The driver side takes a lot of efforts and I can hear some scrapping noise. The passenger side is better but I can only rotate it by 1/3 of a rotation before it stops.
I have been chasing some scrapping noise and cannot figure out if I have a dead bearing (although no play when I shake the wheels), seized calipers (or hand brake) or a differential problem.
The later was the subject of a different thread as I noticed a cracked diff cover (thank you guys for helping on that one, very much appreciated).
Racer
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 338
Likes: 9
From: South Bend IN
NCM Sinkhole Donor
To narrow it down disconnet the half shafts from the trailing arm and see if the wheels will spin. If they do you know the problem is in the differential. If they don't, there is an issue with the bearings, hub, or parking brake. While it disconnected, see if you can pull the stub axles out of the differential. If you can the clips that hold them have broken and they might be binding up in there. There is the potential that a part of the parking brake broke off and is stuck leading to your scaping noise. If I had to guess I would say it is the differential since you are experiencing the issue on both sides.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 173
Likes: 1
From: Clermont-Ferrand France
Ok, I got lucky, there was not too much rust, I separated the diff from the wheel following sstopczy advice. I only did one side for the sake of time at the moment.
Thanks 65GGvert for the translation.
The wheel still makes the same scraping sound and is difficult to turn.
So, how do I tell if it is coming from the brake, hand brake or bearing?
I have new rotors, brakes and hand brake as well as shocks, all installed by a mechanic.
The brakes may be covered by some type of warranty, but I want to make sure that I am not going to be sting unnecessarily for something else just to recoup his lost time...
Can I remove the spindle nut and visually inspect the bearing?
Thanks 65GGvert for the translation.
The wheel still makes the same scraping sound and is difficult to turn.
So, how do I tell if it is coming from the brake, hand brake or bearing?
I have new rotors, brakes and hand brake as well as shocks, all installed by a mechanic.
The brakes may be covered by some type of warranty, but I want to make sure that I am not going to be sting unnecessarily for something else just to recoup his lost time...
Can I remove the spindle nut and visually inspect the bearing?
Racer
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 338
Likes: 9
From: South Bend IN
NCM Sinkhole Donor
Before you start getting into the bearings I would remove the caliper and rotor and then try turing just the spindle and bearings. This will help narrow your issue with the least amount of work. When the rotor was replaced they might not have adjusted the parking brake (you said new hand brake so the shoes might be new too) and those new shoes are dragging on the inside of the rotor.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 173
Likes: 1
From: Clermont-Ferrand France
OK, so I disconnected the half shaft from the other wheel and that was a different story.
A lot more rust on that side...
And once the wheel was free, I tried spinning it by hand. At this stage, the hand brake and caliper are still connected.
There is quite a hard spot, always at the same position. When passed, it is easy to rotate but when that spot is coming, it gets really hard.
I am leaning toward a crushed bearing...
my guess is that the brakes would provide a constant friction, not just in one spot.
Any thought?
A lot more rust on that side...
And once the wheel was free, I tried spinning it by hand. At this stage, the hand brake and caliper are still connected.
There is quite a hard spot, always at the same position. When passed, it is easy to rotate but when that spot is coming, it gets really hard.
I am leaning toward a crushed bearing...
my guess is that the brakes would provide a constant friction, not just in one spot.
Any thought?
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Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 173
Likes: 1
From: Clermont-Ferrand France
Found the real culprit.
The lower u joint is stuck and makes some very interesting crunchy sounds.
Removing the wheel side was easy, my trusted impact driver removed the rusted bolts in no time.
The diff side is a different story: not enough space for my impact driver, real rusty bolts.
I generously sprayed pb blaster on them, all day long, tapping with a hammer, but no success.
Access is quite difficult too.
Any suggestions?
The lower u joint is stuck and makes some very interesting crunchy sounds.
Removing the wheel side was easy, my trusted impact driver removed the rusted bolts in no time.
The diff side is a different story: not enough space for my impact driver, real rusty bolts.
I generously sprayed pb blaster on them, all day long, tapping with a hammer, but no success.
Access is quite difficult too.
Any suggestions?
