Ok, I have a new noise coming from the drivers side rear wheel. It sounds like a rubbing noise that is kinda clunky at the same time. It only happens when i am making a right hand turn. I am thinking it might be the brake shoes. It's a 72 supreme convertible. Can't look at it til Sunday due to work schedule. Any insight would be helpful. Thanks.

 

Axle bearing?

 

Another question: if you're making that turn and you're hearing that sound, and you immediately depress the brake pedal even a little bit, does the sound disappear? If so, as suggested, it could very much be the axle bearing.

 

x2

 

Check the spring had one break in half and had a clunking noise.

 

Well, tapping the break did make it stop. That's why I thought it was break related. Help me understand. Do you mean wheel bearing or do you mean a bearing in the differential?

 

Wheel bearing...

 

No, not in the differential. Right behind the brake at the end of the axle.

The axle fits through a donut-shaped bearing that presses into the end of the axle housing. Normally this bearing takes the load just fine and works just fine. In your case, that bearing is worn and is making noise. When you step on the brake, the load is taken off the bearing, and the noise changes or goes away.

You're right to think that it might be the brake, but I'm guessing that if the brakes are working OK, it's probably not the brakes. But you have to remove the brake to get at the bearing, so check out the brake hardware first. If you do see something loose, fix it up and then go for another test drive.

If the problem is not cured, then you will need to take the brake off, pull the axle shaft out, and remove that bearing. Doing so might require a special tool. The one time I did this on a '64 I once owned, I used a screwdriver to pry it out and then it took it to the parts store to match it up to a new one. Then press the new bearing in place, grease it up, put the axle back in, the brake back on, and off you go.

In my case, one other significant complication arose. The car had been being driven with the bad bearing long enough that the axle itself had an out-of-round worn spot on it where it passed through the bearing, so the axle itself was no good. I was lucky enough to find another one at a local junkyard. If this problem has just started with your car, it might be that the axle has not gotten this worn spot.

You've got an afternoon's work at least ahead of you. Good luck.

 

Thank you Jaunty. Crystal clear now. I am just hoping I wont need a rear axle. But if it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all. I am preparing for the worst.

 

Good luck. Remember, it's really a half-axle. It pulls out from the differential. Getting it out was actually not that difficult. I just pulled on it and out it came. Putting it back was easy, too. Once the bearing is in, push it back and it will lock into the gear in the differential it's supposed to fit into.

 

Just out of curiosity, how far/long does it take to get the worn spot? The reason I ask, is i noticed the noise on Memorial day. I drove to my parents that day (60 hwy miles each way) and to work Wed night (7 miles each way).

 

I couldn't tell you. You won't know until you look. I would say that you have not driven it enough to wear out a spot, but that's just a wild-assed guess.

In my case, the car was making the noise when I got it, so I have no idea for how many miles it had been going on.

 

Thanks for the help. I am just hoping I didn't make it worse and its just the bearings. If not, there is a guy not far from me that has a axle for a 70 cutlass for sale.
Thanks again