| [GMCnet] Beware of strange noises telegraphed throughout your coach [message #244081] |
Tue, 18 March 2014 09:25  |
glwgmc
Messages: 1014
Registered: June 2004
Karma:
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Senior Member |
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Shortly after the installation of the 3.21 final drive in the Royale we began hearing a faint rotating noise that was road speed related. We thought initially that it was just the difference in sound between the 3.07 and 3.21 design. On this trip the noise has gradually become much more pronounced and sounded for all the world like it was coming up through the engine hatch. I suspected it was a bearing failing so began the process of isolation by measuring the temperature of the front wheel bearings, the cv joints and the bearings on each side of the final drive. Nothing was hot! I measured the temp in the rear bearings and brakes and again nothing was hot. But, the noise persisted and continued to sound like it was coming from the final drive so I began making arrangements to have the final drive rebuilt.
Yesterday when we pulled into Salinas for fuel the noise was very pronounced and now definitely coming from the rear on the passenger side. An odd scraping like sound for about half of each wheel revolution. We were lucky enough to be near what turned out to be a competent RV service facility willing to get right on it, Gleason's Salinas RV (831-758-1344). Once the coach was jacked up the mid rear passenger side wheel was very loose with an obviously failed bearing. No indication while load was on the wheel. It never heated up and rocking the coach back and forth as I had done several times revealed no looseness or clicking sounds.
Once that wheel was removed the inner bearing was badly pitted and the axle nut was obviously loose. I don't know if the bearing failed allowing it to become loose or if the nut became loose and took out the bearing. Once the bearing became loose, it allowed the hub to wallow on each rotation enough that it touched the mounting box on the Manny style reaction arm disk brakes for about one third of a revolution. That, and the bad bearing, is what was making the noise that initially sounded for all the world as if it was coming from the front of the coach. It telegraphed that far.
It is interesting that we had been looking for a tire shop to have the tires rotated just to eliminate them as a possible cause. Had we found one that looked descent we would have discovered the loose bearing sooner. We didn't and proceeded further.
Political comment - skip if it offends you, I want no flaming - Otis Gleason told me that the only reason they could jump right on our issue as they were nearly out of business. He said when the current administration took office he had 28 employees, now he is down to 3, and two of those are family members plus the one mechanic that worked on our coach. He said that when the recession hit the Rv business he had to temporarily lay off a number of people. As it started to come back his former employees found that now nearly perpetual unemployment payments, food stamps and other welfare payments were so generous that they made more money not working than returning to work at his place so they continue to sit on the couch at home doing nothing. According to him, he has not been able to find qualified people to fill his open positions. Couple that with a crush of rapidly escalating license and other fees, regulations and taxes and he is about ready to hang it up. What a stat
e of affairs and we have heard similar stories from other small business owners around the country in our travels the last few years. Bad public policy run amuck! Political comment off -
The purpose of this post is to once again emphasize that sounds can telegraph great distances in our coaches so, like water leaks, they don't necessarily come from where you think they do.
Jerry
Jerry Work
The Dovetail Joint
Fine furniture designed & hand crafted
in the 1907 former Masonic Temple building
in historic Kerby, OR
http://jerrywork.com
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Jerry & Sharon Work
78 Royale
Kerby, OR
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