Annoying rubbing noise coming from rear

[Raging Bull]

My car has an annoying rubbing sounds which is proportional to the speed of the car so there's something touching the wheels when they're turning. I've had my discs machined but it's still doing it, the sound is there always even when my foot is on the brake or off it, sometimes it's really loud. Could it be the rims rubbing? I've heard this sound on other commodores. The car's a VX S Pack commodore completely stock with VX SS rims. Anyone have any ideas? Thanks.

[shiften gears]

check ajustment of handbrake shoes

[Jesterarts]

Is it a higher pitch metalic rubbing sound or a lower plastic rubbing sound??

Is the the lowered at all?

Jack the car up and spin the wheels to see if if makes any rubbing noise then...

Keep us posted

[Raging Bull]

I think it's more metal than a plastic sound, its like a light grind of sorts. It's weird because sometimes it's very loud and other times I can't hear it at all, it comes and goes. The car is standard height FE2. Touching the brakes makes no difference to the noise so I'm guessing it's not disc related? And once it was on the hoist and I spun both wheels and there were no sounds it seems to only do it sometimes. Any ideas?

[pablo]

My l/H hand brake shoe drags sometimes. I have had it off and other than a little more wear, I can't see anything amiss. I find reversing and applying the hand brake to stop, then releasing it and driving off stops the noise. I just don't use the handbrake anymore.

[Jesterarts]

Hmmm....

Handbrake shoes would be a point of interest for me... maybe a loose shoe or something... not sure...

I just recently had a metallic sound that make and went on my 318i and it ended up being the metal dust cover behind the rotor was bent and touching the disc abit...

No idea how this sound managed to come and go though since it was metal touching metal but it somehow did so have a look at those...

Other than that... i would be checking the clearances between your exhaust pipe and the axle from the diff... maybe something has slipped there or when the car leans a certain way soemthing catches....

Wheel hub bearings... thogh that would be a more constant grinding sound and you would have picked up on that spinning the wheels on a hoist.

Finally... i would be looking @ the diff...?

Dunno mate... this is probably one of those things what would be easier to diagnose in person than over the net...lol

Good luck with it though mate!

Keep us posted

[Raging Bull]

Yeah I'll just need to have a better look at it when it's on the hoist again. Thanks for the help anyway.

[vsvx]

My VX does EXACTLY the same thing and i thought i was going crazy. Sounds just like a dragging brake, only my pads are all perfect and nothing appears to be dragging. Even my mechanic thinks it will take some elimination to find it. Only did it when i changed the wheels and had it lowered.

[savage1987]

I'd be looking at the diff. If it's a whining noise that's fairly constant and increases in pitch or sound with speed, it could be a number of things but VXs seem to have noisy diff problems a fair bit. Get a workshop to have a look or ask a mechanic to go for a drive with you.

[Raging Bull]

The noise isn't whiny, it's more like a grinding/rubbing sound as though there's something protruding the wheel and touching the chassis because the sound changes with speed, it's not constant, it's frequency increases with speed.

[brianthegod]

I get a similar sound on my VY II S..I am going to put it in for a service...I thought I was going crazy aswell, as the sound really bugs me!!

[ozengines]

My VX SS has a noise which I think is in the diff, it is at its loudest at 50 clicks and goes away at 65 plus, it is not the usual diff whine but more a bearing noise. The radio up slightly fixes it ;-)

[savage1987]

Raging Bull, have you had this checked out at all? Would love to know what it was if you have.

[Dayvo]

maybe the backing plate behind the disc is bent and rubbing . Had this problem on my daughters old Pulsar on the front . changed the pads and somehow bent it .

[Raging Bull]

Nope still haven't solved the problem. I'll probably get it looked at next time I get a wheel alignment done, it's annoying as hell.

[teastpilot]

checking it up on the hoist is a great start but wont help you if its not bearings or basic brakes etc. when its up that unsprung weight is way off the point where it normally operates and makes the noise, is the noise from the front? or rear? on your fronts are your inner guards/mudflaps still secure and in place. on the rears are there any brake lines closer than they should be to the tyre. does it make the sound thru any turns or constantly turn or straight.

off topic, but interesting, an old foreman used to test the new apprentices with a zip tie on the tailshaft.

best bet is to look all round the tyres on a two poster where ya can check the tyres for nails / screws etc. then check it for clearances of stuff on the ground or a 4 poster hoist where the cars suspension is at the normal height its making the noise. Then failing that, removing each disc and caliper and checking for trapped bits of bitumen behind pads / discs. also might be a disc pad backing plate not goo'd up.

a lot of idea's to help ya look but as mentioned these noises can be problematic to find sometimes. good luck.

[vxcalais_01]

rubbing sound in the back ?? You sure its not your mate still in the back from Friday night ?

[savage1987]

I haven't used that gooey stuff on my brake pad plates ever, and after 3 different pad changes in my 2 cars I've never had a problem with them rubbing..

[Herakles]

Recently (6 months ago) I noticed that rubbing sound from the rear of my car too. Firstly when I turned left into my driveway each evening when I got home from work, then I noticed it started on the right when I turned right, now its pretty much whenever I turn at low speed. I reckon it is the LSD, cos it started to get a nice to it over the last couple of months. If I am travelling at 100k, it sings for me now, like metal shims spinning against each other, maybe LSD clutch noise? Its got plenty of oil, guess I am up for a costly repair. Anyone had anything further than this?