Happy holidays- or better yet MERRY CHRISTMAS to all you non PC people out there.

I’m hoping someone here can help with a drive-train problem I’m having. Here’s the details:

Symptoms: When the car is driven forward or reverse @ ~5 mph there is a really deep creaking sound coming from the left rear wheel/hub and @ higher speeds the noise seems to disappear.

Background: This is a V8 car that has been under construction for many years. The car has rebuilt trailing arms with new bearings and a stiffening kit. The hubs are 914-6 adapted for 930 half shafts. The wheel is a super deep dish Centerline Convo-pro (15” x 12”).

First thoughts:
-Bushings- yes I do have the urethane bushings- but they have a totally different cry or moan.

-CV joints- they are the big 930 units with an acceptable?? ~10.5degrees of angular misalignment, the half shafts slide back and forth ~.5” with little resistance

-Transaxle- the sound is definitely coming from the wheel/hub

-Bearings- the trailing arms have brand bearings but they could have been installed incorrectly??


Here’s the tests/inspections to date:

-When on jack stands, out of gear, wheel spinning- no creaking

-When on jack stands, in gear- no creaking

-When on jack stands, motor running, in gear- no creaking

-When on jack stands, motor off, lots of wheel bearing play, on the right the wheel has close to 3/8” movement up and down @ the outside edge of the wheel. Looks like there is something going on with the bearings. I’ll address this problem later, but is it the cause of the creaking noise? The left wheel has ½ the play the right wheel has.

That’s as far as I’ve gotten. Anyone have any ideas what else I should test before I tear it apart? The problem, or at least the noise, only occurs under load, so at this point I am not sure inspecting individual components makes the most sense??
Does anyone make an aftermarket rear-trailing arm that can take the abuse of racing these cars with deep-dish wheels and high torque loadings? There are a lot of wide-bodied 914s out there and it seems like it may be a common problem?


Thanks, Chris

are you sure the stub axles are pulled all the way into the bearings and the large 30mm nut is tight?

Everytime I see pictures of you car I say to myself "Holy shit!" What an incredible looking car. I do hope you will be bringing that to WCC05 so I can look at it in person. My first guess is, if you have play in the rear wheels then something isnt right with your bearings. Mine is not as wode bodies as yours but I installed everything new in the rear trailing arms including the Welmiester urethane bushings. The noise from mine is without a doubt the damn bushings. I hate it but there is no play in my wheels at all.

QUOTE (Mueller @ Dec 20 2004, 12:18 PM)

are you sure the stub axles are pulled all the way into the bearings and the large 30mm nut is tight?

wind that 30mm castleated nut tight!!!!

Thanks for the responses,

Well I thought the nut was tight but I'll go back check it again.

Scott, I'm going to try and be there. I kinda doubt I will drive the car that far but who knows? If I have to I will trailer it.


Chris

Chris,
If I still have my car maybe we can share a two car trailer. I'm too wienie to drive to LA on my hard susp.
It's that or try to borrow one of my SoCal friend's 914-6's that's collecting dust...
Have you checked for brake pads rubbing? Otherwise, the bearings could be shot..
Felix

Chris,

Where's the Party???
Felix

That rear castle nut has to be more then tight..it's something like 220ftlbs. I'm going off of memory..but it is way up there. Hard to imagine both wheel bearings bad (the play you mentioned). But you'd get that if the stub axles were not pulled all the way in and properly torqued.

QUOTE (jim912928 @ Dec 20 2004, 01:02 PM)

That rear castle nut has to be more then tight..it's something like 220ftlbs. I'm going off of memory..but it is way up there. Hard to imagine both wheel bearings bad (the play you mentioned). But you'd get that if the stub axles were not pulled all the way in and properly torqued.

i went 240 lb with a impact wrench, and another flat or two with a 6 foot cheater bar

Just looked up the torque setting in the factory manuals...shows it as a range that should be between 217-253 fl.lbs.

Happy torq'ing!

Jim

Update.

OK you were right on the castle nut answer. It was snug but not tight. That fixed the wheel play. Still have the creaking though. Seems like the creaking is a little better?? But still haven't tightened the nut with a 6' bar!!

Chris

I used a 3/4 inch drive impact that is capable of 350 foot pounds of torque. Run in it really tight.

QUOTE (skline @ Dec 20 2004, 01:27 PM)

I used a 3/4 inch drive impact that is capable of 350 foot pounds of torque. Run in it really tight.

maybe that is why your car doesnt roll?

Stupid question but did you remember to put on the bearing caps (retaining plates)?

Another thing to check...not knowing what you did for brakes...but if you put on vented rotors you may have some backspacing issues where you are getting some rub on either the caliper or the dust covers (if you put them back on)?

p.s. with a car prepped like yours you might want to, at some time, scrap those bushings and put on the mueller roller bearings!