Clicking Noise... Axle/trans??

[IsaacHayes]

Ok, I replaced the wheel bearing on the passenger front side as it was loose. Now when I put it in reverse to back out of my driveway I hear a clear sharp metallic click. Then when I put it in drive it will click or click softly twice then stop once going. Sometimes just one click if I hit the gas harder.

I've checked:

Strut nut on strut mount.
Motor mount bolts in wheel well
Wheel bearing torx screws
Wheel bearing axle nut
Brake pads
Rotor (sanded all the old rust off smooth as it was rotating back and forth on hub)

It sounds like the splines on the axle but the axle nut is tight and they seemed fine when I put the hub on. Unless they are just a little out of spec??


So its....???
CV bearings going? (would it be that sharp and clear of a click?)
Splines on axle/spider gears? (same as above... clear sound?)
Splines on hub/axle?

It sounds clear and outside not in the trans. But I don't know... Is there something I can put on the rotor or axle/nut to quieten it and see if that is it??


@#$*@#$&* It's driving me NUTS and worrying the hell out of me that it's going to get worse and cost a lot (new trans?)

Any ideas/suggestions?

[sharkey]

likley isnt the transmission. i would check your motor mounts for movment (have someone in the car to put it in gear and load the motor up without the car moving). if the mounts check out, id get the front end up in the air and have someone go back and forth between reverse and drive while you listen to were its comming from, from under the car (use caution when doing this, make sure you trust the person in the car).

its realy hard to diagnose a noise over the internet.

[IsaacHayes]

Not the mounts. Checked them. Doesn't sound like that either. It's gotta be in the hub area (and started right after the new hub). It's a click high pitched clear sounding. Sounds sorta like when you're tightening lug nuts and you hear that click sometimes. I'm thinking the splines for some reason but they seemed fine. Or maybe the rotor shifting still but it does it even without the brakes involved.

I had it in L today, gassed it and when I let off the gas it clicked. Hit the throttle and it clicked again!! @*(#$

What if I put match sticks in between the spaces of the rotor and the studs? That would silence it if it was the rotor right?

[sil]

its prolly the wheel bearing, what method did you use to tighen it?

[IsaacHayes]

It could be that, that would make sense on how the noise behaves...
You mean the 3 torx bolts that hold it to the knuckle? I checked those with a ratchet and couldn't get them tighter, but maybe they need to be tighter?? I tightened them up with an impact gun then used a ratchet to check them....

What ft/lbs do those 3 torx bolts need?

I checked the axle nut with a breaker bar and a 3 ft cheater bar, it's tight.

[IsaacHayes]

Ok I had someone else in the car go through the gears to make it click. It is defiantly coming right from the hub area.

I'm going to try to pick up the torx bit needed so I can take off the bearing and clean the back side, and then bolt it back on and he-man the bolts and put some loc-tite on them too. That is the ONLY thing left that it can be. I went over all the pads and stuff today it's not the brakes doing it. It sounds like right in the wheel bearing.

WTF could this be??

Does anyone know the right torx bit size I need for those 3 bolts?

If tightening it back down doesn't do it I'm totally confused here...

[bszopi]

Maybe you just got a bad "new" hub assembly...

[IsaacHayes]

Yeah it's new but a cheap brand $50 BCA. I noticed it's now doing it when I touch the gas and again when I let off last night. Not all the time but more now.... grrr


Would a bad wheel bearing click like that though but not going down the road?

[IsaacHayes]

Got to thinking, the 3 torx bolts I don't think that would make the noise because that part doesn't rotate with the wheel or take load just holds the car up. But I will check it again maybe it does get torqued when the control arm moves or something?

Also maybe the nut is bottoming out on the threads on the axle??? Maybe I need another washer on there? **** I don't know.

[IsaacHayes]

I had someone go back and forth in the gears while I put my hand on the axle last night. I feel it in the outer CV joint. I talked to that mechanic some more and he said that since I have 200,000 miles on the CV and that I pulled out on it some, that the balls likely had a worn spot and now are in a different place inside the joint. He said it will either smooth out or get worse.

So it's the cv joint. All the stupid replacement ones have rubber boots too not like the OEM vinyl ones. Stupid rubber boots always rot and rip open too. Damnit.

He said he's had the same when replacing a transmission and disturbing the CV axles.

So I guess I'll ride it until it gets too annoying. Grrrrr