This is difficult to explain...here goes... It started when I drove down a washboard dirt road. It sounds like the plastic inner fender is rubbing on the tire (but it isn't). It comes and goes at random. After a couple miles it will gradually go away but if you hit a big bump its back, but then goes away again. Seems like I can hear it better with the window closed.

I have new breaks, rotors & calipers, control arm & the verticle bar thats connects from the suspension to the stab bar (forget what it's called. Breaks work perfect, no pulling. pulled the LF wheel off & everything looks fine, nothing loose. Jacked up the frt and ran it in gear, no noise...BUT there was no load on it either also no load on the suspension (wheel hanging down.) Have not tried that with the suspension loaded yet.
r
It will go away or diminish greatly when
turning left or right 90% of the time but
sometimes not. There are no steering or driving issues with or witbout

 

This was not supposed to post, I was not finished writing it? Anyway, this noise just comes and goes and I see norhing wrong. I thought it was a bearing but it's so intermittent???

 

It sound to me like a brake backing plate. They are thin so you might just try bending them away from the wheel a little. I had this on the right side and bending the back plate out just a little worked.

 

Good call, Phil...probably right.

 

Also check your mud flaps and inner fenders to see if they have any missing rivets that might allow them to contact the tire when turning.

 

I got into it this weekend. Last Friday the noise came back with a vengance, so loud I thought the wheel would fall off. It is the wheel hub bearing assembly, if you turn it while jacked up it feels like sandpapaper and grit inside, not smooth at all like the other side.

Getting the axle nut off was a trip! Used a 36mm socket & 1/2 inch breaker bar and after having to cut off the chisled down locking ring part of the nut (early design) I had to stand on the end of the breaker bar and "spring" up and down about 10 times before it came loose, I'm 205lbs! Can't believe something didn't break first.

Next are the four star bolts (E11's), No luck with the first one then had to quit. Any ideas for getting those out besides trying to make them glow? That's a lot of metal to heat! TBC

 

I picked up a impact torx socket and used an air impact. They zipped right off. Just be careful, you need to get them off without jacking up the torx head on the bolt or you will be hating life. Even if you have to take the hub all the way off the car, just make sure you have the right tools.

 

Yep, life sucks sometimes, like now! My impact wouldn't budge them (Chinese). Trusty breaker bar did two but the other two absolutely wil not move, and yes tbe heads are getting jacked up. I think I'm going to have to cut/grind/torch the heads off. At least I have the time (and another car to drive).

 

You don't have to make them glow .... .... you can heat them a bit and then spray them down with PB Blaster. I'd try to spray both the head and if you can get behind it the the threaded opening. As you spray it will cool and hopefully draw the penetrant into the threads to help you out. You might want to warm it up and let it cool a couple times to get the best chance of it getting in there and working for you.

 

I'll give that a try, thanks!

 

I had the same bad bearing. Fortunately no problem getting it off. One suggestion though...I have a "Big thunder" impact wrench from harbor freight tool. Once it wouldn’t get an inner tie rod end off and I had to break down and take the Chevy truck I was working on in to the shop and actually pay someone to change it...I almost died from shame...I even own the proper inner tie rod removal tool. I really didn’t want to use a breaker bar on it I was scared to break the power steering rack. A few months later the same tool wouldn’t undo my lug nuts. I noticed the oil reservoir was empty on my air compressor regulator. So I put some oil directly in the tool via the air line nipple. Woo eee it worked good after that. Any time one of these tools doesn’t work good this is a good approach.

I like the look of that penetrating PB blaster, can I get that at the NAPA, AutoZone etc?

 

Yes on the PB Blaster, not sure about NAPA though...
I put Mystery Oil in that cheap piece of s--- I have before each use. This was the last straw. Harbor Freight is good for a lot of occasional use stuff but sometimes you just gotta bite the bullet and get good stuff. I now have an AirCat 1000, lets see how that works on the other side, I'm gonna do that one too.
BTW, can the motor mounts be checked for a bad one even if you don' have any clunking symtoms? I do have a slight vibration that is not tire balance (had them done at a Firestone and watched the guy do it, they're perfect). 190K now & trans shifts smooth, have done a bottom drane & fill 4x and the CV's seem good too! Tie rods, BJ's & sway bar links all new. Should I just go ahead and do them anyway?
Thanks for all your help you guys it' really great to have place like this to go to!!!

 

A few drops of Marvel Mystery Oil into the tools nipple is a very good idea on any air tool. It helps a tool live longer and a worn tool seal better and give a little more power.