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Car Forum / Chevrolet / Chevrolet Corvette / February 2007'75 rear wheel 'creaking'
Just bought a '75 Vert, 1 owner w/ 53k miles. Receipts show both rear trailing arms were 'rebuilt' about 8 years ago and car has only gone about 4K miles since. I noticed both sides have a slight 'creaking' sound when I drive beside a building, etc. I can hear the echo. It's cyclic and constant and applying the brakes doesn't change the noise. Is this bearing related? Can the rear bearning be changed / lubed or does this typically involved a rebuild of sorts? thanks for any advice. It is very hard to diagnose sounds over the computer, but it could be the bearing. In 8 years and 4000 miles, they shouldn't be, but could be if they were not done right. Yes, they can be lubed. There is a grease fitting attachment that looks like a collar that slides over the spindle shaft. You have to disconnect the half shaft at the spindle, remove the spindle nut and flange, slide the collar on, and snug the spindle nut. It takes a bit of practice to squirt enough grease without doing too much. Too much fills the emergency brake area with grease and creates new problems. If your rotor is not riveted anymore (common when the bearings are replaced), you can slide it off and check when grease begins to appear past the outer seal. As soon as it does, stop. And extra squirt or two will NOT help, but hurt. Be sure to mark the rotor in relation to the spindle hub. You must return it to the exact same position. Also, sometimes you will find shims between the rotor and the hub. These must stay in place. Otherwise, you can increase the runout of the rotor and start pumping the brake caliper pistons, which introduces air into the brake system, making your brakes spongy or even giving you no brakes. You should start with the easy stuff first though. It could be u-joints that are needing grease. If you have a grease fitting on them, grease them first. Many don't use the ones with grease fittings because the non-fittings ones are stronger. I have never broken one, even when road racing 427s. However, I only had limited drag racing with any, so in drag racing, you could break one if you are extreme and are abusing on launch. > Just bought a '75 Vert, 1 owner w/ 53k miles. Receipts show both rear > trailing arms were 'rebuilt' about 8 years ago and car has only gone about [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > thanks for any advice. > You should start with the easy stuff first though. It could be u-joints that > are needing grease. If you have a grease fitting on them, grease them first. > Many don't use the ones with grease fittings because the non-fittings ones > are stronger. I have never broken one, even when road racing 427s. > However, I only had limited drag racing with any, so in drag racing, you > could break one if you are extreme and are abusing on launch. Never use a "U" joint with a grease fitting in the swing axle of a Corvette. If it breaks, and I've seen more than one, it will wipe out the rear of the car. It's just not worth the risk. Buy the best joint you can, or the original GM part. What the axle does flopping around back there is not nice. Al > It is very hard to diagnose sounds over the computer, but it could be the > bearing. In 8 years and 4000 miles, they shouldn't be, but could be if they > were not done right. Wonder if it is just the trim rings or the center caps making that noise? Alleys seem to magnify sounds. That would be my first test by removing them and making another drive through before tackling the rear drive system.  SignatureDad 05 C6 Silver/Red 6spd Z51 72 Shark Black/Black/4spd > Wonder if it is just the trim rings or the center caps making that noise? > Alleys > seem to magnify sounds. That would be my first test by removing them and > making > another drive through before tackling the rear drive system. What a great suggestion! Eliminate the simple and easier things before suspecting the worst. Here's waving to ya - \|||| Owen ___ '67BB & '72BB -- not affiliated with JLA forum in any way -- alt.autos.corvette is original posting -- ___ "To know the world intimately is the beginning of caring." -- Ann Hayman Zwinger Wow, the trim rings. Hmmmmm, I would have never thought of that (always had alloys on my other vettes) but I'll sure give it try and hope for the best and cheapest solution. Thanks guys for the quick, great advice! > > It is very hard to diagnose sounds over the computer, but it could be the > > bearing. In 8 years and 4000 miles, they shouldn't be, but could be if they [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > seem to magnify sounds. That would be my first test by removing them and making > another drive through before tackling the rear drive system. >> It is very hard to diagnose sounds over the computer, but it could be >> the bearing. In 8 years and 4000 miles, they shouldn't be, but could [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > removing them and making another drive through before tackling the > rear drive system. Great Idea!.................... for a Bush Supporter! hehehehehe ;-) SignatureRic Seyler Online Racing: RicSeyler GPL Handicap 6.35 ricseyler@SPAMgulf.net http://www.pcola.gulf.net/~ricseyler remove –SPAM- from email address -------------------------------------- "Homer no function beer well without." - H.J. Simpson >> Wonder if it is just the trim rings or the center caps making that noise? >> Alleys seem to magnify sounds. That would be my first test by removing them >> and making another drive through before tackling the rear drive system. >> > Great Idea!.................... for a Bush Supporter! hehehehehe ;-) A bush supporter, does that have strings attached? Oops, sorry, you may never have been exposed to a supporter. >>> Wonder if it is just the trim rings or the center caps making that >>> noise? Alleys seem to magnify sounds. That would be my first test by [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > A bush supporter, does that have strings attached? Oops, sorry, you > may never have been exposed to a supporter. :-) SignatureRic Seyler Online Racing: RicSeyler GPL Handicap 6.35 ricseyler@SPAMgulf.net http://www.pcola.gulf.net/~ricseyler remove –SPAM- from email address -------------------------------------- "Homer no function beer well without." - H.J. Simpson I had a cyclical creaking sound on my '76 (on the driver's side rear wheel) about a year ago. Hoping that it wasn't the bearing, I lifted the back of the car and while the wheels were turning I found instead that one of the original emergency brake shoe return springs had snapped and a small piece of the broken spring had wedged in between the shoe and the rotor/drum and was slightly scraping the inside of the drum as it turned. Now, putting in the new spring in was fun work :(. > Just bought a '75 Vert, 1 owner w/ 53k miles. Receipts show both rear > trailing arms were 'rebuilt' about 8 years ago and car has only gone about [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > thanks for any advice. >I had a cyclical creaking sound on my '76 (on the driver's side rear wheel) >about a year ago. Hoping that it wasn't the bearing, I lifted the back of [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > >Now, putting in the new spring in was fun work :(. Almost the same problem....Broken parking brake spring in my passengers side ..drove me to drinking trying to locate it ...click click click when turning left or right .. of course as speed increased you can not hear anything... stop at a light and turn right the sound was very audible.. Spring actually (from memory) was not hard or expensive to replace... BUT in any case if I were the OP I would at least grease the inner rear wheel bearings as someone suggested... Bob G. 64 72 & 98 Rag tops 76 & 79 Coupes |
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