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