Plug Bug: Rear bearing replacement and updates
Oh, the Plug Bug! I have so much time and energy spent on this car, and it continues to this day.
In the past month, the bugs transmission has been in and out three times. This is a time consuming task; it takes me about ¾ of a day to do a transmission swap.
I’ve been hearing a bad noise in the rear of the car, and I assumed it was the transmission after having so many issues with my rebuilt tranny. Here’s that setup coming out:
So, I was unsure what to do, and put back in my old transmission. It made a horrible worse noise, and definitely needs some rebuilding. I didn’t drive more than a few feet before I knew it was just bad. I’m pretty sure it is the main bearings inside the transmission; the shaft moves up and down, whereas it doesn’t on my other one.
So what to do. I was frustrated and out of ideas. I didn’t want to buy a new transmission again, as I don’t want to spend a lot more money on this car. But, I went to eBay and found a used transmission for $400. I offered them $250, and to my surprise they took it. It cost me an extra $100 to get it shipped from LA, but it seemed like a good idea.
So, I put in the eBay transmission. It still made the same noise! Ugg…at least I know it wasn’t the transmission. And then this transmission definitely needs a rebuild; it pops out of fourth pretty consistently, which means it has a worn synchro.
Out it came, and back in the “good” one:
I had an idea that it might be the wheel bearing…and I tested the theory by grabbing the wheels and shaking it. The rear left rocked way more than it should have…so yeah, wheel bearing! I bought the inner/outer wheel bearings (and seals) and some new rear shocks. The rear end was just sitting on the bump stops and I think that was causing some noises (and it was..). I knew the shocks were dying, as the rear never used to be so low. The jack was much easier to get under the car at first, and now I had to squeeze it in on the edge. So coil overs would help with the weight:
The shocks helped drastically with the feel and ride of the car. It removed a lot of bumping noises when I would go over rough roads…which is every day, as my driveway is pretty rough.
I put in the new bearings, and the “transmission” noise was then gone! But it came right back the next day. Apparently the main lug nut worked its way loose. That brings me to right now…I tightened it and I’ll see how it goes tomorrow.
While I was at it, I also popped off the front brakes and re-greased the back of the pads. They have been squeaking a bit since I last replaced them.
