TheSamba.com :: View topic - Help Identify This Vanagon Noise... (video)

Mon Jul 21, 2014 8:14 am

Driving home yesterday I noticed a noise coming from the passenger side of my '87 Vanagon Westfalia...

The noise varied in volumes and even after a right turn the noise completely went away.

you can hear the noise here in the first 5 seconds of the video or so...

Thanks

Mon Jul 21, 2014 8:29 am

Is the noise tied to engine speed or wheel speed?

If engine speed I say lifter.
If wheel I say cv

Mon Jul 21, 2014 8:32 am

Tobias Duncan wrote: Is the noise tied to engine speed or wheel speed?

If engine speed I say lifter.
If wheel I say cv

When I let off the throttle it seemed to lessen...
When coasting I dont recall hearing it...

Mon Jul 21, 2014 8:41 am

I guess what I am asking is does the speed of the noise increase with engine speed or tire speed.

Is the noise twice as fast at 2000 rpm vs 1000?

Mon Jul 21, 2014 10:10 am

Run the right side tires up on a curb, apply the parking brake and crawl under. Leave the transmission in neutral. Apply as much twist as you can to the inner CV in the direction of travel and while doing so slide the axle shaft laterally. The shaft should move smoothly and you shouldn't feel anywhere that the balls of the CV's are dropping into any divots. Reverse the rotation on the inner CV and check again, follow by doing the other axle.

Mon Jul 21, 2014 10:45 am

To better locate and identify such noises I drive along a tall concrete wall, first one way then the other. Really easy to tell what the noise is, which corner it is coming from and note how engine speed and road speed affect it.

Usually The Home Depot or other big box stores have a suitable wall behind them.

Mon Jul 21, 2014 10:45 am

I know this is insultingly simple, but check your lug nuts immediately. That is what it sounds like to me and I just did this to myself last week. The van has been sitting partly disassembled and I've been doing so many random and unconnected little projects that somehow I forgot to tighten them after replacing the rear wheel cylinders weeks ago.

DougM

Thu Aug 14, 2014 8:09 am

UPDATE:

Everything above checked out... It seems it was the Right Rear CV Joint.

I had them replaced less than a year ago when I lifted the van with GoWesty 1.5" lift springs. One thing I did then was add a 1/2" spacer to BOTH sides of the rear.

The right side always sat a little higher than the left so when the mechanic was replacing the worn right axle under warranty I had him remove one of the 1/2" spacers on the right side.

The axle was replaced for free under warranty. I'm hoping the right side now sitting a little lower without that spacer pad will help in the longevity of my cv joints since the right axle angle is a lot less drastic now.

Thu Aug 14, 2014 8:23 am

When run at a high angle it helps to clock the inner and outer CV joints. When installing the second CV onto the splines, you want the fat segment of the inner race of the second CV to to align with the facing fat segment of the inner race of the first CV. This will allow the CV's to run at a bit more constant velocity than when the second CV is installed randomly, thus lessening the load on the CV's

Thu Aug 14, 2014 8:26 am

Wildthings wrote: When run at a high angle it helps to clock the inner and outer CV joints. When installing the second CV onto the splines, you want the fat segment of the inner race of the second CV to to align with the facing fat segment of the inner race of the first CV. This will allow the CV's to run at a bit more constant velocity than when the second CV is installed randomly, thus lessening the load on the CV's

I have some Porsche 944 CVs I plan to build and clock as you mentioned. I plan to replace these chinese versions within the next 6 months or so for the heavier duty 944's. Just in case.

Thu Aug 14, 2014 8:44 am

Lift beyond 1.5" = increased stress on CVs = shorter life span.

Thu Aug 14, 2014 8:50 am

insyncro wrote: Lift beyond 1.5" = increased stress on CVs = shorter life span.

yup.

I was hoping the pad on the right would help the van settled back down after I added the heavier accessories on the right hand side but it didnt budge. so now with the right spacer removed the van sits nice and level.

this is with the right side 1/2" spacer and before the 11'-6" fiamma awning was added.

those heavier items on the right side didnt help the right rear sag any so it was a no brainer to remove the right rear spacer pad.