bad bearing noise when moving

[shambug]

my 85 tercel makes a clicking-grinding noise that increases in frequency and volume with speed but slowly( i hear a slow grinding at 15 but only a little faster at 30 . turning has little effect on noise. i replaced the center support bearing but it was not that. the noise is regardless of cluch or engine, i can turn car off and push cluch in without change in noise. any help would be appreciated ive been stuck outside boulder for a week trying to fix it to make it back to oregon.

[Gottolovem]

Can you tell what side?
Is there a j-yard with a tercel in it?
See if you can find another entire spindle to replace far less trouble if your on the a road trip.
Bearings can rumble for along time before they fail.
I could overnight you a spindle from my local j-yard monday but no guarantees on it's bearing And prob pricy for freight.

What do you mean by center support bearing?
There are many parts to a single wheel bearing swapping one peice doesn't cut it.

[shambug]

to be honest i cant locate the noise but if i had to guess it would be front center. i can feel the thud at my feet and the thud is greatist in the center under where the radio would go. by center support bearing i mean the bearing below the ebrake that supports the front half shaft to the rear half shaft sometimes called carrier bearing. i couldnt find any local junkyards that had a tercel but a feel like there must be ive seen a few drivig around town, if anyone finds a junkyard near boulder co that has one yet me know.

[Gottolovem]

Wow that sounds like it's tranny related.
See if the noise continues coasting down a hill with everything off.
Does it change at all when 4wd engaged?
If it has sompthing to do with the rear driveline it's possible to drive home without the rear driveline in 2wd.
You would need to leave the yoke In the rear of the tranny and wire it up somehow to keep it from jiggling out.
If you enguage the 4wd it would start to spin (don't do that).

Others here on the forum may have better advice.
You got to figure out exactly Where the noise is comming from.

[shambug]

yes noise contiunes with everything off. i have been unsuccessful at removing the rear differential fill plug. could the differential be making a noise like this? transmission feels hot to touch but not burning after strenuous 20 mile drive.
it sounds just like this but i belive it is coming from front http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=abxmCFfajKs

[Gottolovem]

Well from the comments on the video it's the rear diff missing teeth.
That's verry uncommon in a t4wd because the rear diff is rarley under a load(front wheel drive)but it's possible. I don't know what resources you have available to you on the road but if you get the car completely off the ground and run it the rear should stay still if the noise stops the problem is definitely In the rear.

[shambug]

could it be the front differential

[dlb]

shambug, your description of the sound makes me think it's a front wheel bearing. this is consistent with the fact it doesn't matter if the car is on or off, in neutral or in gear.

it can be really tough to tell which side the sound is coming from. honestly the best method i've had for determining which side it is is putting my ear right down by each corner while someone else drives the car, and the loudest corner loses. that's impossible for the front driver side though.

next and probably most definitive way to check is to remove both steering knuckles and spin the bearing with your fingers. if it feels rough, it's bad.

i did note that you think the sound is right in the middle of the car. i think transmission problems are less likely but just to be sure, have you checked the trans oil level recently? i would do that first. have you had any other recent transmission issues?

[Petros]

if it was a front wheel bearing the noise would almost certainly change when you make turns, so I do not think that could be it. A rear wheel bearing or diff could make a constant noise, but usually you can tell it comes from somewhere in the back.

If it sounds like it is coming from under the radio than it could be either transmission (which would always be rotating when the car is moving) or perhaps a bad throwout bearing (but that usually changes when you put the clutch in).

If it is the trans, that means it should come out and get fixed before further damage occurs, since it could be fixed now. If something breaks loose you could trash the whole trans and turn it into junk. One way to check might be to drain the gear oil and inspect it for metal particles. Also put a magnet up in the drain holes to see if you can recover any metal particles. If so, you should either replace the trans or rebuild it.

[ARCHINSTL]

To eliminate the rear driveshaft and its U-joints being the problem - and perhaps isolate the rear differential - remove the rear driveshaft and try just using FWD. Nothing will leak out and you can drive OK - I did this back in 2010 for a few days while awaiting the whole reman shaft with center support bearing.
Tom M.

[shambug]

I drove a short distince and checked each wheel and differential and transmission for heat and i noticed that my rear left tire was extremely hot but differential and transmission where warm at best. it pouring rain now but tomarrow im going to left up the back end and try rotating the tires by hand and she if i can hear it. im really hoping that this is it. rebuilding a transmission would most likely be a new owners responsibililty and i love my tercel.

[Mark]

Check to see that the brakes aren't dragging on that rear wheel, and creating the heat. It might be unrelated to your noise. When I had a bearing go on my front wheel, there was the grinding noise, especially when I turned, but when I lifted the car and rotated the wheel, I didn't hear or feel anything abnormal. When I replaced the bearing, the grinding noise stopped. I'm crossing my fingers that it's just a loose/dragging brake component for you, but I don't know how that would sound like it's coming from the front/center.

[dlb]

huh. the heat could be a really, really bad bearing, or a dragging brake. if it's a brake, i would guess the park brake cable is seizing up.

[shambug]

i lifted it up and spin the back wheels and there is deffently a grinding noise coming from the rear left wheel. i was unsuccessful at removing the brake drum, so i cant tell if its a wheel bearing or the brakes. it grinds just by slowly spinning the wheel but there is little friction and it spins more or less freely. i tried hitting the drum and spinning, i tried prying it off against the dust shield. does not even wiggle. looking for someplace to rent/borrow a puller or any other way to get the drum off

[Gottolovem]

On the back of the sheild there is a small flat hole with round corners to it there may be a rubber plug in it.
You can put a flat head screwdriver in there and back off the pads inside. IT CAN BE VERRY TRICKY to grab the little wheel in there and move it the right way.
Good luck