i have a grinding squeaking type noise coming from my rear wheel. i thought it was my brakes at first but i dont see anything abnormal about them. someone told me it might be the wheel bearing. how would i know if that were the case? and also how would i go about fixing it? this guy told me i'd have to drop my whole rear end. also. i noticed my brakes do get really hot. is this supposed to happen with corvettes? i didnt think they should get as warm as they do.

Brett [IMG][/IMG]

 

Welcome to the wonderful world of Corvettes! Bearings go out, and it's just the way it is with pretty much all generations of Vettes. In fact my '69 is sitting just waiting to go up on the rack because one of the rear bearings is totally shot.

Okay, here's how you check: Get your rear end up in the air (the car's, that is) and make sure it's secure on a jack, preferably supported by jack stands. Place one hand on the top of the wheel and one on the bottom (on the tire) and try to rock the wheel up and down. If the wheel has "play" in it, and rocks either up and down or left/right then your bearing is shot, and you're in for a replacement.

Bearing replacement, as I'm learning, takes special tools, and you're much better off just taking your car to a place that specializes in Vettes. Even when I do the job with my mechanic friend at his shop, we're probably going to take the bearing to be pressed in correctly with the special tool over at the Corvette and High Performance shop down the street.

And on the topic of brakes, your rear brakes should not run hot, and unless you have a big block car and you're really running hard, your fronts shouldn't either. As long as you have the car up, check and see if the brakes are dragging by spinning the wheel and listening for rubbing. It's not uncommon for the calipers to leak or bind after sitting a while. You can buy stainless steel sleeved new calipers for about $100 each, and it's a good investment. Replacing calipers is an easy job...the hardest part being the brake bleeding.

Hope this helps.

Sam

 

Agree with above for the most part. And for future reference usually a rumbling equals bearings, a squealing equals brakes or a braket draging (not applicable on the vette for the most part) and a clunking equals u-joints or rear end. :cheers:


[Modified by boredsoIstrokedit, 3:10 AM 5/30/2003]

 

The only tool I had to buy to do it was a set of pullers. Already had the lead hammer and I-beam's. LOL

::::::Searchs for the bubba emote:::::::::

:D

:cheers:
David

 

Be careful not to confuse differential side yoke play with wheel bearing play. Grab the wheel at 9:00 and 3:00 instead of 12:00 and 6:00 to make the bearing check.

The inner tips of the differential side yokes wear over time and they get pretty loose. Grabbing the tire at 12:00 and 6:00 will give you a combination of both wheel bearing play and differential side yoke play.

Use 9:00 and 3:00 instead.

 

Also check to see that your parking brakes aren't dragging, that would give you a noise and hot wheel. Did someone recently adjust them?
Gary

 

I hand a similar problem. Driving one day and I could feel and here something going on stopped towed it back home. Jacked it up and my tire FELL OFF. Just the brake line was holding it on! I was pissed that would have messed the vette! I will constantly look after them for now on!

 

ok. i dont think its my brakes, and theres no play with the wheel. does that mean it could be my rear end or u joints? how would i check if its those? i guess u joints would be easy. just have to look at those and see if there's play, but what about the rear end? how do i check that? thanks for the help so far.

Brett

 

Set up the rear of the car on jack stands. Remove the wheels, remove or move out of the way the calipers, remove the 1/2 shafts. I like to witness mark the 1/2 shafts so they go back in the same orientation.

Now you have the differential and the wheel spindle separated. Spin the rotor by hand and feel/listen for anything metal to metal or dragging. It should spin freely, If you notice binding then remove the rotor if the rivets are already gone and check the parking brake. If you do mark the rotor to stud so the rotor goes back on the same. You probably won't be able to check bearing end play like this because the whole arm will move around and throw off your reading on an indicator. If there is any knotchy feeling I would replace the bearings.

Check the 1/2 shaft joints for rust around the caps and slop in the yokes. Changing these at this point might be good if you don't know how much wear is on them. Good Spicer joints are about $18 each from a Truck part supplier or other Spicer vendors. If you have never changed vette joints before you have to support the flange or it will bend if you press the joints out. You can use a torch to cut the cross out and the old caps will pop out but you still have to support the flange when installing the new joints. Use new French locks when installing the shafts back on the spindle flange. Maybe someone knows a good way to torque these without distorting them at the torque rating?

Look at the yokes in the differential. Measure the amount of travel the yokes move in the housing. The best way to do this is to use a 1" dial indicator. In extreme cases you can use a 6" scale. You'll have some play in there but if you have over .080" you might want to think about replacing them. If you have a lot of play in there,over .125" they might come out in your hand. Replacing them requires removing the rear end and then that leads to "might as well replace the bearings and seals....rebuild time"

Good luck

Gary


[Modified by gtr1999, 11:09 AM 6/1/2003]

 

I had a similar noise:it turned out to be an emergency brake spring had popped off and was scraping in the bottom of the e-brake drum. It was making a high pitch squeak-squeak-squeak that increased in frequency from 5-about 25, then you couldn't hear it.

 

i replaced the u joints and on the one the needles were missing. it had even rusted a bit. so that problem is gone. thanks for the help guys.

Brett