Clickety noise

I have a 81 w/4 speed. I have this clicking noise that has gotten louder in the right front ( I believe ). Has that cv joint clickety noise, started making the noise only on turns, now is present driving down the road. Thought it was the wheel bearings but sound still present with new inner and outer bearings with new races installed. Any ideas what this noise can be?  

Sounds like you need a mechanic. Just kidding dude. I was looking for the answer too and I am assuming this is your post. I am wondering if the sound might be coming in some way from the spindle seal. Either that or the spindle nut is way too tight or lastly the sound is actually coming from the rear end CV because it really does sound a lot more like a CV sound.  

Took it for a quick spin...seems steering related. When turning left, very loud noise, going straight noise comes and goes, left turn will make the noise go away.  

i would first jack up the right front.....   spin the wheel with it up in the air...

see if you can hear any clicking...

then grab the wheel and try to turn it back and forth.. see if there is any movement..  if there is see where its from...   see if there is any in, out movement at the top/bottom of the wheel...

you can now remove the wheel....  examine the brake caliper...  make sure the caliper pin is properly installed...

wiggle the brake pads...  make sure they are not rattling around inside the caliper..

put a pair of lug nuts back on to hold the rotor to the hub... if its not fastened tight..   wiggle the rotor.. see if there is any play..

spin the rotor.. see if you hear anything rumbling..   the wheel bearings should be totally silent..  if you can hear them... or can feel them when you turn it.. they are probably going bad and will need to be replaced...

don't forget... you have to clean all the grease out..   and drive the races out a bit at a time..  then drive the new races in..  please read up on this... if you are not familiar with doing it..

it really does sound like the bearings are failing.. or have failed..

if the bearings have spun on the spindle..   you may have to have it examined by a professional...   or you may have to change the spindle... and possibly the hub also..

there is a small chance... that those front wheel bearings have not be properly cleaned and packed with fresh proper grease since it rolled off the factory line...  

did just about everything you said yesterday actually. I have a corvette repair/service shop close to me but really was trying to avoid the price associated with it. I searched it over and cannot find where/what the noise is. very frustrated with it...!  

the last thing..  have someone ride with you..  with the right hand window down... see if they can hear it louder on the right side than the left...

is it possible that its coming from the rear suspension???  the Ujoints in the half shafts????    

then have someone stand beside the the car on a curb as you drive past...  see if they can hear it...

really hard to find noises...  there are little spring clips.. with microphones attached..   they all get wired to a hand held unit... lets the tech listen to the various parts that could be making noise..   there have been mechanics..  in the past.. looking for vibrations..  by hanging onto the frame under a truck.. until they got caught in the driveshaft and wound around it..

be sure that you request an estimate only first...  you may have to pay a diagnostic charge..     if you decide to get it repaired... be sure that they write on the estimate and work order that they are doing this to fix a noise..

this way.. if the noise is still there.. you have some recourse..

i have had other people sign blank work order estimates... and get charged thousands of dollars for unrelated repairs..  

yeah, my friend hung out the window and we did the drive by test, definitely seems to be coming from the front right.
I stopped by the service place but they will only work on what they sell. Need to find an honest mechanic. He said it could be a ball joint or even the speedometer cable - but why would the cable stop making noise when I turn left?  

just curious../???????

could the cotter key be contacting the dust cap????  i have had those make a clicking noise.. when the ends of the cotter pin touch the dust cap..


i would also like to know... who set the wheel bearing adjustment???

who drove the bearings races out and in.... were there any burrs from the tooling that got peeled up and could be holding the race from being fully seated??  so when the bearings were adjusted...  they seemed fine.. but after driving ...  the races seated slightly more.. and the wheel bearing adjustment is now loose??

when i change wheel bearing races... i see if i can use a carbide scribe around behind the race... to make sure it is fully seated... all the way around.. i also look down in there..

one a bearing change job.. i also  take the adjustment to 0..   start spinning the hub and tighten the bearing a bit more.. while still spinning the hub... then loosen it and properly adjust it.


my adjustment..  just a tiny bit looser  than 0..    so while i am spinning the hub again... i bring it up to where it just touches.. then back it off just a fraction of a turn.. put the cotter pin in.... and fold it tight..... when i drive the dust cap on..  i make sure that the cotter pin does not hit... by turning the hub.. and listening..

jack the car up .. take the tire off.. see where the noise is coming from...  

Hi, I have the same problem but not with a Corvette, but with a 1988 Jaguar XJS. It started out as a clicking noise that kinda sounded like there was a tin can stuck in a movable part under the car. Then it squeaked when I used the brakes. Then it disappeared, only to start all over again, then it started to rumble a little and then the car started to "wander" during driving. I think it is a U-joint, or maybe the wheel bearings, in either case I am not going to drive my car but have it towed to my mechanic and let him see what is wrong with it. It also drives like I am lightly pumping the brakes but not with full brakes. I looked everywhere under the car but the only thing that does not look right is grease inside the wheel maybe coming from bearings. Hope this helps, and if anyone has any ideas email me. Thanks, Donna   ps. I realize I don't own a Corvette and this is not a Jaguar forum but I hope no one minds if I write to this forum. I love Corvettes too but Jaguars are my favourite cars.  

my email address is jetlag700@hotmail.com   Donna-the one with the Jaguar XJS.  

jet lag... i sent an email directly to you...     i hope that you come back in a few days and log in ... click on the edit link in the lower left corner of your post... and remove your email address... and post what happened...

for everybody else.. jet lags year and model uses individual wheel bearings and seals... like C1 to C3 cars...  but the rotors come off like C4-C6 cars... so the wheel bearings don't get packed often... sometimes never...   they fail... causing problems like was described...

it takes me about 20 minutes a side when the brakes are off to properly take the hub off... clean and repack the bearings . install a new seal , a cotter pin and adjust them...   i also tend to use a tiny bead of silicone around the base of the dust cap... that way i know that was the last person to do it.. it also keeps water from wheel washing out..