96 vette coul have some serious issues.

[GillyG]

96 vette could have some serious issues.

Having problems right after purchase of 1996. CE corvette.Heres my story,If anyone could help it would be awesome.
Drove the car and really liked it, previous owner said car had been hit in the passengers door and was replaced...looked O.k. purchased car. Took the car 30 mi home no problem. Next day 30 mi to window tinter no problem.Tire kingdom next for tires and to line car up.Mechanic picked up car on wrong lift and bent floorpan, Moved car to proper lift picked it up again.He then replaced tires and alignment. Paid them and off I go ...... After leavin parking lot I hear a faint tick..tick from the rear ..sound like it is on the right side. Took all day so I just went home. Wife wants to go to dinner in the new ride so off we go 60 mi round trip.Tick continues.
After getting home I just stand there in the dark looking at the car and I see something, The back left tire protrudes about .5 inch outside fender...back right tie inside fender fully.something no good.
I figured Tire shop put back tire on front rim and mounted on back of car.

 

[GillyG]

Back to tire shop next a.m. We all stood there looking dumbfounded...and someone saya the car has 3 front rims.....I.m thinking no way....off to Chevy dealer for second opinion. Dealesays yep ..one rim is different. I ask him to go for a quick trip to hear the tick....He hears it and says rear wheel bearing and hub...$750..be glad to take care of it for you. Off to auto zone $175....back to tire shop for installation $150....left to go home tick....tick ..thump ...tick.
Started reading some posts on here..then I replace all ujoints on axles.Drive off ...tick ...tick. By now frustration sets in. Drain some fluid from the rear diff with a tube and freshen up friction modifier....figure 8,s .Tick continues.
Due to different rim widths one tire is slightly taller than other so i figure it is affecting rear diff. Order new rims...jack car up and place on stands..put tires on new rims....Happy at last that i figured it out ...Off down the road the tic continues.

 

[GillyG]

After putting new rims and tires...back left wheel still sticks out further. I am at a loss. Different alignment shop.....dont know what to do next.:ugh

 

[JimBobC4]

do you have in in\out play at the wheel ? another words if you jack it up and pull and push on the wheel does anything happen ?

also you may want to check and make REAL sure the floorpan is just bent and doesn't have a hole in it !

 

[jmccloud]

Welcom

Welcome to a great site. You should get a lot of replies on this one.
There are several threads that discuss your situation with one wheel sticking out farther than the other. Evidently it is not uncommon.
Sometimes the wheel offset is different on rear wheels (they should not be different). If one of your wheels is different width, it may also have different offset (distance from mounting surface to the flange - I think), so you should look it up with the 'search' tab above.
It sounds as though you've replaced a lot of likely culprits. Besides the wheels being different, the ticking could be bearing (but you replaced it) or u-joints (also replaced???) but most often ticking is a washer in the rear bearing mount. I'm not familiar with it but have seen several threads that discuss the washer and ticking. My experience in winding equipment recalls using 'Belleville' washers to preload bearings. The washer is slightly conical to apply a proper bearing load. I don't know if this is what's in a Corvette rear but it sounds like it. Search it out.
Perhaps the most potentially distressing possibility is that the car was 'wracked' when it was hit and the entire rear (known as a 'batwing') was jarred crooked or loose. A good 4 wheel alignment shop should be able to determine this.
Again a search for 'rear washer' should bring good info.
Good luck and please post when you discover the remedy.

 

[GillyG]

Tick might be an understatement..It is an audible knock. I could have bet it was the u joints. But why would it appear just after alignment?

 

[JimBobC4]

Tick might be an understatement..It is an audible knock. I could have bet it was the u joints. But why would it appear just after alignment?

try this. http://www.corvetteactioncenter.com/forums/showthread.php?t=102231&highlight=rear+washer

Interesting reading nice diagram of how its put together.

 

[GillyG]

Went to another alignment shop today and asked them to double check the other shops adjustments. With the car up in the air i could see the floorpan was crunched in much worse than I thought, heavily on right rear side. Mechanic stated drive shaft seemed tweaked, rear end is not centered seems pushed to the left! Their alignment machine indicated improper job at every wheel....no shims adjusted.....None of these problems were present to me before going to the first shop. Got a clean CARFAX report.
Called the previous owner trying to get him to fess up..Car was hit in door in 1997, door replaced by gm dealer..was told there was no damage to frame only door. "Been driving it 12 years, never heard or noticed a thing.
Could improperly lifting car have caused this much damage? Pushed mot or tranny?

 

[gmjunkie]

Went to another alignment shop today and asked them to double check the other shops adjustments. With the car up in the air i could see the floorpan was crunched in much worse than I thought, heavily on right rear side. Mechanic stated drive shaft seemed tweaked, rear end is not centered seems pushed to the left! Their alignment machine indicated improper job at every wheel....no shims adjusted.....None of these problems were present to me before going to the first shop. Got a clean CARFAX report.
Called the previous owner trying to get him to fess up..Car was hit in door in 1997, door replaced by gm dealer..was told there was no damage to frame only door. "Been driving it 12 years, never heard or noticed a thing.
Could improperly lifting car have caused this much damage? Pushed mot or tranny?

Run a Auto Check on the car!!I've found them to be allot more Accurate!! It's what the Auto Auctions use!!

www.AutoCheck.com

 

[GillyG]

Just ran an auto check....comes out o.k. also. Same as Carfax.

 

[gmjunkie]

I just looked over my 94,and it is a bit like yours,but not more than 1/4 inch!! About the Ticking noise though,Check All your wheel caps!! I thought I had a u-Joint going out and it turned out to be the left rear wheel cap a little loose in the wheel!! Just a dab of RTV on the tabs and my clicking is gone!!

 

[GillyG]

I'm scared it may be something a little more serious...

 

[topless82vette]

my friends 1990 did this had something to do with the rear brake pads or caliper but not sure exactly which it was but it was brake related. Chevy told him the same thing to, wheel bearing thing.

 

[So Bay Vetter]

I'm scared it may be something a little more serious...

Do you have braided (metal) brake lines? After a brake job, my brake line was rubbing on the inner side of the wheel. Sounded terrible, like a bad bearinghnoes. Tuff to find; It wasn't happening when suspension was unloaded (up on a lift). Simple stuff first.

PS: the clown that broke your floor pan should pay for the fix!

 

[GillyG]

I;m taking her to eisman corvette center...on tuesday.Im thinking frame or suspension componet damage, something is not right.

 

[navy2kcoupe]

You could try driving it to eisman with the wheel center caps off to verify that they are/aren't what's making the noise. Quick and easy.
Andy

 

[GillyG]

The sound was there after the car was improperly lifted first time with original rims, replaced factory rims with new 17x9.5 z06 rims ...noise still there.

 

[GillyG]

Took it to Eisman today, nice guys....frame bent in rear,not alot but still bent. Nocking is in rear diff. Now to find a frame shop........

 

[mrmtnbk1]

Eisman's

I;m taking her to eisman corvette center...on tuesday.Im thinking frame or suspension componet damage, something is not right.

I go to eismans , Kent there seems like a good guy, no problems with his work. Frank in Stuart