[urq] Howl cont...

[Louis-Alain Richard]

The brake cables can, if the little bracket is dead, rub on the driveshaft.
You'll clearly see a rub stripe on the DS though, easy to see.

If it's road speed related, it can also be the front valance that rubs on
the crankshaft pulley (if the plastic/fiberglass undercowls are missing or
loose) when air pressure is strong enough. Same here, you'll see marks on
the backside of the valance.

Or, the right side undercowl (oil and inter coolers) that rubs on the front
edge of the tires.

But my main suspect would be the center bearing : it is not engine speed
related, it only supports the weight of the driveshaft and it is not torqued
by engine power, and the sound of a dying bearing is very like a howl. 


Louis-Alain



-----Message d'origine-----

Jim,

I agree with Dave, as my experience has been with a higher-pitched whine
when the drive shaft and heat shield would make contact (especially when
snow gets packed in between the body and heat shield -- not likely now), and
have also had the lower-pitched groan/ howl of the center support bearing
when it's lost it's grease. At the earlier stages of failure, it'll make the
noise until everything's warmed up enough to distribute what grease is left.
Of course, soon there will be no more grease.  

Now if it's a wheel bearing, it can get so bad that directionality (meaning
no matter which way you turn) has no effect on the noise. Had the left rear
do that on the '83. 
Perhaps you can stay in the car and shift through the gears while it's on a
lift and your friendly tech can better tell where the noise is coming from
underneath the car. 

Good luck. 


Ingo Rautenberg