Help! Ticking noise from my rear!

OK It's not what you think;)

I got to work this morning and during the last mile of slow "quiet" driving I could hear a ticking noise, metallic, coming from the vicinity of the right rear wheel. It is speed dependant, not RPM, and incereases or decreases with MPH change. Braking has a slight dampening effect on it, although it does not disapear entirely and comes right back after you let off the brakes. If you turn it also lessens the noise.

I'm at work so I can't really take things apart in my white shirt in the parking lot, but what I need to know is if anyone has any thoughts on what to look for if/when I get home tonight!

2005 Beck (3 weeks old!), wide 5's, 4 wheel disks, Drum Skinz...

Thanks,

Doug

Drum Skinz rubbing?
Just a guess.

Axel

Sounds like a wheel bearing to me.

I'll check the drumskinz.

Wheel bearing???? There's only 1300KM on the clock!!!! Do those come "bad"??

I lifted the hood(?) at lunch today and took a look see under there. Everything appears to be in order. Nothing loose or leaking (or missing!) Everything seems tight when you push, tug, pull, etc.

What about parking brakes? Could they be dragging or catching?

Those DrumSkinz are a really tight fit to the disk brakes! I'll disassemble them tonight and see what's what inside all of that.

Any other thoughts?

Doug

Check your lug nuts for looseness/proper torque. Make sure there are no signs of rubbing (Bright metal, bare fiberglas, rubbed tire etc.) anywhere. Take a look at the calipers and make sure one isn't loose and touching a wheel...They can be slightly loose and still function (For a while). Go through every nut and bolt on the rear suspension and make sure they're all torqued to spec...Not just "tight"...Specs can be found in a good VW manual.

See if you can duplicate the noise it by rolling the car slowly with the engine off (Get someone to steer while you push from the corner where the noise seems to come from)....Then jack the rear off the ground and spin the wheels with the car in neutral and see if the noise appears. If the noise is present with the wheels on the ground, but not when the wheels are off the ground, then it has to do with stressing some part(s) with the weight of the car.

Does the "click" get worse when you accelerate, then lessen when you push the clutch in and coast, taking the stress off the drive train? If so, it could be a CV/universal joint out of tolerance.

Is the noise present when the drivetrain is cold as well as hot, or does it develop as the car heats up? Again, if it is absent when the car is cold and develops as the drivetrain heats up, something may be out of spec with regard to tolerances.

Good luck.

TMc

rock in the tire?

No rocks or nails or anything.

The noise stopped on my way home last night. I was taking it very easy and not driving hard.

Buuuuut, on my way to work this morning all was quiet until I took a hard right (must have been all lefts on the way home last night)and tick, tick, tick...when I hit the brakes it almost went away, and it lessened somewhat when I straightened out the wheel.

I will pull it all apart this weekend, oh crap I have to take the family camping this weekend. OK Monday night when I get back....

...stay tuned folks.

Thanks for everyones suggestions. Keep them coming! I'm learning more about my car every day.

Doug

Doug,

One more suggestion...Don't just "pull it all apart"...Unless you have identified definitely what the problem is, eyeball it real close and make sure everything is torqued to spec. If you have to go into it, try to do one thing at the time, then testing it...Then going to the next until you find the source. If you do a bunch of stuff at once, you won't know where the problem was....(Don't ask me how I know)

TMc

Terry,

You are a wise man! Thanks for the advice. I'm in Product Development and subscribe to the Scientific Method. Change or explore one variable at a time! I also take digital photo's of every step and take careful notes during dis-assembly so I can "remember" how it all goes back together!

Doug

ticking noise from your rear end??? been to the doctor? could be hemorrhoids? I would not sit down without checking this out. ha ha ha
shawn clark

sorry, just could not resist
david shawn clark

LOL THANKS David! I was beginning to wonder how long it would take before someone cracked;)

It's getting louder. Parked until I get back from camping.

Spyder Mike,

I sent you some e mail off site and it got returned. Was wondering if you got the Spyder up to the Applegate? I think Angela and I could be talked into killing some bugs one of these days.

Those back roads are calling!

Bruce Williams

Two things that I have experienced that have so far not been mentioned. I raced open wheel mods for a number of years and I had a similar noise that was caused by a loosening in a brake pad rivet.(the hard left in my case) Pretty basic but definitely fits the criteria, and also if a radial tire slides a belt you will sometimes get a progressive "splat splat, splat" that willprogress as the belt in the tire continues to separate. Food for thought in the quest of the elusive noise.I think my money might still be on a bearing issue.

Rodger

FOUND IT!

You're gonna laugh, maybe. Turned out the rear brake was dragging a little and the excess heat was distorting the drumskinz on that side. Took off the skinz and presto, no more noise! There is a small area right at the edge that was rubbing on the brake caliper every revolution.

Glad it was only that!

Thanks for all of the support!!!!!

Doug