Nope that wasn't it.  The rust is coming out from around the wheel nut.  I
took it off, used brake cleaner for a minute to run out as much rust as I
could, then sprayed lithium grease around the bearing seal letting it run
out and take some rust with it, then wiped up the excess.  Hope those two
compounds are o.k. in a wheel.  Put it all back together and no noise at
all.  Still suspect I will have to have that bearing replaced in the near
future.

>From: Dennis Haynes <dhaynes@OPTONLINE.NET>
>Reply-To: Dennis Haynes <dhaynes@OPTONLINE.NET>
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>Subject: Re: Scraping Sound--Wheel Bearing?
>Date: Tue, 2 May 2006 06:57:09 -0400
>
>Backing plates are both rusted and bent.
>
>Dennis
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
>Of Dave Vickery
>Sent: Monday, May 01, 2006 11:24 PM
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>Subject: Scraping Sound--Wheel Bearing?
>
>Here is a puzzler.
>
>My van has new rear brakes and drums.  Before I had that done, I was
>power
>washing it and noticed a lot of rust or Arizona red dirt coming out of
>the
>right rear wheel when directing spray at it.  This was right after I
>bought
>it.  After power washing, I heard the wheel scraping for the first time.
>It
>went away after driving for a while.  Hard turns and stops makes it come
>back.  I had brakes and drums put on at Brakes Plus and they said it was
>really scraping bad after they got it all back together.  They said they
>tightened the axle nut and test drove again and it started up again.
>They
>tighten it some more.  They got several turns out of it I guess and it
>was
>better for a while.  I took the van to mechanic and it wasn't making
>noise
>at that time.  He said it seemed fine.  They said if it was wheel
>bearings,
>it would make noise all the time.  It scrapes depending on the load on
>the
>wheel.  A little throttle and the sound goes away, or let it engine
>brake a
>little and it goes away.  Makes me wonder if the wheel is able to move
>some.
>   It scrapes as it rotates and when I had it jacked up it was scraping
>in
>the same spot each revolution and sounds like it the drum against the
>thinner metal cover behind the wheel but I couldn't find a particular
>spot.
>Looking at the now slightly worn brake shoes they are not wearing evenly
>on
>that wheel.  The scraping is getting worse and I am embarrassed to drive
>it
>in public.
>
>Anyone know what the likely problem is?
>
>Thanks
>Dave
>91 Syncro