Grind Grind Grind

[Elkie]

Hi all
you guessed it, this is another one of those "inexplicable grind" sort of posts. but I get the feeling this one won't be remedied with the odd blob of vaseline.

If my surf's been parked overnight, or for any considerable amount of time, whenever I start driving this grating, grinding noise soinds from the front. You can feel the low vibrations in the footwells of both driver and passenger sides. The noise stops as soon as the brakes are applied, but more often than not starts again a few moments later.
The noise stops completely after I've driven a few miles or so, only to return next time I start her up.
It doesn't seem to be related to speed, wheel turn etc.
I've had the front wheels off, checked the brakes, cleaned everything in sight and STILL it happens.
It seems totally random, completely intermittent and thoroughly annoying.

Help

[kitesurf_phil]

Hi Elkie and welcome to the forum.


I'm wondering if it could be a front wheel bearing. Have you jacked it up, put one hand on the top of the tyre and one on the bottom and checked for movement? It could be a dodgy bearing that quietens down when the grease gets warm.

[M35A2]

Are you getting this noise when the vehicle is stationary? If it only happens when it's moving I would suspect a wheel bearing. Does it happen when cornering? If it happens when stationary, then it's something in the engine that's at fault.

[Bikenuts]

Elkie
Sounds like it might be the bronze bushes in your front hubs, if you do a search on "bronze Bushes" you'll find diagrams and part No's etc, probably worth checking your wheel bearings too just to be safe. I had identical sounding symptoms a couple of weeks ago and new bushes sorted it.

[Elkie]

Thanks for the advice everyone.
I'll check the bearings and the brushes and keep you posted.
Cheers

[joe112]

could also be the brakes sticking.. if they had been doing it for a while then they will groove the disks and grind..?