OK I'm here yet again asking for help once more and I have this feeling I am not going to like whatever answers are given.

I have a strange noise sometimes when I make a right hand turn usually at low speed I get a terrible noise (like metallic teeth grating) that appears to come from the right rear wheel , I am hoping someone out there has had the same problem and it turned out to be something simple, although I am fearing the worst (rear axle shagged) or best rear wheel bearing buggered.

Any thoughts would be much appreciated as it would be nice to get the spare before I start stripping it down to find out what the problem is.

 

 

Thanks guys

 

Gary

 

"Noise", "Corvette", and "simple" are words you never see used in the same sentence!
Does it occur evey time you make a turn, or does it seem like it does it after driving straight for a while, and then making a turn at a stop? If it is after driving straight, then it sounds like a "posi" 'chatter'. It would be time to change the gear lube, and add the posi additive, and then see if the noise goes away after a few days.

Rear wheel bearings normally make a scraping, rumbling, growling noise anytime the car is moving, louder the faster you go.

Check the fasteners on the calipers and make sure none of them have loosened up. Sometimes they can be loose enough to let the caliper flop around, and actually hit on the back-side of the wheels.

Also look for anything that might be rubbing up against the wheel, such as an emergency brake cable, etc.

Hope you can find a "simple" solution, but I think, from your description, it's gonna be the posi unit chatter.

The noise only happens occasionally and the car does not feel any different, but of course when you are turning the outside wheel has to go faster but that wouldn't explain why it is only on right hand turns or does it because of the slip diff design.

I have just remembered that some time ago it occurred after a long straight drive when i was turning left it made a noise and the car seemed to lurch, not sure if that helps or is another problem, trouble is these noises do not happen all the time.

I shall defiantly change the rear oil and put in the posi additive, could that be all it is ??

Sounds like a posi chatter, to me! Change the lube & put the posi additive in. Then drive slowly in circles, both directions, for a few minutes. This allows the posi lube to work its way into the clutches. It may take a while to correct the noise, but this usually does it. If the noise never goes away after a while9a few days), then you may have a damaged unit.

If it is the posi, and well could be, make a sharp turn to the left as well.  It will do it then as well.  It's often on noticed to the right due to the fact we tend to make sharper rights then lefts.

But don't forget to check the other things as well.

The words grinding when refering to a noise makes me shutter..

      BUT

I had a hell of a time tracking down a noise heard only when turning right and only when going slow in my 72....

Turned out to be cause by the parking brake spring ..broken of couse but still attached at both ends...when turning it swung out enough to make contact with other metal parts that resulted in a noise  that drove me bonkers until I found it...

Grinding seems to tell me it is the posi clutches however...

bOB g.

Hi Gary

 Don't know if you solved your problem yet but "Tweety had a similar problem that drove him nuts too. Turned out the clutch pack in the rear end had to be replaced. Solved the problem.

Mike

OK the saga continues or has it ended ????

 

As you may recall from the beginning of this post I have been trying to track down a noise that appeared to be coming from the right rear wheel and after reading all the helpful possibilities I started to try and weed out the firkin noise, one suggestion was that it may be the parking brake and as I had already purchased the new shoes/springs etc I decide that was a good place to start, I first did the right rear not to many surprises there although it was badly seized, but on the driver side one of the springs had broken AHA I thought that’s the bugger, after cleaning painting and replacing everything I took it for a road test, turned right and grrraunch oh sh*t it’s still there oh well back to the drawing board, of course after the parking brake replacement I couldn’t get the park brake to work and I assumed wrongly that the cables had stretched so I replaced all the parking brake cables, it turned out it had come off on one side, Oh well, now I have nice new cables.

 

OK I seem to recall (although not clearly) that the noise started to after I had the tires replaced by the morons at Discount Tires (avoid them) and looking underneath I discovered they had bent one of the Strut Rods, so after an enquiry on these pages managed to obtain some used replacements from someone on this list (unfortunately they turned out to be worse than the bent one I had), as these were worse I managed to repair the one I had, I replaced all the bushes and while there I replaced the rear spring mounts just to be on the safe side, after cleaning painting and re-assembling it looked absolutely gorgeous, of course during the removal of the old strut rods there was a problem with both shock absorber mounts (no surprise they had been there for 30 years) so I ordered new ones from Ecklers and I must say the quality of these parts is excellent, anyway these fitted off I went on my road test, turned right and grrraunch, oh double sh*t this is becoming boring.

 

Time for a new approach, give me a large gin and tonic (OK so it’s 10:30 in the morning, but I need some thinking juice !!!!).

 

Rememberm, as I said before I know sound travels and I thought this only happened AFTER the new tires were fitted, so I put my Vette up on my car lift turned the wheel on full right lock, held it in place and got my trusty lead light and started to look underneath to see if I could spot anything hitting ANYWHERE, still no luck OK time for a sip of brain juice and while sipping and looking at the car I discovered what F%&k had been causing the problem, I was right, it did only happen after the tires were changed the new tires had tread on them and when on full lock rubbed on the drivers side front wheel arch, eureka at last I have found the problem.

 

Now all I have to do is figure out how the hell to fix it, obviously filing the wheel arch is not an option, and the wheel has to be where it is, I don’t know why it only has a problem on this side or as yet how to resolve the problem (ideas would be gratefully received), I’ll let you know how I resolve this one later !!!!

 

 

Let me guess, you have 255's up front, don't know why, but the rubbing seems to be always on the right side, when I bought new tires I put 245's up front and 255's out back the 245's helped alot, the bolts that hold the charcoal filter on the inner fender also rubbed on the tire, I replaced them with button head bolts ,that helped a bit also.

I'm guessing you have 60 series tires.  If so, the rubbing does not suprise me at all.  78 was the first year for the 60 series.  All 70 series before that.  In 78 they did in fact trim some of the wheel well to prevent the rubbing.  When these came into the dealer, we really thought they screwed up the body work on some cars.  We later found out it was on purpose to allow the 60's to clear. 

Many of the older cars do not have the problem.  Many do.  Make sure the ride height is correct.  If the front end is a bit low, it would make a difference.  Sometimes the only answer is 70 series tires.