Im getting a faint grinding from the rearend when I take turns.

As of yesterday im also getting the clicking/clanking sound like you would get out of a dead front axel when i turn to the left, or accelerate hard going forward. But it doesnt click during breaking and turning to the right. I am 90% sure its coming from the rearend...

You guys think its a bearing?

Thanks All


P.S. I cant remember, these dont use half shafts on the rear like they do in the front do they? I havent had this up on a lift in a good year and a half...

 

It would be my guess its a CV joint going bad. And yes Quattros use axles in the rear just like the front. I have never heard a bearing clicking. Thats a classic example of a CV joint going bad.

Good Luck...

 

I was more or less thinking that. It is always good to hear a 2nd opinion. Thanks =]

 

why not look under there, the axle wont go bad unless the cv boot is actually torn and sprays grease everywhere. the grinding is usally a bad bearing, you can tell by lifting the suspect wheel and shaking it at 9 and 3 and 12 and 6 and seeing if theres any play.

 

yeah if it's a bearing your going to hear it all the time, not just turns. its a very noticable noise. but yes, check for grease all of the inside of your wheel and wheel well. you should be able to get on your back under the car and look at the boots yourself.

 

Yeah I think its a bearing, i wont know till i get it home and can jack it up as I am at work still.

thanks for the tips.

BTW, if you have a A4TQM it is almost impossible to get front CV Axles. I have called about 14 parts stores and none of them have them for the Manual trans 1.8tq, only trip's/v6's None of them could even order it! Thank god ECS tuning/and getcoolparts.com stock them, the only thing is they are selling some chinese made off brand, and you have to wait a week for shipping.

I would deff sugest anyone who thinks they may have to do front half-shafts any time soon should order them in advance. They are a pain in the *** to aquire.

 

I ordered halfshafts for my 2.8qm from Advanceautoparts.com. I found that the stores only had access to the auto/tip axles, but since Advance is part of the Parts America network, they were able to source them. They have the same week-long wait for me at least (they ship from AZ and I'm in NY), but the price is $84/axle and they're warrantied as well and shipping is free. It does sound like the CV joint is going, and like the others said, get your hands on the CV boots (most likely it's the outers by the wheel hub) and feel 'em up - if you come out with grease on you, you've found a culprit. Check both sides to be sure though.

As for the bearing, if it's just starting to go, you may only hear it when turning opposite the side with the bad bearing (ie, if you're turning left and hear it, it's on the right side - a left turn loads up the right side and increases the noise). Mine started sounding off a little when it first started wearing out, but now it sounds like a commercial tree shredder (thankfully I'll be changing it Saturday - it's getting BAD).

 

Well its a wheel bearing, took all of 5 seconds to figure that out after I jacked up the car. It is so bad I actually thought the wheel bolts were loose, the wheel had that much play. After only two days of clicking. Honestly I am scared to drive it. I just ordered new rear wheel bearings for both sides from ECS, w/2day shipping. Hopefully I will have them Monday.

To top it off my spare car, a 93 ford probe, I havent drivin since 2006 when I got the Audi and now its overheating. I have no garage, and its going to snow for the next 3 days. I have my 300zx but it has an antifreeze leak.

This will be the longest I have been without wheels in 9 years. =\

Thanks for the help all.

 

Just so everyone knows for the future. It was a bad wheel bearing, it made a faint grind for a few months, then started to sound like a wood chipper from the rear wheel.

the problem everyone should be aware of is once it starts to go wood chipper mode, it overheats you're ABS sensor.

Mine melted into the hub. I tried everything to get it out, even a torch, but its basically part of the hub now. I dont care because I hate ABS and have had it disabled since I got the car, but some people will probably want to avoid that problem, as where I just cut the wire and called it a day, others would have to replace the whole hub+sensor+wheel bearing.

 

oh yeah, and i forgot to mention, after only two hours of driving it with the loud wood chipper sound, it was so bad the wheel almost came off. When I jacked up the car I thoguht the wheel bolts were loose the wheel was so wobbly.

I would recommend changing it while it still grinds, before it gets that bad lol