Ticking sound driving me fuckin CRAZY.. please help!

[Joe]

Hi everyone,

Got a small problem with my Combo van..

Ever since putting the wider 15x7 +22 alloys on, I've had an annoying ticking sound coming from the rear left.

- It starts at about 80km/h and seems to be very consistent with wheel speed i.e. speeds up when I go faster, slows down as I slow down.
- The sound gets more intense as it speeds up too.
- As soon as the speed drops below 80km/h, the sound fades away very quickly.
- At 100km/h, its damn annoying..
- Weirdly, it gets more intense when veering left (taking a curve on the freeway), and pretty much disappears entirely when veering right.

I've tried nearly everything to try and work out what the problem is. The only remedy is, when I bolt the spare tyre on, it goes away. As soon as the rim is back on, it comes back.

So far, I've done:

- Rotated rims left to right, and front to back.. to rule out a cracked rim.
- Checked all wheel weights are tight
- Checked that wheel caps are tight
- Wheel lugs (the ones where the stud is built into the nut).. they're longer than stock, so I did think they might have been hiting something behind the rotor, but they make no noise with the stock steelies (which are thinner than the rims too, meaning the thread protrudes even further).
- Removed plastic guard liners and trim to rule out anything flapping, rubbing or banging.
- Pulled the wheel lugs and cleaned up all threads with a tap and die set (as they were a little tight to start with).. not sure how that was going to help, but it makes me feel better anyway.
- Rims are completely hubcentric i.e. they fit snugly on the centre of my hub, with no room to move or wiggle around if the wheel nuts were loose. In this regard, the wheel nuts simply hold the rims on, they don't locate the rims into place.

I've ordered new and slightly shorter wheel lugs from Steve @ Autopro to rule out a dodgy or cracked wheel lug (as my longer ones weren't brand new).. I also haven't tried cleaning the brake rotor and rim surface yet to make sure its perfectly clean and flat, but I'll do that once the new lugs arrive.

Only anomaly I have noticed is, when spinning the wheel by hand, I can hear the brake pad rubbing on the rotor at a certain point... but I can't spin the wheel fast enough to see if that sound turns into a ticking sound at speed.

Also, I do suspect that the tyres have slight flat spots in them (they original tyres were fitted to the new rims).. the van sat on the spot in a holding yard for about 10 months before I bought it.. but not sure if its really that bad, as I'm not getting any vibrations or anything, and the tyre shop had no problems balancing the rims and tyres. Tyres have done just over 9,000km.

Does anyone have any other suggestions, experience, or ideas as to what this noise could be??

Cheers :)

[disc0-dan]

I highly doubt it but... Its not something stupid like a nail/bolt lodged in a tyre on a strange angle isit ?

edit - Rotated wheels and still comes from rear left, my bad.

[Joe]

Definitely not.. as I've rotated the tyres, all 4 have been on that corner at some stage.

[Joe]

Could it be a warped rotor? Maybe the new wider and lower offset rims have put strain on that rotor (which are quite thin and lightweight looking things), warping it via the mounting surface, and now it makes the pad click or tick at speed when the high spot goes past it?

When the stock rims go on, maybe the strain on the rotor is removed, making the sound go away as a result?

[Azrian]

Brakes. My merc does it drivers front. I cant hear it under 75kph. My pad drags a little when free spinning it.

I am just going to leave it till the fronts need changing.

[Turbo2.6L]

Drop it to holden & let them sort it under warranty??

[pgc]

Easy solution: Load up the van with more sound-absorbing bread.

Have you tried swapping rear pads from left to right?

[Joe]

Drop it to holden & let them sort it under warranty??

With aftermarket rims causing the problem? yeahh nahh.

It goes away with the stock rims on, so it can't be something terminally wrong IMHO.. just annoying as fk!

[Turbo2.6L]

If it's brakes, wheels aren't the cause.
Have you tried running the standard wheels with spacers to put extra load on the hub? Also, running spacers would mean you aren't locating the rim on the hub anymore, so are the aftermarket rims running spacers or not??

[-Luke-]

Brakes. My merc does it drivers front. I cant hear it under 75kph. My pad drags a little when free spinning it.

I am just going to leave it till the fronts need changing.

^This + slight movement in the LH wheelbearing

[Lump]

sounds like a wheel bearing

[wormbo2]

^^ very possible^^
the further the offset goes, the more 'fulcrum' leverage basically, could be putting just that little bit too much strain on the rollers in the bearing(s).
Just food for thought.

[pazza]

It can be the wheel bolts. I had this issue with my BMW e30. At low speeds no issue then as I got faster the noise started. One of the lug bolts was scrap'n the hand brake cylinder. I converted the e30 to wheel studs.

Joe I have a load of short and long wheel bolts if you want to try??

[Mad_Aussie]

Jew caught in the wheel

[f6rspec]

some tyre shop has a on car wheel balancer where there can spin the wheel
aprox 60-80 km might pick up problem

[DISTRBD]

Could it be a warped rotor? Maybe the new wider and lower offset rims have put strain on that rotor (which are quite thin and lightweight looking things), warping it via the mounting surface, and now it makes the pad click or tick at speed when the high spot goes past it?

When the stock rims go on, maybe the strain on the rotor is removed, making the sound go away as a result?

When you rotate the wheels do you swap centre caps aswell ?

[yeahlow34]

Are you bi-polar?
Perhaps the noise is a figment of your own imagination.

[millzy_88]

Mine did the same thing on one of the fronts with lower offset wheels but has gone away with the current wheels. I always suspected bearing on the way out.

[Niva]

How much gap is there between wheel weights and brake, or suspension etc?

[KAL SPL]

Cable tie on the drive shaft ...

[Joe]

Brakes. My merc does it drivers front. I cant hear it under 75kph. My pad drags a little when free spinning it.

I am just going to leave it till the fronts need changing.

I may have to swap the rotors left to right and see if the problem goes away..



Easy solution: Load up the van with more sound-absorbing bread.

Have done, and yes it deadens the sound nicely.. but obviously not a permanent fix :D



Have you tried running the standard wheels with spacers to put extra load on the hub? Also, running spacers would mean you aren't locating the rim on the hub anymore, so are the aftermarket rims running spacers or not??

Stock rims have no spacers.. they're located on the hub as per my original post, the centrebore matches the hub perfectly.



^This + slight movement in the LH wheelbearing


sounds like a wheel bearing


^^ very possible^^
the further the offset goes, the more 'fulcrum' leverage basically, could be putting just that little bit too much strain on the rollers in the bearing(s).
Just food for thought.

Can't imagine how a brand new van would have a stuffed wheel bearing.. but I suppose anything is possible.


It can be the wheel bolts. I had this issue with my BMW e30. At low speeds no issue then as I got faster the noise started. One of the lug bolts was scrap'n the hand brake cylinder. I converted the e30 to wheel studs.

Joe I have a load of short and long wheel bolts if you want to try??

I've got a new set coming in shortly mate, but I might take you up on the offer if that doesn't solve the issue! Cheers :D Its probably not going to be the handbrake cylinder though, as the handbrake works by activating the caliper.



Jew caught in the wheel

They normally get caught in the grille.



some tyre shop has a on car wheel balancer where there can spin the wheel
aprox 60-80 km might pick up problem

This sounds interesting... do you know specifically which ones might?



When you rotate the wheels do you swap centre caps aswell ?

Yep! Cap is always matched to rim.



Are you bi-polar?
Perhaps the noise is a figment of your own imagination.

Absolutely not, unless my passengers are also bi-polar :D



How much gap is there between wheel weights and brake, or suspension etc?

Enough.. nothing is rubbing, I inspected everything for scrape marks when I swapped the springs out.



Cable tie on the drive shaft ...

FWD :D

[f6rspec]

richard tyrepower in ossie pk your loc in north perth
or just ring and ask

[Lump]

Can't imagine how a brand new van would have a stuffed wheel bearing.. but I suppose anything is possible.
well you are subjecting it to more loads than the offset it was designed for & the symptoms you describe when changing direction are classic wheel brg symptoms

[scary]

does it go away when you brake or apply some pedal pressure?

[Tocchi]

how the fuck are you getting up to 80kmh in the garage?

[Joe]

does it go away when you brake or apply some pedal pressure?

Not at all.. with both handbrake and normal brakes.

[Joe]

I took it for a drive just then with the windows down, and I can hear the ticking when driving past walls, etc, from about 60km/h.. but with the windows up, can't be heard until 80km/h

[cplagz]

Because Holden

[Milhouse]

Opel*

[Niva]

I took it for a drive just then with the windows down, and I can hear the ticking when driving past walls, etc, from about 60km/h.. but with the windows up, can't be heard until 80km/h

Just when you thought it was safe, big end

[evo5aurus]

sounds like wheel bearing??

[MrMayhem]

http://a2.ec-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/133/3747ea2ae9454056a2c53882178c7a3a/l.jpg

[31-EVO]

I have never seen a wheel bearing go in a combo, even with aftermarket rims, not saying it's not shat one how ever.
I have seen the rear calipers come loose as such on the slides on them though, and they rattle at certain speeds.
Check you don't have a rock or nail in one of your tyres ?
Also with the noise, it might sound like a LHR issue but most of the time it isn't haha.
I'll do some digging around tomorrow through my ole trusty Opel book I scored from the UK about faults and shiz, and I'll report back here.

[Joe]

Thanks mate, appreciate it!

You work for Holden yeah??

[pazza]

Joe does it make the noise with the stock rims on it???

[RICEY]

Joe we had a similar issue with an epica, turns out corrosion on the mating surfaces of the hub and the rim were causing it as there was crap in between them. Is the face of the aftermarket wheels clean and smooth? If not it could explain why it only does it with those rims on.

[DISTRBD]

May be get on the brake n get wheel speed up and have some one listen for click :P

[Joe]

Joe does it make the noise with the stock rims on it???

It doesn't... but not to say it wouldn't do it with the stock rims and a hefty load in the back (which would replicate load applied to the axle with the wider and lower offset rims).



Joe we had a similar issue with an epica, turns out corrosion on the mating surfaces of the hub and the rim were causing it as there was crap in between them. Is the face of the aftermarket wheels clean and smooth? If not it could explain why it only does it with those rims on.

The mating surface on the rim is fairly clean, hub I'd say it probably isn't the cleanest.. I plan on wire wheeling both once I get my new wheel lugs.



May be get on the brake n get wheel speed up and have some one listen for click :P

I'd love to get on the brake, but its FWD :D

[31-EVO]

Yeah work for Holden Joe, nothing in our books either I'm afraid. Had a good browse this afternoon, only noise they were getting is front drive shafts clicking in the CV's obviously, but nothing rear related I'm afraid my friend.
If I lived closer I'd offer to have a squiz for you, but your best bet is touching Riceys pee pee and scoring a favour on a hoist somewhere if applicable.
Sorry I can't be of more help :(

[TJ]

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/W4s9V8aQu4c" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
THE CLICKING OF THE WHEEL!

[dattoman]

I vote bearing
Just cause somethings new doesn't mean it won't fail.... hence warranties were invented

[Joe]

Josh (joshg123) @ Galvsport had a look at it today.

Pretty much ruled out bearing, as the sound gets LOUDER when unloading the weight off that wheel (turning left) and the sound is quite tinny and higher pitched, not thumping or knocking like a flogged out bearing.. definitely like a "tapping" noise.

We had a poke around and found a clip missing from one side of the rear bumper, and it does noticeably move around more on that side.. could very well be a harmonic or wind movement occurring at a certain speed (and certain turning angle), due to the wider rims and lower offset... also, the rims are designed to suck air out from under the car and out the face of the rim (they're not called Zender Turbos for nothing).. there is a chance this is affecting air movement causing a piece of trim to flap at speed.. I'm going to remove the rear bumper and give it a shot, as far fetched as it may seem.

We also removed the spare tyre carrier safety strap, which does seem to move around a bit and the plastic buckles clang around on the metal frame. I'll try it out on the fwy tomorrow to see if that helped.

Got the new wheel nuts today too, so I'll install those and at the same time, I'm going to clean the rim and brake hub mating surfaces.

[RICEY]

Do one at a time then drive so you know what was causing it :D

[Macca]

Do one at a time then drive so you know what was causing it :D

Think he is already up to page 5 of the essay titled "my noisey rear end and how i solved it" should be a best seller

[Joe]

Smart arse.. you just wanna sell me more shit that has nothing to do with fixing my problem

"Yeah Joe, this cordless impact wrench should solve your ticking sound!!"

[Macca]

Smart arse.. you just wanna sell me more shit that has nothing to do with fixing my problem

"Yeah Joe, this cordless impact wrench should solve your ticking sound!!"

by the time you use it and remove every bolt in the car there will be no ticking noise......problem solved

[joshg123]

by the time you use it and remove every bolt in the car there will be no ticking noise......problem solved

Perhaps you can sell Joe a can of sound deadening to spray everywhere under and inside the car.

Or perhaps a nice head unit, so he is too distracted with the tunes to even notice this noise.

For those playing at home, the best way i could describe the noise is if you had a cable tie hitting a wheel weight, its twice wheel speed or so, and very 'ticky' unlike any tyre or wheel bearing noise.

[Joe]

Problem solved.

Got a puncture in the right rear tyre last week (the side that was making the noise)... so the tyre shop swapped the unused spare tyre onto the rim, balanced it, and put the repaired tyre onto the spare rim. We also swapped all 16 wheel nuts for brand new ones.

Whatever the problem was, the noise seems to be gone!

[R3N]

Was it a clock?