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Need help diagnosing this new noise


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Well I haven't been on this message board for about six months (I went up to Alaska for a summer job). I don't know if you guys remember but my username was EricJ321. Anyways I'm back now and I've got an interesting noise I was hoping someone could help me diagnose.

Its an 84 ea-81 with the 4spd 4wd.

The noise is tuff to describe but I'll do my best. It happens when your coming up to a stop the cars in neutral and your just barely rolling...if the stereo is turned off you can hear this noise it sounds like there is maybe some snow caught between the fender and the tire, a soft scrapping noise. Its related somehow to the wheel revolutions, the slower the car is moving the slower the noise is. I tried to figure out exactly where its coming from, it sounds like its coming from one of the wheels up front but I can't tell which side.

Things I have done so far

I drove around real slow in 1st gear to see if I could reproduce the sound and it doesn't do it.

Tried rolling backwards real slow and I didn't hear it either.

Looked under the car to see if the c.v. boots were torn or any other obvious problems.

 

It doesn't make the noise when its in gear or any other time except when your just barely rolling, I want to ignore it but I also don't want to get stranded somewhere. Its got me stumped and I don't really want to tear into it since I have no idea what is wrong. If you guys have any quick or cheap things for me to check that would be a great help. My only idea I have is maybe its wheel bearings?( I really hope not though) Thanks.

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Possibly could be brakes dragging a bit? First thing I'd check.

 

I say that cuz I've never seen brakes -- especially drum brakes -- that don't drag almost imperceptibly. And since you don't hear it except under the quietest conditions, it just might be. In gear or at higher speeds, the noise would be drowned out.

 

Anyway, jack it up and rotate the wheels by hand to listen, brakes or not. Hey, I'm not familiar with EA81 drivetrain so I can't offer anything more specific :)

 

-- Mark

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Mabye loose castle nut on front wheel. Mine makes a scraping grinding noise when I am just rolling, or when I let of the gas. The castle nut was loose on mine, well, still is. I can't seem to tighten it up enough. I would check the castle nut along with everything else the guys said. THe easiest thing to do would probably be to try to turn the nut back and fourth.

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Did the vehicle sit the 6 months while you were away? If so I would assume it is rust on the brake rotors and driving it some will clean it off naturally, or you can take steel wool or something and just sand some of it off. Would also be worth bleeding your brakes if you haven't replaced the fluid in them in a while.

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I guess brakes too! Jacking up the car is the best shot.

 

Out side shot but what about a rock in your tread? or a skid or blemish in your tire? This could telegraph a noise through your sub.

 

Check your brakes!

 

Glenn

82 Hatch, wired!

01 Forester, bent but not broken!

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Thanks guys for all the ideas. Well I'm pretty sure its not the brakes I havn't done any brake work lately. I'll jack it up and see if I can find the noise like I said you can't hear it except when your coasting really slowly so it might be the brakes dragging slightly? Its a weird crunching noise noise that I wouldn't associate with disk brakes though.

I checked both castle nuts and there nice and tight.

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I'll bet on disc brakes, after I did a rear disc conversion on one of my cars, the rusty discs never did clear up until after I had them turned. Like you said a soft scraping noise when slowly coming to a stop, check the discs in the front, and in the rear if you did the conversion. Did the vehicle set for a few months? If it did, this is a definite possibility.

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I got back from Alaska in September and have been driving the roo since then, I just havn't been on the message board because the subies been running great. So I highly doubt the rotors went bad with me driving it every day.

I just went out for a drive and I couldn't get it to make the sound anymore? I check the cv boots their fine, both axles are pretty new, replaced both since I got back.

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GM:

 

My guess is the one of the wheels is loose - either lug nuts, or the castle nut/spacer/bearing assembly.

 

I would jack up each corner, one side at a time and do the "shake test", by grabbing the outer edge of the wheel.

 

No shakes? I would still go thru and remove the wheel, cotter pin, castle nut etc., grease it up, and put it all back together at the proper torque.

 

I don't think it's the brakes unless something was warped. And then there would be performance issues too.

 

good luck, John

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