Rear wheel noise--not the bearing??

[ben parrish]

I started hearing an odd noise the other day. Coming from the right rear..gets louder when I put more load on that side by turning left. I jacked the car up an tried to move the wheel but there is no play in the bearings. No noticable noise other than normal by turning the wheel by hand.
I replaced my outter CV joints and repacked the inners last winter so I don't believe that it's CV related.
Can a loose axle nut cause these symptoms without having wheel movement?

I don't mind replacing the bearing but don't want to if it's not the problem.

Any suggestions onn things to check?

thanks for the help,
Ben

[Green 912]

Rear wheel bearings can make noise under load but be quiet unloaded. The raceways get eroded in the areas that are under high pressure but remain smooth in the unloaded portions.

[ben parrish]

Would the "eroded" surface explain the lack of play?
I noticed the noise about an hour away from home. When I got in, I immediately felt the hub and it wasn't any warmer than the other side.

[pete3799]

Check the front right. Sometimes noises are hard to locate.

[ben parrish]

Good point..pretty sure it is the rear but I will raise the front and check.

[DRACO A5OG]

Are you hearing the noise at speed or low speed into a parking space?

[rusnak]

Put the car back on the ground, and push sideways with your shin against the rear bumper, behind the wheel. Watch the wheel rim for movement.

[ben parrish]

I first noticed it going down hill with the clutch in. increases tempo and level as the speed increases. Louder when i put weight on the passenger side by swerving.
I put the car down and the wheel is stable.

thanks for all the suggestions, keep them coming.

Ben

[burgermeister]

I've had a number of (non-porsche) bearings go out, and they don't always allow wheel movement (camber) when they first start making noise. I've even had one that allowed 1/8" wheel movement (again camber) and was quiet as a church mouse.

[Rob G]

Check you rear sway bar mounts. I had a noise that was driving me crazy and found them cracked. The answer is WEVO

[BeyGon]

I had a small rock stuck between the caliper and rotor somehow and it didn't make any noise until I had it jacked up one time. I let it down and the noise started as I drove it out, drove me nuts, somehow it just slipped a bit and started scraping.

[Silveresrty911S]

Check CV's, axle/ hub nut. My track car made similar noises and found a bad drivers side CV and a loose nut on passenger side. YMMV
Theres always a loose nut behind the wheel

[Jim Garfield]

If I recall correctly, in '86 they went from a castellated nut with a cotter pin to some kind of a lock washer. I had one back out just enough that it sounded like a bad wheel bearing, but was just a loose nut. It wasn't moving enough to tell by pushing on the wheel/tire, but when I took the wheel off and put a wrench on, it was definitely loose. Tightened it, and it's been fine for the last 3 years.

[DRACO A5OG]

I reached under my car today and observed both axles slide in and out horizontally and a bit of radial slop. Is this normal?

I pushed against the bumper on the sides with my shin and no wheel movement or noise to discern.

[Flieger]

CVs have plunge travel (splines) to accomodate the necessary change in axle length through the suspension travel. Is this what you mean by slop?

[ben parrish]

Draco, that is normal. I will check the nut tomorrow. Thanks for the suggestions.

[DRACO A5OG]

Originally Posted by Flieger

CVs have plunge travel (splines) to accomodate the necessary change in axle length through the suspension travel. Is this what you mean by slop?

Oh great, yes then I do have the plunge travel.

The slop I am referring to is up/down front/back of the axle. I assume a little is normal too do to the "plunge" travel.

I will rent for free a 300lb Torqure Wrench at AZ to check the tightness of the bearing wheel nut.

Originally Posted by ben parrish

Draco, that is normal. I will check the nut tomorrow. Thanks for the suggestions.

Please update if that is in fact what was loose

[ben parrish]

Checked the front bearing and all is good there.
tightened the rear nut but the noise is still there...looks like a new bearing is in the cards. I had planned on replacing the spring plate bushings and lowering the rear before this spring anyway.

[CorsePerVita]

I am also getting an odd noise. I am not familiar with the bearing noise on these cars but mine comes in waves... sort of a nice quiet then a hum, quiet then a hum, quiet then a hum. Starts at 45mph and gets worse at highway speed. Sometimes at low speeds I can hear it slightly but not nearly as bad. I've noticed now that it pulses faster when turning. So I'm guessing it's likely a wheel bearing. Usually in my previous experiences, a wheel bearing is a constant noise. This one is more of a pulsing noise which is really weird. It's a very slow and gradually building noise that dissipates and comes back in 1 or 2 second intervals. Turning it just goes constant, very odd indeed. I think it's time to order wheel bearings lol.

[ben parrish]

Pretty much describes mine...