Need help determining what's wrong!
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 48
Likes: 0
From: Saratoga Springs NY
Need help determining what's wrong!
Hi to all! I have a "grinding like" noise that seems to be coming from the right rear wheel. At first I thought that the problem was the wheel bearing but after searching in the forum I was left confused with the problem so I'm hoping someone has had this problem before and can help me. The noise frequency goes up with speed, meaning that is not a constant noise but happens whenever the wheels rotates through a certain spot. Also it doesn't happen all the time. Sometimes when I start driving the car in the morning the noise doesn't happen, but starts happening after 10 or 125 minutes of driving. Si that pretty much sums it up. Thanks iin advance for your help...
Danny
Danny
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 10,962
Likes: 29
From: Van Buren Arkansas
Wounded Warrior Escort '11
Also check for cupping on the tires as this too would cause a grinding type feel. It happened to my '99 and I wasted a lot of money on a new diiferential only to find the noise still there. It was the tires. Have you checked your differential fluid level? Tire pressures? Transmission fluid? Does this happen in any gear or just one? Coasting or under power? Certainly a wheel bearing is a possibility as you are wondering but they are pretty stout items.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 19,246
Likes: 1,095
From: Dyer, IN
Hi to all! I have a "grinding like" noise that seems to be coming from the right rear wheel. At first I thought that the problem was the wheel bearing but after searching in the forum I was left confused with the problem so I'm hoping someone has had this problem before and can help me. The noise frequency goes up with speed, meaning that is not a constant noise but happens whenever the wheels rotates through a certain spot. Also it doesn't happen all the time. Sometimes when I start driving the car in the morning the noise doesn't happen, but starts happening after 10 or 125 minutes of driving. Si that pretty much sums it up. Thanks iin advance for your help...
Danny
Danny
Banned Scam/Spammer
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 2,911
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From: Simi Valley CA
In determining rear end noises you have to answer:
1. Does it happen in more than one gear AT THE SAME SPEED. ie: if it makes the noise at 40 mph, use a couple different gears while still doing 40 mph and see if the noise is still there. If no, (only makes the noise in one particular gear) the noise is probably coming from the trans. if yes...
2. You've narrowed it down to rear end and beyond. Now, take the car out and notice, does it only make noise under accelerating or decelerating? also, put the car in neutral while traveling the 40 mph.
If the noise is there under accelerating only, and not there under coasting condition, it's something in the rear end. If the noise is there while coasting, it's usually a bearing (which could be either the wheel or the rear end)
One last thing... before you do anything, check:
1. lug nuts tight?
2. no "road crap" wrapped around half shafts? (rags or ??)
3. everything else tight?
4. e-brake fully disengaged?
1. Does it happen in more than one gear AT THE SAME SPEED. ie: if it makes the noise at 40 mph, use a couple different gears while still doing 40 mph and see if the noise is still there. If no, (only makes the noise in one particular gear) the noise is probably coming from the trans. if yes...
2. You've narrowed it down to rear end and beyond. Now, take the car out and notice, does it only make noise under accelerating or decelerating? also, put the car in neutral while traveling the 40 mph.
If the noise is there under accelerating only, and not there under coasting condition, it's something in the rear end. If the noise is there while coasting, it's usually a bearing (which could be either the wheel or the rear end)
One last thing... before you do anything, check:
1. lug nuts tight?
2. no "road crap" wrapped around half shafts? (rags or ??)
3. everything else tight?
4. e-brake fully disengaged?
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,966
Likes: 200
From: Lyons Il
2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
noise
Have you recently replaced rear brakes? When I did I noticed a noise that I found to be the parking brake "shoe" rubbing against the inside of the rotor. Replacement of rear rotors is simple but the parking brake can be a bit of a hassle.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,187
Likes: 2
From: Houston Texas
St. Jude Donor '08
Also, when you get your car up in the air, be sure and check the wheel bearings by grabbing the top and bottom of the tire and seeing if it moves any at all. It could possibly be a wheel bearing going out.
Just another option.
Just another option.
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,616
Likes: 11
From: Newport, RI
First, jack up car. Wiggle wheel side-to-side. If bearings are real bad, there will be play. Rotate wheel by hand to see if you hear noise.
Next, take wheel off. Carefully examine brakes and caliper. Make sure all is good. Worn pads would make noise. Check emer brake also.
Another thing to consider is - tires. Older tires, as well as run-flats, can get awfully hard and they will make a variety of different noises. I have had tires on two different vehicles (not Corvettes) where I swore that I had bad bearings or tranny problem - and when I replaced the tires, the noises were all gone. It is truly amazing how much noise bad tires can make. On my 2004 Corvette coupe, I just replaced the noisy RF's with non-RF's.
Please post results.
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Next, take wheel off. Carefully examine brakes and caliper. Make sure all is good. Worn pads would make noise. Check emer brake also.
Another thing to consider is - tires. Older tires, as well as run-flats, can get awfully hard and they will make a variety of different noises. I have had tires on two different vehicles (not Corvettes) where I swore that I had bad bearings or tranny problem - and when I replaced the tires, the noises were all gone. It is truly amazing how much noise bad tires can make. On my 2004 Corvette coupe, I just replaced the noisy RF's with non-RF's.
Please post results.
-
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Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 48
Likes: 0
From: Saratoga Springs NY
Thanks to all for the responses. I'll be lifting the car tomorrow and checking everything that you guys suggested. But to answer some of your question, it does happen in every gear (even if I let the car coast down in neutral), and the only way speed affects it is by increasing the frequency of the grind as speed increases. The only "wierd" things that I've noticed are that when starting the car cold, it doesn't happen. Then after 3 or 4 miles of driving it starts happening again. I also notices that if I drive the car at a constant speed for a long time (60 miles or so on the interstate) it stops happening altogether. For now the car is in the garage waiting for me to lift it tomorrow. Well, again, thanks for your help and I'll keep you posted with the results
Danny
Danny
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 10,962
Likes: 29
From: Van Buren Arkansas
Wounded Warrior Escort '11
The half-shafts have CV joints in them so its possible you are loosing one of those but I put a ton of miles on my '99 and those same shafts are still running today, which is why I didn't mention them before. You might want to jack the rear and have someone start it and put it in gear, blocking the front end from both sides of the tires of course...someone you trust.
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,420
Likes: 0
From: Boston MA
First, jack up car. Wiggle wheel side-to-side. If bearings are real bad, there will be play. Rotate wheel by hand to see if you hear noise.
Next, take wheel off. Carefully examine brakes and caliper. Make sure all is good. Worn pads would make noise. Check emer brake also.
Another thing to consider is - tires. Older tires, as well as run-flats, can get awfully hard and they will make a variety of different noises. I have had tires on two different vehicles (not Corvettes) where I swore that I had bad bearings or tranny problem - and when I replaced the tires, the noises were all gone. It is truly amazing how much noise bad tires can make. On my 2004 Corvette coupe, I just replaced the noisy RF's with non-RF's.
Please post results.
-
Next, take wheel off. Carefully examine brakes and caliper. Make sure all is good. Worn pads would make noise. Check emer brake also.
Another thing to consider is - tires. Older tires, as well as run-flats, can get awfully hard and they will make a variety of different noises. I have had tires on two different vehicles (not Corvettes) where I swore that I had bad bearings or tranny problem - and when I replaced the tires, the noises were all gone. It is truly amazing how much noise bad tires can make. On my 2004 Corvette coupe, I just replaced the noisy RF's with non-RF's.
Please post results.
-
