Clicking from driver's rear wheel when cornering

[J. Kidd]

I have noticed a clicking that occurs when I am taking a right turn. The noise appears to be coming from the driver's side rear tire and is wheel-speed dependent. When I originally noticed it, I figured I had a pebble wedged in the tread somewhere. Now, after a few hundred miles, it is still there yet only noticeable during cornering. I don't hear it when the car is going straight. Could this be the the hub thrust washer I've been reading about? The symptoms seem slightly different than the experiences others have shared. Any insight would be appreciated.
- John

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[DirtRoadTrip]

Sounds like the hub. Would check the axle nut torque first, and if that is good then it’s the hub…

 

[raiderjatt02]

Completely take your wheels off, then put them back on and torque to 150lb/ft.

I've had that issue a couple of times over the past 5 years and doing this procedure always fixed it for me. If it still clicks after doing that, then it could be the hub. I'd start with the easy/cheap/free fix first and simply try remounting the wheels. Just be sure to take the wheel completely off. If I just loosen and re-tighten, the clicks kept coming back.

 

[Julio]

Also went with the cheap fix, removed wheel, cleaned interior of wheel center (important), and then I personally torqued it back at 200N (150lf/ft).
No issue anymore - worked on all 4 wheels by the way.

 

[J. Kidd]

Very cool! Thanks for the responses, you guys. Cheap, easy fix is what I'll try.

 

[J. Kidd]

Just wanted to circle back on this:

It worked. Removed the wheel, cleaned the interior of the wheel (where it meets the hub), cleaned the hub lip and put the wheel back on torquing the lug nuts to 150 ft-lbs.

I don't know how or why this worked, but it did - no more clicking.

Thanks to all who responded!

-John

 

[MNGT350]

bumping this. Same ongoing clicking issue here driver rear when turning. will take off wheel, clean wheel/hub area, torque back on tightly, sound goes away for a while, then slowly returns.

Any more solutions? would be nice to have a definitive fix.

 

[NightmareMoon]

bumping this. Same ongoing clicking issue here driver rear when turning. will take off wheel, clean wheel/hub area, torque back on tightly, sound goes away for a while, then slowly returns.

Any more solutions? would be nice to have a definitive fix.

Floating rotors can make a fast clicking noise in corners. That doesnt sound like your issue.

Aluminum hats can click because aluminum wheels to aluminum rotor hats doesnt stick as well as aluminum wheels do to steel hats.

Best you can do is a thorough cleaning with a good brake cleaner of both mating surfaces (wheel and rotor hat) and a good torque.

 

[Nfs1000f]

I had same problem going on 7 years left front wheel. Stopped when I went to Gorilla lug nuts. Prior to that it would go away after removing the wheel and re-torquing with stock lug nuts. Eventually the ticking would return.

 

[galaxy]

Mine did it too. Both my rear wheels did it when turning either direction. The outside wheel would click in both speed and intensity proportionate to the force of the curve. Never did it normal driving, not even turn; only intense curvy road driving. Torquing my lug nuts never fixed mine and I even had Signature/Terrences Ti lug nuts. But then I got MSI wheel studs from OPM and that did the trick. Never heard it again. While everyone’s solution might be different, the cause does seem to be related to the hub/hat/stud somehting going on. It’s annoying, but if your wheels and hub are torqued properly, it’s not something I was gonna fret too much over. A full time track car? Maybe. A mere mortals car? Send it!

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