HELP with grinding/growling noise in my MANGO.

[begood56vw]

I am asking for help with my bus which started making a god-awful noise.
How it began:
My bus was a barn find on 2008 in the Santa Cruz Mountains during a large hillside fire. During the next 15 years, I got it running with the best parts I could afford.
I have a Wagenwest beam, flipped drop spindles, Airkewld wildwood slotted and drilled front and rear brakes, IRS rear with BENCO transmission and 2020cc Anibal Chico engine.
I have enjoyed the bus which I've driven for about 2k miles and just recently it began an awful grinding/growling noise when I stepped on the brake pedal. I took off the front wheels and the pads have at least 80% of pads. I removed the pads, and sanded them down, I also checked the wheel bearings and they looked okay.
I called Airkweld and Pete was sure it was my master cylinder so I took his advised and got his kit. Once it arrived, I bled the master cylinder and installed it. I also made sure there was proper slack in the MC pushrod.
I repacked the front bearings with new grease and reinstalled them. Got the bus all together and as soon as I backed up and starting to go forward, the noise is now audible as I'm driving and not stepping on the brakes. WTH
The noise is very loud inside my bus and I'm afraid I might cause more damage trying to figure out what the problem. Can anyone guide me to what I should do?
I got new front brake pads and I'm also considering getting new wheel bearings just to isolate the front end. Any advised would be greatly appreciated.

[Clara]

my first thought was gear oil.
one thing you can do is if it happens at low speeds, have a friend walk next to the bus and see if you can find if it is left or right, front or back.

You already looked at the front brakes, and if it didn;t make noises with spinning front wheels I doubt it's the front bearings.
so is it the back?
do the brakes work right?
So the noise happens or gets worse when you step on the brakes?
does it make noises with hand brake?

I had a clip fall off the rear brake shoe for the hand brake lever, and it made bad noises. The noises got worse after stepping on the brake or using the hand brake.
It was pretty clear where the problem was with the walk next to test.
The drum came off and it was clear what the issue was.

hope that helps.
_________________
The Obsolete Air-Cooled Documentation Project http://oacdp.org/

[begood56vw]

[BarryL]

You could raise the rear and spin the wheels by hand to see if it is a CV joint.

[begood56vw]

[tpinthepack]

I had a similar issue like this, and I removed the Brake Pads and put this Chap Stick sort of stuff on the back side of the pad where it touches the caliper piston, and my noise went away. The pads were griding on the back, not on the rotor side. This stuff comes in a super-sized Chap Stick looking tube.

https://www.ecstuning.com/b-loctite-parts/disc-bra....Catch_All
_________________
TP in the Pack (I am a cyclist)
1968 Manx N.O.S. w/ Barrett Chassis
1960 Single Cab 1914 w/ 40 DLRA's
1990 Vanagon DOKA
1972 Super Beetle
1979 Super Beetle Convertible
2011 Porsche Cayenne

[begood56vw]

[Brian_e]

Jack up the whole bus, and go around to each wheel spinning them. That will narrow it down to which corner is making the noise.

If its a front then remove the caliper, and spin it again. If the noise is gone you know its a brake issue. If its still there, its a wheel bearing issue. Since you have rear disks, test it the same way in the rear.

Brian
_________________
So more or less the lazier and stupider you want to be, the nicer quality parts you need to buy.
-Modok

Narrowed beams, Drop adjustable spring plates, Bus disk brake and IRS kits.
www.type-emotorsports.com

Type E Engine Parts and Supplies
https://type-emotorsports.com/collections/engine-parts

[begood56vw]

[begood56vw]

To all that replied to my question, i want to thank you all since i figured out the problem. It was the rear IRS bearing cap bolts that had loosen up grinding on the inside of the rotor. I first discovered the issue on the rear driver side. I fixed it then i decided to check the rear passenger and to my surprise, they had also come loose. I removed the bolts, cleaned them then added some blue locktite. All is good now. Thank you all.