Well I *thought* it was a wheel bearing... help!

[Ziggy]

For a few weeks I've had a noise that sounded just like a rear wheel bearing going: Groany rumbling that got worse round left hand bends, & dissapeared round right hand bends. Seemed just like the rear right bearing, so I jacked it up & the rear right wheel did indeed feel like the bearing was on the way out (roughness, not play), and all the rest were fine, seemingly confirming my diagnosis.

I couldn't be ar$ed with fighting with it myself, given their awkward reputation, so I asked my local specialist to have a look at lunchtime today.

Then, when I set off for work this morning, the noise was gone! There for probably a month / loads of miles (yes I know, I got round to it as soon as I could!), then on the day I'd decided to take it to the garage, it was gone.

We decided there was no point in the mechanic getting it up on the ramps or taking it for a drive, as there were no symptoms to try & fix!
So now I'm really confused! What else could it be?!


Haylp?!

[E30BeemerLad]

could it have been the handbrake shoes or something adrift within the drum?

[Ziggy]

That's what the mechanic suggested, but I'm not really convinced... why would it have been worse on left hand bends for example?

[E30BeemerLad]

if the shoes are not held in place then they could move aross i guess and rub on the inside edge of the hub, but being honest with you fella I am stabbing in the dark here

[Ziggy]

Suppose you're right... seems a bit tenuous, but hey!

Cheers for the input anyway

[anton]

hi guys,

here's my horror story!!! after replacing tie rods with replacement parts twice and not happy..

i travel about hmm... 60km to a bmw place, they fit geniune bmw parts. schweet..
drive home another 60km... rumbling sound that changes as i turn... hecktic..

next morning, first thing i check is if the tie rod ends are perhaps touching the wheels.
nope.. next point is wheel bearings..

a travel another 60km... at a snails place...

at the end of the day... being reasonably handy myself..i work on my own vehicles mostly.. but needless to say the most basic thing i didnt check was.:

my front wheel was loose!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

yup... in the friday afternoon rush, the oak didnt torque the wheels properly... so i traveley 160km... about 100miles
with a front right wheel that was "hand tightened".


so boy, always check your wheels YOURSELF properly, before pulling away from ANY GARAGE!!!!!!!

trust me.. a lesson i learnt that coulve been fatal.

rather seem petty and full of shit to the crown working on your pride and joy and be safe.. by asking for the wrench and checking ALL THE NUTS yourself!! or you might end up CAR ON ITS ROOF and your own NUTS in the air...


cheers
Anton

[Jon_Bmw]

John as soon as i saw the thread title my mind was thinking handbrake shoes in the internal disc/drum thingy just like Lee.

I had a similar droneing noise, changed my diff, no difference. It turned out to be a handbrake shoe catching slightly. The springs rust up nicely. Its fairly quick to check that they are working properly. Spin the disc round with the handbrake mechanism in place, see if you get any grinding, then take the mechanism off and see if the noise goes.

Should only take a couple of hours max to rule it out anyway

[Ziggy]

Bizzarre!

Wheel nuts was one of the first things I checked - I did that myself (on a capri!) once! Also, garages often tighten them far too much - I'd rather find that out at home than when I get a pucture.

Nice one Jon - if you've actually experienced it, then that's definately what my money's on! We changed my brother's discs at the weekend, & the state of the handbrake drums made me want to do mine anyway. So new discs / pads allround has moved significantly higher on my 'to do' list!

No rush to sort it for the mo though - I'll enjoy the lack of noise for now Well actually, I'll 'enjoy' listening to my diff's input shaft bearing, but that's another story

Cheers fellas

[Dr Firefly]

Got my 320i off Ebay, and stupidly didn't check behind the centre caps on the alloys - found out after having driven 500 miles that the rattly sound I could hear was one of the nuts off the front right wheel - only 3 were screwed in! The other was just flying around loose.

Anyway, as regards the noise, when I got my car some numpty had changed the rear brake shoes without putting the clips on to hold them in, so the front edge was rubbing on the outside of the drum, had worn a nice little groove. That made a terrible sound. But from what you're saying you've got all disc brakes anyway? No rear drums?

Ian

[Ziggy]

Yeah, discs all round, but the handbrake still works on a drum that's built into the rear disc... Ta

[E30Mark]

If the noise returns, pull up the handbrake a notch or two and see if the noise changes if it does then its the handbrake!

[Jon_Bmw]

If the noise returns, pull up the handbrake a notch or two and see if the noise changes if it does then its the handbrake!

Marks top tip for the day sounds like a good un.

Off topic completely...mark if ever I needed a engine crane for something, is there any chance of pilfering/borrowing yours... Completely random I know

[E30Mark]

If the noise returns, pull up the handbrake a notch or two and see if the noise changes if it does then its the handbrake!

Marks top tip for the day sounds like a good un.

Off topic completely...mark if ever I needed a engine crane for something, is there any chance of pilfering/borrowing yours... Completely random I know

You may! i need to collect it from E30Adams house... his brother borrowed it a while aqo, and i keep meaning to go round there and pick it up, but my van is full of cr@p and so is my garage! plus i'm working away from home all he time art the moment....

[Ziggy]

Ya see, that sounds like a great idea... so much so that I'd be very surprised if I didn't try it at the time!
Just seems like the obvious thing to do with noise coming from round there, but I really can't remember. Ah well, still quiet today!

Mark: exhaust?!

[E30Mark]

Ya see, that sounds like a great idea... so much so that I'd be very surprised if I didn't try it at the time!
Just seems like the obvious thing to do with noise coming from round there, but I really can't remember. Ah well, still quiet today!

Mark: exhaust?!

Ziggy: change of plan! explain Saturday...

[Jon_Bmw]

Mark its not for at the moment, but my silly brother is looking like picking up a ban for speeding, and he wanted to put a mi16 engine into some small french wrongness that is a 205. So i thought the ban might give him the chance to have some time on his hands to get it done. Probably sometime in the winter months.

You are a true gent , i have your number so one day you'll probably get that random phonecall.

[cheesebox]

I've got a similar noise on mine, and have had for a while now. I assumed it was the diff... will be trying E30Mark's handbrake tip later... Thanks!