>greetings, previously i wrote about a distinct CLUNK of a noise my 72B makes
>when coming to a stop. a friend and bugeye owner mentioned that it might be
>the wire wheels/hubs that could have some play in them which would ause said
>CLUNK. I jacked up the front end and had someone apply the brakes while i
>tried to turn the front wheels. sure enough there is enough play in the front
>hubs that causes the CLUNK. is there a question here??? yes there is. what
>do i do now??? what are my options. any help/suggestions are always
>appreciated. Thanks
Dearest Robert,
You have just experienced one of the most endearing qualities of our beloved.
There are several possibilities. And they are not neccesarily in order;
Your hubs may be in need of tightening.
Your hubs may need replaced.
Your kingpins may need replaced.
Your steering rack ball joints may need replaced.
You've got something loose in there.
First and foremost, if you haven't already, get a copy of the Bentley and
Haynes manuals. They are both available from any of the major mail-order
joints. (You can probably order the Haynes from your local Pep Boy's or
whatever.)
Check to make sure the splines on your hubs are still somewhat sharp and
tight. Give the hubs a good whack with the wire wheel hammer. Don't be
afraid of it. Treat it like your little brother. If that doesn't do it, jack
up the front of the car. Make sure all the bolts holding everything together
are at torque. Take a crowbar and jimmy around the lower control arms in a
vertical direction. Look to see if the holes through the control arms are
still circular. If you find ANY play in a vertical direction you just lost
$125.00 for a set of new king-pins. That's usually what it is, but my maroon
has been more, much more than that. If you find any play in a horizontal
direction between the hubs and the stub axle, you're only out the 6 bucks
for new bearings. If there's horizontal play at the stub axle, look at the
steering rack ball joints. Good luck finding them. I had to get another
rack, but it only cost me $70 from a friend. I haven't found anyone who'll
sell me a set of ball joint repair kits by themselves. And I'm still looking
for some info on how to re-align the columns without the little pointer
thingies.
None of this is rocket science. Unless you want it to be. RTFM and you're
home free if you're the least bit creative. All the info you need is either
in the manuals I mentioned, or here in the FTP archives.
There is always the possibility that I'm talking out of my hat and someone
else knows more than I do. Your mileage may vary and I'm not you and don't
own your car. You don't own mine and that's a good thing or I'd never get to
work on time.
Glenn
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"Mine doesn't have a computer in it -
I have to do all it's thinking for it."
Glenn Schnittke Recovering Musician
Nashville TN 615-385-2800
glenns@edge.ercnet.com 72147.3635@compuserve.com
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