slight Grinding/vibration during light braking

[The_EE]

I have been trying to track down my problem for about 3 weeks now and spent way too much money to not solve it.

Perhaps you might know. Sound might be coming from rear, hard to pin point.

Symptoms: slight Grinding/vibration during light braking

Things replaced/fixed: Lateral arms, turned rotors, did brakes, struts/shocks, alignment.

Checked: Rotors, brakes ( no metal on metal ), axles, driveshaft not hitting exhaust, transmission/transfercase/rear diff fluid is fine, no loose bolts anywhere. All hub bearing appear to be fine, no play at all.

One small problem found, left bushing on rear center member that connects to the rear diff is slightly torn

Only things left to be, frozen calipers/pins, bad rear diff, transfercase or transmission.

 

[The_EE]

Two things I am thinking of.

1: Perhaps with that hanger for the exhaust ripping out of the piping, maybe its causing the exhaust to hit the rear axle? I am going to be checking that tomorrow afternoon when I have some light. I wish I would have thought of it today when I had light.

2: When bearings go out, they rub. Well.. It was doing it after the ball joint failure but I have felt it much more since the car was lowered. I am thinking that because the front camber isnt done yet ( waiting for my kit to arrive ) perhaps the added stress of being 1.5 degree's off on the passenger side is causing the bearings to rub more then they did and causing them to go out more and maybe its just noticeable between 20-40 mph, most noticeable at 20mph.

I am running out of ideas.

 

[chase1244]

When i lowered a car of mine, it cause excessive wear and tear on all my bearings and ball joints because chamber was off so that is a very good possibility.

 

[The_EE]

So. I am in the process of getting my axle's rust worn off with some PB blaster. While turning the wheel with the rotor off, listening for anything abnormal, I see something. I pull it out from between the hub area. Stuck in the hub is what appears to be a small long piece of a belt of some sort, maybe its part of a tire, hard to tell. Combined, its about 2 feet long. I am going to try to get pictures of it ASAP as soon as I find the drivers for my digital camera.

I wonder if that is what was causing the feeling, who knows. It came from the Front Right wheel, where the sound from the grind is coming from. I am going to change the hub anyways, if I can get the hub off.

Thinking a soaking of PB Blaster all night and then a blow torch to heat up the hub to make it expand will do it? Should I heat the hub or the axle itself to break the rust loose?

 

[chase1244]

just heat the hub. if you heat the axle to much you might take the temper out of it.

 

[The_EE]

well, I could not get the axle out of the hub. Too much rust.

18 applications of PB Blaster then some heat to the hub and then a lot of hits from a 4lb sledge, nothing. Time to go to a shop.

 

[The_EE]

Update:

Passenger side Axle and hub replaced, its still there.

Front mount for the rear diff replaced, had about 1/4 inch of rubber still attached, its still there

Photo's
Photo 1
Photo 2

Transmission replaced this last weekend, its still there. All the motor mounts are in perfect condition.

next weekend I am going to be trying out another drive shaft to see if that cures the problem.

if not, then rear wheel hubs and axles will be replaced ( axles are rust welded in ). After that, rear diff will be replaced, if that doesn't solve it, then I will move onto the rear center member. I am running out of idea's and patience.

oh.. and money.

Seriously, if anyone is local to me in So Cal and knows any tests that can be done to find this problem, I could really use your help. This problem has already sucked the money for my 2.3 bottom end, injectors and intake manifold upgrade. It has set me back quite a lot, I was expecting to have my build done by the end of this month but I fear I am going to be spending another grand at least in parts trying to fix this problem. I am already in the hole $2400 at least on this.

 

[phillip]

you should just have the car in the air n put it in gear. apply the brakes n follow noise with a scope. If the driveshaft was ever removed n not marked can cause vibration.