Left rear bearing clicks when launching... disaster imminent?
10-05-2008, 07:16 PM
#1
Drifting
Thread Starter
Left rear bearing clicks when launching... disaster imminent?
I have identified that the clicking noise comes from the left rear hub area. I used aerosol chain lube on the splines and torqued the nut to 125 ft-lb a few weeks ago. I read about this fix in the C5 tech section.
The noise occurs when starting off in reverse or 1st. Since I ran at Autobahn on Saturday I noticed that the click can be heard when lightly loading and unloading the driveline while in motion.
Is this just an annoyance, or a sign of something worse?
I'm going to Road America this weekend and don't want to waste my entry fee sitting broke down. Help!
The noise occurs when starting off in reverse or 1st. Since I ran at Autobahn on Saturday I noticed that the click can be heard when lightly loading and unloading the driveline while in motion.
Is this just an annoyance, or a sign of something worse?
I'm going to Road America this weekend and don't want to waste my entry fee sitting broke down. Help!
10-05-2008, 07:39 PM
#2
Safety Car
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Several things come to mind. 1) Are you sure that you got enough lube on the splines ? Did you spray both sides and move the axle in and out several times to make sure of pentration ? 2) Have you checked all the other suspension pieces - especially bushings on the a arms and ball joints ? Also check the mounting bolts on shocks. 3) Possability of a bad CV joint although remote. Does the noise only happen when starting / stopping, or does it happen when turning ? Does the clicking get louder / more frequent as speed increases ? Is the clicking louder when turning left than when turning right. If so, you might have a bad CV. 4) Have you raised the car with wheel still on and checked for sloppyness in the hub bearing ? 5) Have you checked all the mounting bolts on rear cradle / differential ? All of these items could cause a click or clunk when starting/ stopping and loading / unloading the drivetrain.
Last edited by CHJ In Virginia; 10-05-2008 at 07:41 PM.
10-05-2008, 09:44 PM
#3
Drifting
Thread Starter
There is enough lube on the splines that the shaft slips in and out freely with the axle nut removed.
The click is a single click and does not repeat unless the direction of loading reverses.
I think I will try to check the hub bearing bolts that hold the bearing cartridge to the upright.
There is a little backlash in the axle going into the trans, but it seems like what I would expect with two sets of splines and their typical clearances.
I forgot to check the bearing for in and out play with the wheel on. I will have to do that also.
We identified the location of the noise by letting out the clutch enough to take up the slack and move the car forward a few inches while over an oil change pit. From below, it was definitely coming from the LH hub area.
I have T1 sway bars on the car and they produce a thunking noise over slow uneven pavement. This unidentified noise is a metallic click.
Thanks for your response, by the way.
The click is a single click and does not repeat unless the direction of loading reverses.
I think I will try to check the hub bearing bolts that hold the bearing cartridge to the upright.
There is a little backlash in the axle going into the trans, but it seems like what I would expect with two sets of splines and their typical clearances.
I forgot to check the bearing for in and out play with the wheel on. I will have to do that also.
We identified the location of the noise by letting out the clutch enough to take up the slack and move the car forward a few inches while over an oil change pit. From below, it was definitely coming from the LH hub area.
I have T1 sway bars on the car and they produce a thunking noise over slow uneven pavement. This unidentified noise is a metallic click.
Thanks for your response, by the way.
10-06-2008, 08:42 PM
#4
Racer
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There is enough lube on the splines that the shaft slips in and out freely with the axle nut removed.
The click is a single click and does not repeat unless the direction of loading reverses.
I think I will try to check the hub bearing bolts that hold the bearing cartridge to the upright.
There is a little backlash in the axle going into the trans, but it seems like what I would expect with two sets of splines and their typical clearances.
I forgot to check the bearing for in and out play with the wheel on. I will have to do that also.
We identified the location of the noise by letting out the clutch enough to take up the slack and move the car forward a few inches while over an oil change pit. From below, it was definitely coming from the LH hub area.
I have T1 sway bars on the car and they produce a thunking noise over slow uneven pavement. This unidentified noise is a metallic click.
Thanks for your response, by the way.
The click is a single click and does not repeat unless the direction of loading reverses.
I think I will try to check the hub bearing bolts that hold the bearing cartridge to the upright.
There is a little backlash in the axle going into the trans, but it seems like what I would expect with two sets of splines and their typical clearances.
I forgot to check the bearing for in and out play with the wheel on. I will have to do that also.
We identified the location of the noise by letting out the clutch enough to take up the slack and move the car forward a few inches while over an oil change pit. From below, it was definitely coming from the LH hub area.
I have T1 sway bars on the car and they produce a thunking noise over slow uneven pavement. This unidentified noise is a metallic click.
Thanks for your response, by the way.
Mine click, can't hear them over the headers & straight pipes, everything is tight so I let them click
Last edited by fmrfast; 10-06-2008 at 08:48 PM.
10-07-2008, 10:10 AM
#5
Melting Slicks
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Check the toe rod end link, I had a customer with the same type of noise and we tried a bunch of stuff that didn't work then we just kind of lived with it. After a while the end link went out. You should be able to jack the car out and feel for play at 3 o'clock 9'oclock, however without the car loaded it more than likely won't make the noise.
Oh yeah, I'll be at RA on Sat if you want me to take a look.
Oh yeah, I'll be at RA on Sat if you want me to take a look.
10-08-2008, 08:47 AM
#6
Drifting
Thread Starter
Check the toe rod end link, I had a customer with the same type of noise and we tried a bunch of stuff that didn't work then we just kind of lived with it. After a while the end link went out. You should be able to jack the car out and feel for play at 3 o'clock 9'oclock, however without the car loaded it more than likely won't make the noise.
Oh yeah, I'll be at RA on Sat if you want me to take a look.
Oh yeah, I'll be at RA on Sat if you want me to take a look.
I will be there in 56 Blue. Thanks for your kind offer.
I checked bearing with wheel back on. It's kind of hard to feel any play as the forces required to feel bearing play also move the car around a little on the jack at the same time. The left front bearing was making noise in carrousel at RA last fall. No discernable play in bearing, but replacement eliminated noise a few weeks later.
I shot some aerosol chain lube into the inside of the axle spline last night, but have not had the time to drive car and check.
10-08-2008, 02:04 PM
#7
Tech Contributor
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Pull the hub cap off the wheel and get somebody to watch the splined shaft as you slowy move back and forth. I had a click on my 86 that was due to a difference in size between the hub splines and the shaft. The clicking started after I had the bearing replaced. Everytime I reversed direction I would get a click and anybody watching the shaft could see it move slightly in the hub as the click occurred. Tried replacing bearing but the new one did the same. Tech said just live with it as the next thing to try replacing was the half shaft and there was no guarantee that would work either. So I continued to track/drive the car for another two years with no problems.
Bill
Bill
10-08-2008, 06:37 PM
#8
Melting Slicks
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I will be there in 56 Blue. Thanks for your kind offer.
I checked bearing with wheel back on. It's kind of hard to feel any play as the forces required to feel bearing play also move the car around a little on the jack at the same time. The left front bearing was making noise in carrousel at RA last fall. No discernable play in bearing, but replacement eliminated noise a few weeks later.
I shot some aerosol chain lube into the inside of the axle spline last night, but have not had the time to drive car and check.
I checked bearing with wheel back on. It's kind of hard to feel any play as the forces required to feel bearing play also move the car around a little on the jack at the same time. The left front bearing was making noise in carrousel at RA last fall. No discernable play in bearing, but replacement eliminated noise a few weeks later.
I shot some aerosol chain lube into the inside of the axle spline last night, but have not had the time to drive car and check.
See ya there, Joel
07-28-2010, 05:31 PM
#9
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I will be there in 56 Blue. Thanks for your kind offer.
I checked bearing with wheel back on. It's kind of hard to feel any play as the forces required to feel bearing play also move the car around a little on the jack at the same time. The left front bearing was making noise in carrousel at RA last fall. No discernable play in bearing, but replacement eliminated noise a few weeks later.
I shot some aerosol chain lube into the inside of the axle spline last night, but have not had the time to drive car and check.
I checked bearing with wheel back on. It's kind of hard to feel any play as the forces required to feel bearing play also move the car around a little on the jack at the same time. The left front bearing was making noise in carrousel at RA last fall. No discernable play in bearing, but replacement eliminated noise a few weeks later.
I shot some aerosol chain lube into the inside of the axle spline last night, but have not had the time to drive car and check.
Did you end up figuring this one out? I've had the same symptom develop, described as "click can be heard when lightly loading and unloading the driveline while in motion." and location is right rear.
07-28-2010, 05:49 PM
#10
Le Mans Master
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I have identified that the clicking noise comes from the left rear hub area. I used aerosol chain lube on the splines and torqued the nut to 125 ft-lb a few weeks ago. I read about this fix in the C5 tech section.
The noise occurs when starting off in reverse or 1st. Since I ran at Autobahn on Saturday I noticed that the click can be heard when lightly loading and unloading the driveline while in motion.
Is this just an annoyance, or a sign of something worse?
I'm going to Road America this weekend and don't want to waste my entry fee sitting broke down. Help!
The noise occurs when starting off in reverse or 1st. Since I ran at Autobahn on Saturday I noticed that the click can be heard when lightly loading and unloading the driveline while in motion.
Is this just an annoyance, or a sign of something worse?
I'm going to Road America this weekend and don't want to waste my entry fee sitting broke down. Help!
07-28-2010, 09:48 PM
#11
I assume your in a C5 so not sure if this applies....
have a C6 and had clicking in the RR that would only happen once when starting out in either direction but would not repeat until the car sat for a bit. Checked everything like hub nut, CVs, Diff clutches, rotor, hub runout, etc. and was never able to identify the source. Two years later my wheel bearing starting humming so i replaced it and the clicking sound no longer happens. I had clouted a curb with the RR, enough to bend the rim to 0.035" wobble . It took over two years for the bearing to finally start making noise. Just a thought.
steve
have a C6 and had clicking in the RR that would only happen once when starting out in either direction but would not repeat until the car sat for a bit. Checked everything like hub nut, CVs, Diff clutches, rotor, hub runout, etc. and was never able to identify the source. Two years later my wheel bearing starting humming so i replaced it and the clicking sound no longer happens. I had clouted a curb with the RR, enough to bend the rim to 0.035" wobble . It took over two years for the bearing to finally start making noise. Just a thought.
steve
07-29-2010, 01:47 AM
#12
Melting Slicks
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The noise is coming from the splines, the only way to get rid of the noise is to slide the bearing off of the 1/2 shaft lube the snot out of it and re-index in a different spot. That is why replacing the bearings will solve the problem too. I've come across this several times.
Joel
Joel
07-29-2010, 09:18 PM
#14
Drifting
Thread Starter
Krispy:
The noise went away for a while and then came back. I think Joel looked at it at Road America and agreed that it was probably stick slip of the axle splines in the bearing.
I tried to ignore it for a while and then it stopped after a few weeks (months?). Even though it was an aerosol lubricant, and I pulled the nut and pushed the spline half out of the bearing, I think it took a while to work its way completely to the inside.
The bearings are fine. The axles are fine. Many happy track events since. I check the nut torque every once in a while but it has never loosened.
The noise went away for a while and then came back. I think Joel looked at it at Road America and agreed that it was probably stick slip of the axle splines in the bearing.
I tried to ignore it for a while and then it stopped after a few weeks (months?). Even though it was an aerosol lubricant, and I pulled the nut and pushed the spline half out of the bearing, I think it took a while to work its way completely to the inside.
The bearings are fine. The axles are fine. Many happy track events since. I check the nut torque every once in a while but it has never loosened.
07-30-2010, 12:13 PM
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Good information, thanks guys. My noise is getting a little bit more frequent and can hear it also when shifting at low RPM from 1st to 2nd/3rd. Think I'll just live with it until winter or hear a bearing humm.
-Chris
-Chris
