Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 1,014 Threads: 53
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Location: The delightful town of Knaresborough, North Yorkshire
Bends to the right are silent, bends to the left something goes clunk clunk clunk clunk.
After diagnosing faults on cars for nearly sixty years I thought I was quite good at it. But I'm not sure now.
1934 Ruby with everything carefully re-built and it was back on the road two years ago. Driven just over 2,000 miles since.
A few days ago it started with a gentle clunk clunk clunk clunk but only on left bends and junctions. Jacked it up and tried the front wheel bearings... noise seems to come from drivers front wheel. Everything seemed ok.
Took it out today and bends to the left are quite frightening. A loud CLUNK CLUNK CLUNK.
Driving past my assistant standing at the roadside she suggested the noise was at the back. Jacked it up at the roadside, back wheels removed, the big nuts were not loose. Puzzled!
The noise speeds up with road speed. It makes the noise with power on, but also freewheeling. And it now sounds BAD. I nearly called for a recovery truck but drove it the 3 miles home, going very slowly. Even slower round left hand bends.
Could it be the propshaft catching on something? but how is that affected by the steering???
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 1,337 Threads: 34
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Location: Cheshire
Car type: Race Ulster, 1926 Special, 1927 Chummy, 1930 Box
Andrew, what sort of propshaft have you? The fabric disc can make a noise when it’s disintegrating- it’s the bolts contacting the gearbox casing. Or, with either type of prop the handbrake lever can foul. If you lightly push the lever to the right when driving the noise should stop. Hope it’s one of those, both easy fixes.
Alan Fairless
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03-12-2022, 03:52 PM
(This post was last modified: 03-12-2022, 03:54 PM by Steve Jones.)
Prop shaft touching handbrake mechanism as the engine/gearbox moves slightly in the chassis on left hand bends is favourite and a common problem.
Steve
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Big thanks. Alan the propshaft is Hardy Spicer type with u/j's at both ends.
Steve, thanks for the reply. Just a case of finding a couple of hours to fix it then. Is the fix to bend the handbrake out of the way?
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Car type: Race Ulster, 1926 Special, 1927 Chummy, 1930 Box
03-12-2022, 04:31 PM
(This post was last modified: 03-12-2022, 04:34 PM by Alan.)
Easiest way is to undo the two bolts that fasten the handbrake assembly to the chassis. There should be two bobbin shaped spacers. Reduce the thickness of these. Two minutes in a lathe or 20 with a file and hacksaw. Usually fixes it. My Saloon rattles a little bit sometimes. I put up with it because I know what it is. The other way is to undo the engine mounting bolts and lever the crankcase as far as it will go in the other direction. Just as effective, not as permanent.
Alan Fairless
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My Pytchley did the same thing as a result of the engine mounts being a bit loose. In the end I think I put an 1/8" spacer washer under the o/s mounts to stop the propshaft catching the handbrake, as suggested by Steve. Sounds dreadful but should be an easy fix!
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03-12-2022, 08:09 PM
(This post was last modified: 04-12-2022, 02:10 PM by Steve Jones.)
The latest purchaser of my Trials Chummy reported, the day after he finally collected it from the previous purchaser, that it made a terrible noise on turning left. He thought it might mean a terminal gearbox problem. As things happen, that weekend I was staying in the town he lives in (Prestigne, Welsh, VSCC - some will understand!!). I told him not to worry, many of them do that and off he went and completed the 2022 Welsh Trial. I explained what the problem might be and suggested that simply undoing the engine mounting bolts and levering the engine and box over to the left as noted by Alan might sort it in the interim. It did and he was amazed how much movement he was able to achieve. I don't think he's done anything else as the handbrake spacer had already been narrowed and the engine was already lifted up with 1/8" spacers under the rear engine mounts but it shows that it only takes a small amount of modification to solve the problem. If that's the issue, Andrew, easily sorted. I hope it is.
Steve
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Location: Nottinghamshire. Robin Hood County
Car type: Austin Ruby Mk1 1935
I agree with the washers under the rear engine mounts. It worked for me and a quick fix.
John Mason.
Would you believe it "Her who must be obeyed" refers to my Ruby as the toy.
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It wasn't the propshaft. It was one back brake.
So I got all 4 wheels off the ground, on stands, and crawled under with a torch. Plenty of clearance at the handbrake. No marks at all on the propshaft, U/J's, or the nuts and bolts.
Eventually figured it was in the o/s rear hub/brake.
Off with the wheel, off with the brake drum, and there it was. The pivot for the brake shoes had unscrewed a bit and the backs of the wheel-studs were just touching the pivot. Clunk clunk clunk.
I guess the left steering must rock the wheel and hub a tiny bit, enough to touch and clunk.
Fixed now, but how do I stop these pivots from unscrewing? One at the front unscrewed a few months back!
Anyway thanks for listening.
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