wheel rattle

[bah]

2 or 3 of my wheels are rattling over bumps now, and when i kick them, it started off with 1, and i thought it was the caliper, but i'm not so sure now. i am going to take it in, the one that scares me the most is the rear driver side, it rattles over bumps and it makes kinda a scraping sound when backing up. would these be bearings, and if so, are they going to have the differential apart, and should i replace it with synthetic, and how much is this going to run me?

[hockeyman]

Re: wheel rattle

The only way differential fluid (Standard or Synthetic) fluid will help you right now is if it's low. Other than that, you're probably looking into a rebuild. That can cost well over $350 for labor alone..and that's being conservative.
You're probably better off finding a replacement rear.

What happens when you kick the wheel? Is the vehicle in the air or on the ground?

[bah]

Re: wheel rattle

its really tough to explain what it does, its like a rattle, but i dont think its a rattle like you are thinking, i am saying when i get it fixed they are obviously going to have to drain the diff, should i switch to synthetic when they do, if its as bad as a rebuild i'm gonna go raid a huge junk yard and find a z28/trans am to rip one off of :)

[hockeyman]

Re: wheel rattle

if its as bad as a rebuild i'm gonna go raid a huge junk yard and find a z28/trans am to rip one off of :)

Well, be careful doing that too. Look at the year, mileage, and if the car was in a wreck where the rear was hit and possibly damaged. Also ask to see if there is a warranty. If they offer a 30 day warranty, buy the rear and install it asap! This way you can take it back if there are any problems. I know it's alot of work, but it'll save you money in the long-run.

[bah]

Re: wheel rattle

a caliper bolt had fallen out, doh, so i'm pretty much going to have to repaint that caliper, and it dug a little groove on the inside of my wheel, i dont really feel like replacing, idk what i want to do yet

[HokieBird]

Re: wheel rattle

Be thankful that it was that and not an issue with the rear. I just replaced a pinion bearing in my rear and it hurt my wallet pretty bad. I didn't want a used rear because my gears and clutch packs were in good shape and you never know what a used rear has been through.