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clunking from rear of car - 56 beetle

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lownslo Commited Dubber

64 posts · joined Aug 2007 ·

#635295
There is a weird clunk coming from the rear of my 56 beetle. Standard motor and box fitted.

It started on the passenger side of the car when turning. But in the last day or two it now sounds like it comes from both sides of the vehicle and is quite a bit louder. It happens whilst cornering. Once you start to straighten up the sound stops. Its a consistent clunk-clunk-clunk that sounds like its matching wheel speed.

From this I'm gathering something to do with the transaxle? Could it be a low oil level? Any ideas. I am going to try and investigate but don't have that much time so if you could throw any ideas out there it would be great.


This noise happens, when the car is in gear or out of gear, engine running or not, on smooth or rough roads.

Wheel bearings and engine mounts are all new as of a couple months ago. Castle nuts are done up tight.

Joel Now containing 100\% E-Wang

9,368 posts · joined Feb 2006 ·

#635305
torsion bar or shock rubbers disintergrating??

hellbugged 48's and straight cuts

5,080 posts · joined Apr 2003 ·

#635324
big axle nuts that hold the drums tight?

lownslo Commited Dubber

64 posts · joined Aug 2007 ·

#635328
dumone wrote:big axle nuts that hold the drums tight?
I just tightened the bejeezes outta them, noise is still there, would have been good if that was the problem 🙁

Shock bushes, torsion bushes wouldn't make a sound that matches wheel speed, that'd be a clunk/thump when going over bumps.

if I drive along in a straight line and just veer left and right slightly the clunking happens at even intervals presuming about wheel speed.

There was more backlash in the trans than was there a couple months back... so i'm guessing my trans is feeling abit sad and tired.

vw54 Administrator Always Waiting 4 Friday

16,723 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#635331
about one of 50 things see if you can take to someones who knows VWS

Where r you at ???
I read it on FACEBOOK so it must be true


http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=91278&page=1#pid848630


http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=63561&page=1#pid624099


http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=4832&page=1#pid452603


http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=60650&page=1#pid574409

hellbugged 48's and straight cuts

5,080 posts · joined Apr 2003 ·

#635332
low gear oil has done that to me before as well...............

lownslo Commited Dubber

64 posts · joined Aug 2007 ·

#635335
vw54 wrote:about one of 50 things see if you can take to someones who knows VWS

Where r you at ???
the car will not be taken to anyone, lets put it this way, I'd rather wait till it completely breaks so I know waht it is that was buggered and have to pay 10 x for a completely new trans or whatever it is than trust it to any workshop. That or you can start listing the 50 things it could be, but I can hardly see how it could be that many things that could cause it.

hellbugged 48's and straight cuts

5,080 posts · joined Apr 2003 ·

#635338
what's your method of tightening the beejeezus outa the nuts?

lownslo Commited Dubber

64 posts · joined Aug 2007 ·

#635340
dumone wrote:what's your method of tightening the beejeezus outa the nuts?
socket with breaker bar with my scrawny arse hanging off the end of it?

bond Veteran Volks Folk

2,456 posts · joined Jul 2003 ·

#635343
is the car lowered? fkd bearings?

nick

hellbugged 48's and straight cuts

5,080 posts · joined Apr 2003 ·

#635344
hmmmmm, imagine swinging the wheel one way then, reversing the weights on the end of this Tbar to "BANG" the nut tight............that's the kind of force required to toghten the axle nuts!

it sounds like youve been working there already?



like Dave said, we'll be stabbing in the dark here........

lownslo Commited Dubber

64 posts · joined Aug 2007 ·

#635351
Ahh well bugger it. Don't have time for it. I'll just sell it then

lownslo Commited Dubber

64 posts · joined Aug 2007 ·

#635352
dumone wrote:hmmmmm, imagine swinging the wheel one way then, reversing the weights on the end of this Tbar to "BANG" the nut tight............that's the kind of force required


like Dave said, we'll be stabbing in the dark here........
Its only in say a day or two that this sound has gotten really bad. the nuts are tighter than they ever were as I had a good 6 foot handle on the breaker bar. Even though they are tighter than they ever where the sound is still there so I can't see how it can be them

lownslo Commited Dubber

64 posts · joined Aug 2007 ·

#635353
bond wrote:is the car lowered? fkd bearings?

nick
cars not lowered the the bearings on the axles are new as of a couple months ago.

bajachris88 The international telephone dialing code for Antarctica is 6

6,661 posts · joined Apr 2005 ·

#635354
they didn't have Cv's on 56ies back then did they?

I only eva had grinding noises with bad bearings....
and my clunks on the rear only happen when i put the brakes (drums playing up)
(ô_!_/ô) (ô_!_/ô)
69' baja: kombi box, thing spindles, irs, disc front, type 3 rear drums, 2 inch lift kit, 31x10 rears. 👍
New engine in process: 94mm p&bs, 74mm C/w chomol Crank, 35.5x39 SP heads, turbo. Wierd combo, hopeful torque monsta!

lownslo Commited Dubber

64 posts · joined Aug 2007 ·

#635355
Yeah this happens if the car is in gear or out of gear, just free coasting, no brakes applied.

aussiebaja Insano Dub Head

738 posts · joined Jun 2006 ·

#635358
could it be the front gearbox mount is shot ?
BETTER TO BE THOUGHT A FOOL THAN TO OPEN YOUR MOUTH AND REMOVE ALL DOUBT:puke

lownslo Commited Dubber

64 posts · joined Aug 2007 ·

#635359
all 3 trans mounts are brand new.
This noise happens as a cyclic sound with wheel speed remember, can be on perfectly smooth road no bumps with no load on the car/trans whilst free coasting just slowly veering side to side, doesn't have to be violently at all.

aussiebaja Insano Dub Head

738 posts · joined Jun 2006 ·

#635362
the only other thing i can think of is to take of each rear brake hub and check the brakes make sure there aint nothin in there or loose
BETTER TO BE THOUGHT A FOOL THAN TO OPEN YOUR MOUTH AND REMOVE ALL DOUBT:puke

56astro Custom Title Time!

1,772 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#635363
Drain the oil out of the tranny and see if any ugly bits fall out.

Does it happen when its in any gear, out of gear?

VW car, VW engine ...... keepin it "real"
35MPG on 101.3kPa

lownslo Commited Dubber

64 posts · joined Aug 2007 ·

#635364
noise happens

in gear
out of gear
engine running
engine switch off
under brakes
not under brakes
on smooth ground
on rough ground

lownslo Commited Dubber

64 posts · joined Aug 2007 ·

#635366
aussiebaja wrote:the only other thing i can think of is to take of each rear brake hub and check the brakes make sure there aint nothin in there or loose
only happens under turning, there is noting loose floating around in the brakes.

68AutoBug Beetle Restorer - Experience over 138\% - YIKES --

11,654 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#635389
It May be your the Large Nuts on the axles...

If Not tightened to 217 ft lbs they will came loose..

so it could be the axle moving on the splines...

You need a 3/4 Drive socket and bar plus 5 ft of pipe on
the breaker bar and you tighten it by putting all your weight on it..

You should NOT be able to undo the NUT with a 1/2 inch drive breaker bar.... it should shear off...
put some grease or never seize on the thread before doing it up...

I hope this is all the problem is...

Best of luck

Lee
- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---

bajachris88 The international telephone dialing code for Antarctica is 6

6,661 posts · joined Apr 2005 ·

#635415
Make sure u also check for simple loose things too ay... like even panels or what not...

Might sound stupid,
But on my toyota last yr, i took it to a suspension shop 5 times to work out what the hell this nasty screaching noise was coming from the left front wheel and moreso whilst turning left. None of them new, but 3 wheel alignments later, a 2nd hand hub, new bearing and plenty of $, i took the wheel off myself, to see the sheet metal cover over the top of the disk brake had a slight bend and was just rubbing on the rim of the wheel... Took me only a second to bend it back and it neva did it again.

Have an offsider with ya and take the car to a quiet street, and having him on the outside listening to where abouts in the rear wheels its coming from. EG: quiet coldersack at a slow pace (however u spell coldersack)
(ô_!_/ô) (ô_!_/ô)
69' baja: kombi box, thing spindles, irs, disc front, type 3 rear drums, 2 inch lift kit, 31x10 rears. 👍
New engine in process: 94mm p&bs, 74mm C/w chomol Crank, 35.5x39 SP heads, turbo. Wierd combo, hopeful torque monsta!

68AutoBug Beetle Restorer - Experience over 138\% - YIKES --

11,654 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#635423
When You turn a corner

there is pressure from the differential
for one axle to go slower than the other one..

this is enough to make the brake drums move on the splines...

if it was brake parts, it would make the noise all the time..
there wouldn't be any differnce whether going round a corner etc...

The oval beetles have a very simple rear suspension so there's not much that can go wrong...

but I would check the level of the oil in the gearbox...

Best of luck

Lee

into VWs since 1960....
- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---

Anthiron The Baja Rejuvenation Begins

4,936 posts · joined Oct 2003 ·

#635433
ok heres an idea,

replaced an axle lately? or have you replaced the wheel bearing cover cap inside your rear brakes? you say that you know your brakes are fine does this mean u pulled them apart recently?

some of those caps have different depths in them so even when tightend all the way up there can be play for the axle to slide and therefore you can never get the proper bearing tension by tightening the axle nut.

the axles should have matching colour swabs, if one axle has a blue mark then the other one should as well etc.
62/60 model bug eye baja bug, (Full Build in Progress)
1974 Chevrolet Luv
1970 MK2 Ford Cortina GT
1979 Yamaha RX125 Two Stroke tracker project.
2004 Harley Davidson Sportster XL Custom

Volkswagenboy Staggers Automotive.

2,437 posts · joined Jul 2005 ·

#635444
bajachris88 wrote:Make sure u also check for simple loose things too ay... like even panels or what not...

Might sound stupid,
But on my toyota last yr, i took it to a suspension shop 5 times to work out what the hell this nasty screaching noise was coming from the left front wheel and moreso whilst turning left. None of them new, but 3 wheel alignments later, a 2nd hand hub, new bearing and plenty of $, i took the wheel off myself, to see the sheet metal cover over the top of the disk brake had a slight bend and was just rubbing on the rim of the wheel... Took me only a second to bend it back and it neva did it again.

Have an offsider with ya and take the car to a quiet street, and having him on the outside listening to where abouts in the rear wheels its coming from. EG: quiet coldersack at a slow pace (however u spell coldersack)
Cul-de-sac. That's how you spell it.
-Staggers.
STAGGERS AUTOMOTIVE - Heavy Vehicle Diesel Specialist
JB CUSTOMS & CLASSICS - Car Builders
2/53 Tradelink Drive, Browns Plains

68AutoBug Beetle Restorer - Experience over 138\% - YIKES --

11,654 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#635447
Jack the rear end up and see if You can move the wheel
in and out - at the top -
at the sides - at the bottom...

that will tell You if you have anything wrong...

Did You put the identical bearings in the hubs??

cheers

Lee
- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---