As I continue to fine tune the car getting ready for the 3 hour drive out tot he ECC, I drove it out to my inlaws Thursday night. Spent Friday crabbing, and then was able to spend all day today tuning. Took several test drives that went perfect.

After washing the car, I noticed that one of the tires (drivers rear) had a 4 inch crack in the sidewall. Less then 2000 miles on these tires too. Dammit!

Anyway I changed the tire with my spare. The spare is a larger tire then the rest of the tires, and I was worried that this might cause me a problem. I think that it did.

When I went to go drive out, I started slowly. Rolling in first I heard the car go: "clunka - clunka - clunka" and I stopped. Backed it right back into my parking spot in my father in law's driveway. My wife was there and I got a ride home with her.

So, my question. What made the sound? Was it:

1. the rear tires were mismatched, I was hearing the differential eating itself?
2. The spare tire was not centered on the hub properly?
3. Some other issue I have not yet thought of?

My guess is number 1, which is why I left the car after rolling it forward about 10 or 20 feet and hearing it not sound happy.

I guess, if I had been smart, I would have taken off one of the front tires and put that on the rear so that both drive wheels were the same and the fronts were miss-matched. We did think of trying that before I left it, but I was exhausted and so was my son, so we just left it until I can get back there with a new tire sometime next week.

The tires are mismatched because the full size spare is in the stock size, but my street tires are smaller diameter.

I don't think I did any lasting harm. As I said, it only went a car's length before I stopped it and backed it back into the parking spot.

Thanks
Zach

How fast were you going ? Did the sound increase with the speed ? Spare could have a flat spot Try putting the flat spot at the top and see if it goes away

You know what, actually just scrap the damn thing and buy a Miata. They go for forever

I was going, maybe, 5mph. Probably less. Went forward 10-20 feet, heard a few "clunks". Backed it up 10-20 feet and heard a few more cluncks and parked it. No way on the Miata. If I wanted a little car that would just drive and not ever need my tinkering I would have bought... well... a Miata.

Zach

I highly doubt what you heard was the diff or anything detrimental. Take a closer look at it tomorrow and mae certain it is centerd, lugs are all tight, check the caliper and make certtain it hasn't loosend up. Check the rim to make certain it isn;t bent, tire is full etc. Gotta be something basic.

well, if i remember correctly... your inlaws are in baltimore That means you could fix it and pass by the shop. My car will be parked right in front


PHOTO OP

What wheels do you normally run?

What wheel was a spare?

Are these still lug bolts or studs? If they are lug bolts, do you use alloy bolts (the long ones)?

If your spare uses shorter lug bolts (IE STEEL WHEEL), your alloy lug bolts are too long and can cause interference.

My guess is that is what happened.

Otherwise, I would guess that the spare wheel is somehow interfering with something. I doubt it would be a differential.

My wheels are 4 bolt fuchs.
My spare is on a steel wheel.
I was using the stock lug bolts, and they seemed to tighten up nicely.

Sorry joe, the car is at Erin's folk's place out neat Westminster, Md. And I have to go visit my mom in the hospital tomorrow, so It will have to stay there probably until next weekend.

Zach

Stock lugs for a steel wheel or stock lugs for a Fuch ? Big difference. Fuch lugs would interfere inside the drum as John mentioned.

Now that was a funny pic.

I was going to say CV joint until I read that you are using long fuchs bolts on a steel wheel. Put your stock tire back on and try it again. Bettcha no noise.

Do you normally hear the clunking when rounding corners? This would be the same as having 2 different wheel sizes.

Long lugs on a steel wheel could cause the noise. I have the same setup so I'll check for that when I get my car running.

Okay, good thing to know!
I need to get some different lug bolts for the spare tire.

I carried a 1/4 wheel spacer when i had 4 lug Fuchs and a steel spare. Easy to carry and fits onto the spare anyway....

DEERRRRRRRRRRR

My first thought was lugs not being tight, but then found that you used the longs bolts on the steel rim and I agree with the others about this being your problem. The bolts probably bottomed out.
I carry a set of short lugs in the event I need to put my spare tire on.

If the lug bolts are too long they will go through the disc and hub and possibly interfere with the backing plate (splash plate). That might be where the clicking is occurring.

Too long of bolts for a steel wheel; definitely. Take it from me, ( who grenaded a differential in my '66 bus by running mis-matched tired on the rear) it takes a lot of miles at freeway speeds to do the damage that way. I drove that tranny for 3 months daily before the diff went south. It went south pretty quick though once it began.