Need help diagnosing strange noise
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 2,116
Likes: 84
From: Hope, New Jersey
Need help diagnosing strange noise
Hi
I have a 91 ZR-1 with under 25k miles, I keep hearing a strange noise when I drive the car. It is coming from right side and I think the rear of the car. It's not real loud and I hear it better when I am against a wall and the sounds reflects back. It sounds almost like a baseball card in the spokes of a bike or one of those game wheels you spin at the board walk. It does it only when the car is moving and stops when you depress the clutch. it does it in all gears.It's pretty steady and doesn't speed it up when I accelerate. Any ideas would be appreciated,
Thanks
Todd
I have a 91 ZR-1 with under 25k miles, I keep hearing a strange noise when I drive the car. It is coming from right side and I think the rear of the car. It's not real loud and I hear it better when I am against a wall and the sounds reflects back. It sounds almost like a baseball card in the spokes of a bike or one of those game wheels you spin at the board walk. It does it only when the car is moving and stops when you depress the clutch. it does it in all gears.It's pretty steady and doesn't speed it up when I accelerate. Any ideas would be appreciated,
Thanks
Todd
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 40,156
Likes: 45
From: San Pedro CA
Oh... this is a classic...
Welcome to C4 ownership.
The fix is rather simple, too... It's rust in the rear stub axle.
The simple fix is to remove the wheel and the nut keeper, and try to flood the stub axle with something like PB Blaster. If that doesn't work, the stub will have to come out, be scrubbed off, reinstalled with some anti-seize to keep it from rusting.
Also, age vs mileage thing, you may have a dry ujoint. I would check them... tight is one thing, but dry is another... And they are not greasable. That's a labour intensive fix, too.
Which leads to a general suggestion, when replacing ujoints on these things, take them apart, remove the crap grease they include and regrease with a good heavy synthetic - Mobil 1, Lucas, Valvoline... take your pick.
Welcome to C4 ownership.
The fix is rather simple, too... It's rust in the rear stub axle.
The simple fix is to remove the wheel and the nut keeper, and try to flood the stub axle with something like PB Blaster. If that doesn't work, the stub will have to come out, be scrubbed off, reinstalled with some anti-seize to keep it from rusting.
Also, age vs mileage thing, you may have a dry ujoint. I would check them... tight is one thing, but dry is another... And they are not greasable. That's a labour intensive fix, too.
Which leads to a general suggestion, when replacing ujoints on these things, take them apart, remove the crap grease they include and regrease with a good heavy synthetic - Mobil 1, Lucas, Valvoline... take your pick.
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 1,579
Likes: 59
From: Trieste Italy
If this looks like a rear clicking sound, assume for a moment that you have same bearings that i've on my 1995, think yes, take a look here
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...-fixed-it.html
Hope you can help...
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...-fixed-it.html
Hope you can help...
3rd Gear
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
I agree that it could be a hub bearing.....But The one thing that you said that caught my attention was " the noise goes away when you depress the clutch"...Check the throw out bearing...They can be noisy, and when you depress the clutch you put pressure on the bearing and the noise goes away...hope this helps 
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 1,579
Likes: 59
From: Trieste Italy
I agree that it could be a hub bearing.....But The one thing that you said that caught my attention was " the noise goes away when you depress the clutch"...Check the throw out bearing...They can be noisy, and when you depress the clutch you put pressure on the bearing and the noise goes away...hope this helps
bgo ahead click click seems to be a terrible noise due a serious breakdown, instead it is just a grease lack
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 2,116
Likes: 84
From: Hope, New Jersey
Oh... this is a classic...
Welcome to C4 ownership.
The fix is rather simple, too... It's rust in the rear stub axle.
The simple fix is to remove the wheel and the nut keeper, and try to flood the stub axle with something like PB Blaster. If that doesn't work, the stub will have to come out, be scrubbed off, reinstalled with some anti-seize to keep it from rusting.
Also, age vs mileage thing, you may have a dry ujoint. I would check them... tight is one thing, but dry is another... And they are not greasable. That's a labour intensive fix, too.
Which leads to a general suggestion, when replacing ujoints on these things, take them apart, remove the crap grease they include and regrease with a good heavy synthetic - Mobil 1, Lucas, Valvoline... take your pick.
Welcome to C4 ownership.
The fix is rather simple, too... It's rust in the rear stub axle.
The simple fix is to remove the wheel and the nut keeper, and try to flood the stub axle with something like PB Blaster. If that doesn't work, the stub will have to come out, be scrubbed off, reinstalled with some anti-seize to keep it from rusting.
Also, age vs mileage thing, you may have a dry ujoint. I would check them... tight is one thing, but dry is another... And they are not greasable. That's a labour intensive fix, too.
Which leads to a general suggestion, when replacing ujoints on these things, take them apart, remove the crap grease they include and regrease with a good heavy synthetic - Mobil 1, Lucas, Valvoline... take your pick.
thanks for the info. my only concern is the noise goes away when you depress the clutch. clutch and throw out bearing ,pilot bearing and flywheel all were replaced about 6k miles ago.
