thud-thud-thud noise coming from rear nearside of my car

speed related, sounds expensive :(

[dmorison]

Anyone good at cars?

A low pitch, thud-thud-thud noise has started emanating from the rear nearside (I think) of my car; frequency changes with speed so I guess it's something to do with a wheel. I've had a good look at the rear tyres and can't see anything obviously wrong.

You can only really hear it at low speed (or rolling down a hill with the engine shut off)

It's a cheapo Rover with bog standard drum brakes at the rear.

Any ideas?

[mack]

!warning!

Sounds like loose wheel nuts!

Check then before you drive it.

If it is not this then it may be one of the following.

worn track control arm or bushes.
loose or worn suspension componenets.
Very worn wheel bearings

Get it checked out.

Mack.

[johno]

Sounds like the bearing. Quite cheap to get replaced. In the uk about £12-15 for the bearing and about 30 minutes labour

[lawman]

Check the air pressure anyway.

Also, when a tire is on the verge of separating, it sometimes makes a funny noise.

[dmorison]

Also, when a tire is on the verge of separating

You mean where the treaded part comes away from main bulk of rubber?

[curlykarl]

On the Rover 200/400 series they have a common fault with the rear trailing arm bushes failing, sounds favorouite.

If you want some sticky me as I run a mail order car spares business, I'll look after you on the price :)

Karl :)

[mack]

With the rear drum assembly it is possible a brake component has come loose from it's fixings and is adrift within the drum. Sometimes a brake shoe linning can break away from the shoe it's self the linning makes the noise you described as it is spin within the drum. To be honest you don't notice much difference in breaking performance because each rear wheel only makes up 12.5% of overall breaking.

It is possible however that the linning being removes will lead to exessive travel within the internal htdraulics (wheel cylinder) and may cause a seal to fail causing potential break failure.

Mack.

[rogerd]

Sounds like loose wheel nuts

Not be be confused with the nut behind the wheel? :)

Could be a universal joint, but usually that's most evident at lower speeds when there's a really lound thunk.

I'd get it checked out before you drive much more. If it's a suspension component, you don't want to risk massive failure and damage to other parts, not to mention the driver & passengers. :)

[lawman]

You mean where the treaded part comes away from main bulk of rubber?

Found a LINK [tirefailures.com].

[Learning Curve]

I once had something similar and it turned out to only be the tire. I had expected the worst and put off taking it in because I didn't have the money for a major repair.

Anyway, it's probably something easy to fix.

[mack]

Any repair on a car is fairly easy. Take a visit to a car parts store and get a copy of a repair manual. As long as you have a fairly decent collection of tools and reasonable mechanichal apptetude you should be ok. Just be sure to read over the health and safety secion. All pretty much common sence but you would be surprized at the things some people do.

Mack.

[Jenstar]

I've had that weird thud thud twice - once it was loose wheel nuts (fortunately I figured that out before they got too loose!).

Second time was right before my tire tread separated. Unfortunately, I didn't figure out what it was until AFTER the tread separated as I was speeding down the highway.

[pmac]

somebody stuck in the trunk?

[dmorison]

Thanks for the ideas people.

I don't _think_ there's anyone stuck in the trunk. Gonna whip the wheel off for a closer look at the tyre later as earlier in the day (yesterday) I had a stone stuck in the tyre in the corner from which the thud is now coming.

There is a chance that it has embedded further and damaged the tyre.

Cheers!

[ukgimp]

A pal of mine went to a garage to get his car sorted. Afterwards when he turned right there was a clunk cluck clunk noice coming from the front wheel. Concerned that his steering shaft was, well shafted he decided to have a look. What did he find? A pair of mole grops stuck onto the rack.

Needless to say he busted the garage. So have a look for a set of mole grips, failing that get someone who knows what they are talking about. Stuff like this scan be serious.

[macrost]

Mole grips? Do you mean pliers or vise grips?

Mac

;) Just curious...

[ukgimp]

mole grips [photolibrary.i12.com]

old trade name them, the probably have many names. I have them which say "Mole Grips TM"

[lorax]

It could also be as simple as broken belts within the radial tires. Try rotating the tires and see if the sound moves.

[dmorison]

Took the wheel off this morning - tyre looks absolutely fine, however the hub is covered in a very brown and very greasy brown grease. I've had wheels off before when getting new tyres etc.; and the hub has always been dry and clean(ish).

Chatted with some guy at the garage who couldn't relate brown grease to a bust bearing; so it's booked in for them to have a look at next week - luckily I don't need to drive anywhere in the mean time!

[lorax]

>> tyre looks absolutely fine,

You can't see a broken belt in a radial tire. But you can hear it. You will eventually see a wear pattern where the belt is broken but not for a while.

[mack]

The brown greasy stuff sounds like break fluid.

One quick way to find out is take a sniff. If it smells terrible and almost like roten vegetable matter then it is brake fluid.

Be carefull if it is leaking onto the tyre. It can cause the rubber to perish. Take care to wash it off your skin if it comes into contact. Brake fluid is very hydroscopic and drys out the skin.

Take a quick look under the bonnet and check the brake fluid level. It is is well down then you can be fairly sure it is the cause of the leak.

Mack.

[macrost]

ukgimp,
I tried the link, and it wasn't there...
;)

Mac
<added>
Shoulda thought... (google) so they are vise grips!
</added>