I have an 83 GL wagon, and I was coming home with 3 people in the car and 2 full kegs in the back. I heard a pretty loud CREAKING coming from the back passenger side wheel. It made the creak with every turn of the wheel, so slower it sounded worse and more drawn out, and faster it was just a little squee--squee--squee..... right. After I got all the weight out it was fine. The tire was not rubbing so that wasnt it. Sound like anything I should worry about? Early signs of bad wheel bearing? Or maybe just my car telling me I drink too much and it's affecting her as well? Whatcha think???

Rear shock, or wheel bearing would be my guess..... there's not much else back there that could make noise like that. 2WD or 4WD? 2WD wheel bearings are a LOT easier on the rear to replace (cheaper too).

 

GD

Its a 4x4, The rear shocks are DEFINATELLY SHOT. I dont think that would make a noise when the wheel turns. Dont know though. the noise stopped when I took the weight out. I'm not going to worry till It starts again.

I guess that when your car is similarily loaded in a month, you will discover that it was that wheel bearing, and you should have taken care of it a long time ago

consider everything that rotates at wheel speed: dif, axles, brakes, bearings

Probably a good idea... I did have A LOT of weight in the back.... I don't wanna go changing things that dont need to be done. Your right about it being anything rotating back there. It was Specifically coming from one side though, so I have ruled the dif out. I JUST changed the shoes, The weight may have been enough to tweak the whole axle and make a shoe rub a little. I'll keep a close eye on it... and go easy on the loads for a while. That definatelly was the most weight its ever seen, and she looked like one of those lowered hondas with it all back there. If it is wheel bearing... how difficult is it??? Any specialty tools or shop equiptment needed to do it??? Or will a garage a weekend and a foul mouth get it done like everything else???

mine used to do the same thing, i used to carry loads of about 1200 lbs of gravel around(this probably wasn't to bight) It would make the sound you describe while i was driving with it and for about 50 miles afterwards. its been over a year and a half since i've carried that much and it hasn't made the sound since and is running just fine so i wouldn't worry to much about it unless it gets a lot worse.

Well I noticed it again today.... and unfortunatelly I didn't have any kegs in the back this time. I worry about it...

 

I read a post about an EA82 wheel bearing being quite simple, as well someone said that the EA81 (which I have) is very similar. Is this true??? I am a newbie at all of this, Each part I remove is new to me... So wheel bearings???? Pull the hubs... old ones out, new ones in and done????

 

If anyone knows of a thread, or a page where its all outlined that would be sweet! I've been told not to trust my Chilton Manual, Anything I should know?

 

Thanks!