HELP-POSSIBLY STUCK AT WORK

Blagarse Yank · Post by **Blagarse Yank** » 30 Sep 2003, 14:14

Help appreciated.
History:
Xantia 1.9TD 1994. Over the last month have had several problems with front brake wear, over last week continual squeaking of brakes whilst driving.
Problem:
On drive in to work today picked up a severe knocking in the front. This seems to be coming from the passenger foot well. Acceleration above 2000 revs eases the noise. Breaking eases the noise. Constant knocking when driving straight, slightly worse when steering right. Eases when steering left.
Car rises and lowers, and handles as per normal. Noise continues in gear or out, clutch in or out.
What could this be? I'm pretty sure it's not a cv joint/wheel bearing by the nature that the noise dosen't change much.
Any ideas? I'd be grateful to hear as I'm currently stuck at work with at least 50 miles to cover before I get home.
Any immediate suggetsions would be very much appreciated
Blaggy

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » 30 Sep 2003, 15:51

Just a longshot but happened to me. Is the wheel tight? - I had a wheel fitted by halfords - noise on M25, ride home on RAC truck - when I went to start dismantling I found the wheel was loose!
Jeremy.

Blagarse Yank · Post by **Blagarse Yank** » 30 Sep 2003, 16:26

Oh what a duffer I've been! [
:I]
Jeremy you were right on the money!right wheel wheel and left wheel loose as hades! Tightened them up and took her for a test dirve. All back to normal.
Would have discovered it this evening of course, but you just saved me an anxious drive home and the possibility of loosing a wheel [B)]
Thank you!
ps, now need to figure how on earth two wheels got loose at the same time!
Thanks once again!!
Blaggy

rg · Post by rg » 30 Sep 2003, 16:48

Blaggy,
Don't be too hard on yourself..
En-route Stockton-on-Tees to Bournemouth (350 miles) with 500kgs on board in my old Pug 405 I got exactly the same noise, but from the rear.
Wheel bearing?
For around twenty motorway miles I was working out alternate destinations to off load the freight/where to get the bearing fixed/would the AA take me to my destination or back home/worth going home or asking to go on to Bournemouth and fixing at that end (I was about 120miles into the trip)/how much further I could go without catastrope/etc/etc.
Until I got to a service area and noticed that three out of four nuts were loose...
Doh!
rg

Blagarse Yank · Post by **Blagarse Yank** » 30 Sep 2003, 17:40

Rg,
Good to know I'm not alone!
Anyone els want to 'fess up for the record and lessen my embarrasment?
Blaggy

Dave Bamber · Post by **Dave Bamber** » 30 Sep 2003, 18:00

I used to drive a cab years ago and I suceeded in loosing a rear wheel with a fare on board! No warning, just a slight bump as the car settled on the brake drum and away went the wheel like a scalded cat into a garden![:0] I lost the fare (she decided to walk) but the car was undamaged save a brake drum with a raggy edge. The vehicle was a Lada........[:I]

AndersDK · Post by **AndersDK** » 30 Sep 2003, 20:13

Blaggy -
No point in being embarrassed [:I]
Happened to me y's ago - with my latest (now long gone) Austin Maxi - on a drive home from work. The knocking was exactly as to your description..
It was a bit mysterious - as I'm allways keen on tightening up the wheelbolts. On checking - I found that both frontwheels bolts needed to be tightened up.
Later I have learned that this may happen - if you're too generous with lubing up the bolts (using copraslip etc.).
Only the bolt threads should have a tiny touch of the grease - never on the tapered shoulder.
Later it happened to my daughters first BX - my son-in-law being keen to remember my DIY rule of thumb : never assemble bolts/nuts dry.
(not overdoing it [;)])

kafkaian · Post by **kafkaian** » 30 Sep 2003, 21:41

Saw this happen to a 4 x 4 last month. It was actually quite frightening though as the near side front wheel then went bounding and bouncing off down an A road and into a couple of cars which each received a couple serious side impacts. The size of the wheel and the speed it was travelling actually caused real chaos.
Thanks Blagarse Yank, you've made me think about checking mine on a regular basis now I've heard all these worrying anecdotes.

arry_b · Post by **arry_b** » 30 Sep 2003, 22:17

Triumph Spitfire - first longish run to work after changing the brake hoses. Noticed a heavy knock going round a right hand bend which rapidly got worse so I slowed down.
Slowed down a bit faster when the wheel fell off, rolled down the verge and into the thickest bramble bushes in mid-Devon.
Subconsciously I must have been expecting it as I had a spare set of wheel nuts in the boot!

Homer · Post by **Homer** » 30 Sep 2003, 23:01

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Blagarse Yank

Rg,
Good to know I'm not alone!
Anyone els want to 'fess up for the record and lessen my embarrasment?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Happened to me many years ago.
In my case the nearside wheel came loose, tore through some bodywork, overtook me and collided with a car coming in the opposite direction.
To make things worse I was driving a Reliant 3 wheeler.
I found 2 of the wheel nuts, borrowed the one holding the spare in place and gingerly drove home with 3 out of 4 nuts holding the wheel in place.

KevMayer · Post by **KevMayer** » 03 Oct 2003, 00:16

I changed the clutch on my dad's Chrysler Alpine 1.3 in about 1979. Put everything back together but didn't tighten the left hand roadwheel properly. After a few days I got this strange banging noise. Eventually found out what it was, but , by then, the holes in the steel wheel had elongated. My dad hadto buy a new wheel. ....OOOoooooppppps.
I was 17 at the time. Thought I was really clever changing the clutch. What a Jerk !!

KevMayer · Post by **KevMayer** » 03 Oct 2003, 00:18

Oh yes. Ever since then, whenever I refit a road wheel, I always use a torque wrench and nip it up to the spec.

KevMayer · Post by **KevMayer** » 03 Oct 2003, 00:22

And,
When I was about 7. At primary school. I looked out of the window one sunny day just as a white mk 2 cortina estate went past. Its driver's side front wheel was missing and I could see it bouncing down the road infront of it. The Cortina was still moving.
I was traumatised for life. Got a torque wrench for my 8th birthday ... ha ha ha

BonceChops · Post by **BonceChops** » 03 Oct 2003, 00:44

I bet most cars on the road have wheel nuts/bolts tighter than the recomended torque - due to excessive jumping up and down on the wheel brace when tightening them [:D]

kafkaian · Post by **kafkaian** » 03 Oct 2003, 00:56

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by KevMayer

Oh yes. Ever since then, whenever I refit a road wheel, I always use a torque wrench and nip it up to the spec.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">That's if the men with tall foreheads in white coats have actually got it right though Kev[}:)][:p]. Sorry not really trying to prolong and extend your childhood angst[:D][8D][:)][:)]