Technical All the problems are coming now

[wolfracepunto]

Ive got a noise coming from the nearside front wheel (nearside is passenger??? ) Its sounds like theres a nail or stone stuck in the tyre- you know that small annoying tapping noise I checked the tyre this morning and theres nothing there. I also noticed that when I accelarate the noise gets louder. Could it be the wheel bearing or something?

If I took it back to the dealers, they might blame it on the wheels

Any advice would be great,
Thanks

 

[Shunter]

I had a similar problem some years ago on my wifes Metro but the tapping was only audible above about 25 mph so I stripped the wheel bearing out, washed it and examined it, but could not find anything wrong. I put a new bearing in anyway but the noise was still there.
Eventually remembering what I had been told some years earlier about transmission noises being transferred from one side to the other, I stripped the other wheel bearing out and renewed it and the noise was gone.
I washed the bearing and examined it and under a magnifying glass I found that the inner ring of the bearing had a microscopic crack in it which was opening up as the load got greater when the speed increased.

Generally any clicks from damaged wheel bearings will have the frequency of half the rotational speed of the wheel as the ball race in the bearing is a bit like an epicyclic gear train. Inner ring = stationary, outer ring = wheel speed, ball race = half speed

Anything clicking at the same frequency of the wheel speed is unlikely to be the wheel bearing.

 

[wolfracepunto]

Thanks for that.......I won't go taking the bearings to bits now

This afternoon i've noticed that when I first start driving, the clicks are there all the time (when accelerating and decelerating) But when ive been driving 20mins or so, it only clicks when im accelerating

Any ideas??

 

[Si]

Only a guess, something within the brakes?

 

[MikeWhitcombe]

Tappets? Gearbox?

 

[wolfracepunto]

Tappets? Gearbox?

It has had a new clutch a week ago, so could be something to do with that or the gearbox.......dont know what though

Only a guess, something within the brakes?

I suppose it wont do any harm checking the brakes, could be something really simple.....

 

[Shunter]

Possibly a CV joint.

When you first start driving they are possibly cold and any wear or damage would allow the clicks to be noticeable.

As they heat up with driving, expansion within the CV components will reduce tolerances sufficiently not to have any clicking noticable

Until you accelerate and put the CV joint(s) under stress then the clicks would become noticeable again

 

[wolfracepunto]

Could that be due to the bigger wheels I have fitted?

 

[Nizanh]

Does it click on decceleration as well?

 

[wolfracepunto]

It does when I first drive it from cold, then after about 20mins its only clicks whilst accelerating