Wheel Noise

Take out the back seat and have someone ride back there to listen. If it *is* rear, try to find out which side.

A wheel bearing usually makes a rumbling noise, but a bad or loose CV could thump. A loose wheel lug bolt(s) will thump too until the wheel falls off...

Speedy Jim

On Wed, 09 Jun 2004 11:41:47 -0400, Speedy Jim ran around screaming and yelling:

a loose axle nut can make a thumping noise till the entire wheel/drum assembly falls off...and it never happens in town, always on the interstate....not that *I* know or anything... JT

So, you have seen your rear wheel overtake you ;)

On Wed, 9 Jun 2004 23:37:27 +0300, "Olli Lammi" ran around screaming and yelling:

"hey look at that wheel...wonder where that came from... "OH S*IT".... Nah never happened....LOL JT

Not on a VW, and not a rear wheel, But....One time when I was cruising the Autobohn at about 130mph in my 65 Citreon DS19, I witnessed a wheel pass me on the right. Then I noticed it looked like my wheel. Had to floow it for a quarter mile or so till it bounced of the road. Went and picked it u[p....remounted it. and headed for home. A very interesting experience in a Citreon.

-- the Grokdoc Tom Malmevik EK III & Thumper Ride w/me all that groks is god BS# 139 DOF# 69

This super beetle has been making this thump thump noise on one of the back wheels that gets faster ever since i bought it 6 months ago, i thought it was something normal, until i got on a different beetle, i´ve been on the highway various times with it, now im scared to even touch it :( it sounds a knock on wood that gets faster and faster as the wheel turns faster. Do you guys think its a wheel bearing? the only mechanical experience i´ve had with a vw superbeetle is removing/installing the alternator.I´ve been using it for 6 months and nothing has happened, but by what you guys are telling me, i think im messing it up more and risking my life. Is this something i can repair myself? is it too costly, i live really close to the mexican border, so the parts are cheaper over there. thanks!!

net>...

I definitely would not drive it. But before you jump to conclusions about wheel bearings (which you won't be in a position to change yourself), get under there and check the CV joint bolts, pull the hubcap off and check the lug bolts AND the big 36mm axle nut. Speedy Jim

Why don't you jack up the rear and put it on jackstands and chock the front wheels and start it up and look at the rear while it's running and see if you can see anything obviously wrong?

Another common source for thumping is a defective tire. A slipped or broken belt, flat spotted tire, or even cupping can cause such noises. Cupping can be checked by inspecting the tread visually. If it looks jagged, like a saw blade, it's cupped. I understand this effect is usually more prominent at the edges of the tire. Cupping is caused by alignment problems (according to my tire shop). Slipped/broken belts and flat spots will be hard to spot, but a trustworthy tire shop can help determine if these are causing your particular thump.

Tires maybe?! I had a bad thumping noise accompanied by bouncing and vibrations at high speeds. Turned out the 7 year-old tires from the PO where disintegrating from the inside out. One internal belt had seperated in the left rear tire, and half of the tread surface went 1 cm higher than other half of the tread surface, and bulged out so far in two places that ALL the tread in those places dissapeared in three days. Check your tires! I just replaced mine, and the problem is gone.

~Anthony

=09Check the tires in the rear. Could be that you have a bad tire with a "bubble" that is causeing this thump. Worth a try.

-- the Grokdoc Tom Malmevik all that groks is god

the benefits of hidroneumatic suspension :)

Good News!! I took the car to a VW mechanic down in mexico since i live like 1 mile away from the border, first he put the car on jackstands, he then took out a device for listening to the wheel like a doctor wears for hearing heart beats. Turned on the car, and started listening to all the wheels, he noticed the thump thump sound was from back driver side wheel, he took off all the wheel assembly from back wheels, took off the bearings.The passenger side back wheel bearing was in good condition but the driver side wheel bearing was all cracked and filled with dirt the bearing barely turned, so he replaced it with a shiny one that does turn put some grease and now more thump thump thump :) he did it all under 40 minutes. and charged me 35 bucks for the bearing and the labor!! woah!!! id like to see that done in the US for 35 bucks from an everyday mechanic.

thanks guys id put a picture of the bearing but im gonna throw it to a mechanic that i hate