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Old Dec 3, 2003 | 07:23 AM
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Jafro
I'm made of meat!
 
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 3,580
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From: Richmond, VA
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Ride Quality/Driveline Noise tests:

Does it do it only under braking? Yes=Brakes

Bearings usually either squeal or groan, and sometimes cause the car to pull to one side or another. Front wheel bearings don't usually make noise in a straight line, but do when you're turning. Rear bearings can be diagnosed by raising the rear of the car and spinning the hubs (with the e-brake off). If your discs or drums are held on by the wheel, put the lug nuts back on first. When spun, if there's a spot that slows/stops its rotation, or the wheel doesn't rotate freely, then there could be 2 things wrong. Bearing, or brakes.

Rule the brakes out. Make sure they're in spec (wear specs for the drums/discs are stamped into them), make sure your pads are wearing evenly. Make sure no brake fluid has leaked anywhere around the slave cylinders. Make sure there are no grooves on the braking surface.

Axles usually thump constantly at speed, or rattle when turned hard under load to tell you they're going bad. They can do one without doing the other depending on whether it's the inner or outer joint that's failing.

You usually won't hear shocks and struts that have gone bad unless you hit bumps or develop tire shake from bad treadwear.

If everything's vibrating in your car, you probably have a tire that's out of balance. Sometimes they kick weights off, and 2 oz of weights makes a huge difference at 65mph.

I had a friend develop a clicking sound, and it turned out that he had a plastic bag and a stick wrapped around his suspension. The stick was dragging on the wheel. I got a good laugh from that one because he told me what he knew was the problem, and had aparently never looked at it. It also bent his brake dust shield into the rotor.
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