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I was working on my rear brakes and noticed this clicking noise. It sounds as if the ABS ring is making contact with the sensor. Should I be concerned? What do you think this is?
Yes, you should be concerned if it’s an abnormal sound.
Rear bearings don’t fail as often as the front. While smaller, they are still doing SO much less work without being powered or steered. Easy way to tell is to jack the wheel and put it on stands. Spin the wheel while you grasp the spring with the other hand. A steady vibration is a sure sign of a bad bearing. Rocking the wheel is also a good indicator. A bad bearing should let the wheel have play in all dimensions.
It could also be debris in the caliper. On the front, it’s easy to bend the brake backing plate and make it rub the wheel and make noise. I can’t recall if the rear has a similar set up or not. But there are other things it could be besides a bearing.
EDIT: OK, I wrote that before I saw the video, it did not load the first time. I see something behind the hub face moving in apparent synchronicity with the sound. Look behind the hub plate for debris of something. Maybe it’s just a shadow but it looks more substantial.
Yes, you should be concerned if it’s an abnormal sound.
Rear bearings don’t fail as often as the front. While smaller, they are still doing SO much less work without being powered or steered. Easy way to tell is to jack the wheel and put it on stands. Spin the wheel while you grasp the spring with the other hand. A steady vibration is a sure sign of a bad bearing. Rocking the wheel is also a good indicator. A bad bearing should let the wheel have play in all dimensions.
It could also be debris in the caliper. On the front, it’s easy to bend the brake backing plate and make it rub the wheel and make noise. I can’t recall if the rear has a similar set up or not. But there are other things it could be besides a bearing.
EDIT: OK, I wrote that before I saw the video, it did not load the first time. I see something behind the hub face moving in apparent synchronicity with the sound. Look behind the hub plate for debris of something. Maybe it’s just a shadow but it looks more substantial.
Thank you for your help. I believe what you're seeing is the light/shadow.
I broke one of the caliper bracket bolts, so I gotta wait till Monday to get a hold of a replacement. In the meantime, I think I'm gonna unbolt the Hub assembly and inspect inside where the ABS sensor goes.
I took apart the Hub Assembly and inspected both the Knuckle and the Wheel bearing.
Found 3 grooves inside the knuckle, but no signs of metal shavings/damage to the ABS wheel. I didn't have time to check the opposite wheels hub to compare.
It appears that the grooves might be from manufacturing. Not sure.
The wheel bearing makes no noise when spun outside by itself. Smooth as butter with no apparent free play.
Also, when loosely attached to the knuckle, the bearing makes no noise.
I found that the clicking noise only starts when the hub's bottom two bolts are tightened down.
Not sure if this is a normal interaction with the ABS magnet or a defect. I left it as is for now, as I haven't noticed any drivability issues.
Did you try using the spring as a gauge while spinning the hub with the wheel mounted?
A bearing starting to go bad can feel ok in the hand but cause vibration when loaded.
I did try that, but didn't feel any obvious vibration. Ever since I noticed the clicking sound, I've been more aware of it during normal driving. In the past I thought it was simply tire noise, but now I believe it's that hub.
My next steps:
1. Purchase a runout dial gauge indicator tool
2. Swap the hubs from side to side and see if the noise persists or changes.
3. Measure for HUB runout in the back
4. Check the front rotors and hubs for runout, now that I have a tool (unrelated)
06-09-18, 08:49 PM
