G
GW74
Guest
For the last two seasons I have been trying to diagnose a loud clunking,clicking noise coming from the wheels of my 74 coupe.
It is a distinct loud click, metallic and once per wheel revolution. It
comes from one wheel at a time and sometimes more than one. I have methodically made my way through the drive train and braking systems.
First I thought it was a universal joint. I found one that was a little cheesy so I replaced it. The noise went away.
The click would come back when first starting to drive the car and then sometimes would go away as the car warmed up. After cruising for a while it would sometimes go away and some times come back.
I thought it might be the brake pads so I bought the silencer kits from MAD. First the insulating pads that adhere to the backs of the brake pads.
The noise went away for about a week and then started again in the rear passenger side.
I installed the plastic tubes that slide over the ends of the pads to keep them from moving back and forth (by the way you can buy the same stuff from home depot for 12 cents a foot !).
The noise went away for about another week. Then it came back in the front passenger side wheel.
I pulled the wheel bearings on the front and found a cotter pin loose in the dust cap. Some one apparently left it in the dust cap when they replaced it and it had worked itself into a position that was chewing it up. Cleaned and repacked the bearings and the noise went away....for about a week.
Suddenly the noise started coming from all four wheels again. This time it was so loud I thought the wheel bearings had failed. I jacked the front of the car up off the ground, spun the wheels, no noise. Have you figured it out yet ?
That's right, the TRIM RINGS !
I have had trim rings creak and squeak before but never like this. It was such a loud distinctive clunk I never considered them as the culprit. I guess every time I put the wheels back on, I would give the trim rings a smack along with the caps. That would tighten them just enough so they stopped clicking for about a week.
Never overlook the obvious.
It is a distinct loud click, metallic and once per wheel revolution. It
comes from one wheel at a time and sometimes more than one. I have methodically made my way through the drive train and braking systems.
First I thought it was a universal joint. I found one that was a little cheesy so I replaced it. The noise went away.
The click would come back when first starting to drive the car and then sometimes would go away as the car warmed up. After cruising for a while it would sometimes go away and some times come back.
I thought it might be the brake pads so I bought the silencer kits from MAD. First the insulating pads that adhere to the backs of the brake pads.
The noise went away for about a week and then started again in the rear passenger side.
I installed the plastic tubes that slide over the ends of the pads to keep them from moving back and forth (by the way you can buy the same stuff from home depot for 12 cents a foot !).
The noise went away for about another week. Then it came back in the front passenger side wheel.
I pulled the wheel bearings on the front and found a cotter pin loose in the dust cap. Some one apparently left it in the dust cap when they replaced it and it had worked itself into a position that was chewing it up. Cleaned and repacked the bearings and the noise went away....for about a week.
Suddenly the noise started coming from all four wheels again. This time it was so loud I thought the wheel bearings had failed. I jacked the front of the car up off the ground, spun the wheels, no noise. Have you figured it out yet ?
That's right, the TRIM RINGS !
I have had trim rings creak and squeak before but never like this. It was such a loud distinctive clunk I never considered them as the culprit. I guess every time I put the wheels back on, I would give the trim rings a smack along with the caps. That would tighten them just enough so they stopped clicking for about a week.
Never overlook the obvious.
