Not saying this is the cause here, but I've found sometimes that all-of-a-sudden,
intermittent, screeching, grinding noises can be caused by small sharp rocks,
especially if you live in an area where they chip seal the roads, rather than actually
paving them. I've had rocks lodged in the calipers as well as between the heat shields
at the rear of the engine.
Jerry

----- Original Message -----
From: "Lorraine" <lorr16ainesym@YAHOO.CA>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, January 04, 2006 9:40 PM
Subject: Oh oh....grinding bad???

> Hi all;
>
> Just when I got MIA back, driving better than I could
> ever have dreamed.......I got home tonight and backing
> up to park, heard a terrible screeching grinding sound
> coming from the left rear tire.  My kid leaned under
> with a flashlight and he couldn't see where the noise
> was coming from.  I then took his place on hands and
> knees, and we re-created the sounds by rocking back
> and forth gently.
>
> The noise appeared first to be coming from the square
> box underneath the strut, attached to the tire....then
> it sounded like it was coming from near the muffler in
> that same area.  I really couldn't decide exactly
> where the sound was coming from, but at one point my
> son and I both said it also sounded like it was coming
> from the inside middle of the tire rim.
>
> Noises = screeching, grinding, appears related to
> rotation of tire....
>
> So.  We took 'her for a drive, and after 1/2 a block
> the noise almost disappeared, then was gone by the
> time we got home.
>
> I have a 3 hour canyon drive planned for this Friday,
> and I hope I'm not in trouble!
>
> If anyone has any suggestions.....I have tomorrow to
> see if the sound returns.....
>
> Lorraine
> 1981 Westy "MIA"
>
> Lorraine Sym
> 1981 Westy "MIA"
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> __________________________________________________________
> Find your next car at http://autos.yahoo.ca
>