19 replies to this topic

[faultymonkey]

Hey all

My 1989 Austin Thirty Mini has is making a really loud screeching or grinding type noise when driven, coming from the front left wheel. I reckon its the cv joint as the previous owner mentioned it was on the way out when he sold it to me.

It screeches when driven in a straight line, gets louder when turning to the right and sometimes disappears completely when turning to the left. Ive also noticed the left wheel occasionally stops turning with the engine and I get a slight jolt when it re-engages again (big problem!)

Can anyone confirm that it is the cv joint before I start pulling things apart. Also, does anyone know roughly how much it would cost a garage to fix this as I need it doing quickly and probably dont have all the right tools with me at the moment.

Cheers

Sam

[Ethel]

CV's do very little when doing in a straight line, Could be a wheel bearing, but debris behind the brake shield makes the most noise.

[irish.yobbo]

CV joints usually only make noise when turning, and then it's a clicking noise when that happens.

The car doesn't pull one way does it? Doesn't brake funny? If you put on the brakes, does it still happen? It could be something lightly rubbing the drums/discs.

Grinding sounds like a bearing. Screeching usually means flat surfaces rubbing (like brakes). Unless it's flat surfaces with grit in them :0

[Ipod]

CV's do very little when doing in a straight line, Could be a wheel bearing, but debris behind the brake shield makes the most noise.

but if the bearing/track in the CV is fractured or broken, then it would quite possably squeel and make horrid noises in a straight line too
More noticably under load, ie when turning

[faultymonkey]

It doesnt pull to one side much (not any different to what it did before). Ive noticed it gets a little bit twitchy under heavy braking but the noise doesnt change when I do brake, which leads me to think its not to do with the brakes.

Im leaning towards wheel bearing or cv joint, its not a constant "on" grinding noise, sounds like something on one side of the wheel axis is causing it to rub so you get the grinding noise on/off/on/off etc, getting quicker as you travel quicker.

My main though being that the wheel seems to disengage from the engine occasionally (usually on corners) leaving you on 1WD for a moment before it engages again with a tiny jolt. Could a dodgey bearing do this or is my cv joint truely mashed?

[Ipod]

I would 99% say CV joint is colapsing.... with engine off, hold the drive shaft, (or a mate) and gently rock the wheel foward n backward...to see if you can feel any play

[clambert81]

Could be the brackets holding the brake shield have broken. My daughter's did this it it sounds like the same. If it is take it off and bin it.

[1964Woody]

Could be the brackets holding the brake shield have broken. My daughter's did this it it sounds like the same. If it is take it off and bin it.

I had the same problem with the brake dust shields (actually have had it on both sides) on my Mini 30. Made horrible sound like the one you describe. Easy enough to fix by welding the bracket back together.

[book]

Just had something similar. It sounded like metal being ground by metal and only occured when the car was moving. I was dreading the bill, but turned out to be...

brake thingies

One of them was corroded and had buckled a bit and fallen onto the brake disc. The sound lasted about 5 minutes worth of driving to get it back to the house and about 5 seconds of the missus driving to see if she could hear it. At that point, the excess metal was ground off and it stopped making the noise. got the new thingies fitted today.

[faultymonkey]

Just had a look at it with the wheel off, doesnt sound like the noise is coming from the cv, sounds more like the wheel bearing. Theres a lot of play when wiggling the wheel or disc which is making me think the bearing is gone, causing it to rub on the brakes as it rotates. Looks like its a new bearing for me

Any tips on fixing this?

Thanks everyone!

[charie t]

Any tips on fixing this?

Taper roller type bearing, make sure you get the centre spacer

I would use a brass punch though
Consider doing the swivel joints too

Edited by charie t, 20 November 2010 - 03:23 PM.

[Big_Adam]

And order a flexi brake hose.

Just saying, when I did my bearings the brake hose was so rusted I couldn't get it off. Ended up waiting ages to get one delivered.

[bennyy]

100% wheel bearing.

[faultymonkey]

Cheers guys for all your help

Next problem is getting the hub off. It seems to be fused to the bearings somewhere. Ive got the outside bearing on fully turning (on the driveshaft) and the inside bearing seems to be free but the hub just wont come off. Any tips?

Its definitely the bearings, I can see them now and theyre all sideways and in bits, fun times.

Any ideas how to get the stuck hub off? Ive emptied most of a can of penetrating oil into it and given it a lot of whacks with a soft hammer. Im thinking tomorrow go get a blowtorch and get some heat to it.

[mini_mason]

deffinately a wheel bearing, jack the car up and try to wobble the wheel from top to bottom, if there is a bit of play it may be this, also if u spin the wheel u might hear it, use only timkin bearings, around £50 but a good set, everything comes in the kit and the bearing races are easy to get in, just remember to pack the bearing correctly with bearing or a thick clean grease before refitting, this doesnt mean dip them in grease, put some grease on your hand and working with around 3 bearings at a time press it into the grease, keep doing this till it comes out at the top and do this all the way around, refit and remember they are tapered bearings so DO NOT overtighten the drive shaft nut, use a torque wrench, sorry i cant remember the torque. also when splitting the ball joints on the hub it helps to take the small rubber bump stop out from underneath the top suspension arm and ramming a screwdriver in there to take the pressure of the suspension cone, this should do the trick if not message me