It is never agreeable to hear new sounds on your vehicle. We always will be anxious and think about the most severe. But finding out wheel noise on Volkswagen Beetle is very often linked to small issue that you can easily fix. To help you in this inspection, our team decided to produce this content page to make your life easier and support you in this task. To do this, we will alternately see what are the different noises that Volkswagen Beetle wheels can induce and to which failures they are associated.
The different wheel noises on Volkswagen Beetle and their origins
We will therefore focus on the different types of sound you may feel and their triggers.
I perceive grinding wheel noise on Volkswagen Beetle from, cardan shaft
The first possibility of grinding wheel noise on your Volkswagen Beetle is that you feel a gimbal sound when you are turning significantly, usually at low speed. It is also possible that you may feel this sound when you drive over speed bumps. You should listen to a noise close to a cracking . It is quite possible in this situation that one or more bellows of your gimbals are dead. In this situation, the joint must be damaged and the transmission may fail. Check the shape of the joint bellows and swap them if necessary or risk having your vehicle immobilized. If they have holes, they will in the near future dry out and fill with dust or stones that will rather quickly damage the cardan shaft itself, don’t wait to act! In case you have a sound when you pass on damaged roads but the gimbals are not the reason of it, have a look at this article about suspension noise on Volkswagen Beetle to support you find a solution.
I find out a wheel noise Volkswagen Beetle when coasting connected to a bearing
One of the other potential triggers of signs on the front wheel of your Volkswagen Beetle when coasting, may be that one of your bearing is nearly dead, it will tend to generate a thumping sound that intensifies when it is stressed (turns faster and faster). So remember to check by taking speed (neutral and window open to hear only the noise of the wheels) that the sound is well coming from here, if this is the case swap it or them very quickly. If, on the other hand, this noise only manifests itself with an engaged speed, have a look at this article about loud noises on Volkswagen Beetle, you will most likely find a resolution to your trouble.
I find out a wheel noise Volkswagen Beetle connected to brakes
If you perceive noise from one or both of your wheels, it is highly possible that it is your pads or discs that are the trigger. Indeed, a disc or a set of dead plates will generate a loud metallic sound that you will obviously notice. To check this, put your vehicle on axle stands, and examine the shape of your discs and pads by extracting the wheel. If they are involved, swap them quickly , otherwise you will no longer be able to brake. If you feel a metallic noise from your Volkswagen Beetle, but the brakes are not the cause, read this article for more details on this trouble.
I experience a wheel noise Volkswagen Beetle linked to faulty wheel alingment
If you feel a sound that may be like a vibration and will increase as you increase speed, it is possible that your wheel alingment or balancing is the cause of it. Wheel alingment of a vehicle is an important step that is generally done after each tire change. It will ensure that the wheel moves in a perfect axis and therefore that tyre wear is homogeneous and grip, ground contact is ideal. If your balancing weights are missing or incorrectly positioned, your wheels will tend to vibrate a lot and induce a significant wheel noise on Volkswagen Beetle. Verify that your seals are still in place, otherwise go to your mechanic.
I notice a wheel noise Volkswagen Beetle connected to wishbone
Finally, you may notice a noise on your Volkswagen Beetle at the wheels, when you accelerate, you brake or in a rather random moment. It is likely that the cause of this trouble comes from the double wishbone suspension or the direction hinges. Indeed, you will be able to test a damaged double suspension wishbone during the acceleration phases when it will be pushed on side and the car will pull on the outside of the damaged wishbone (right wishbone pulls right) and when braking towards the inside of the same side (left wishbone pulls left). You can also check the state of the swivel bellows visually, which may disrupt the action of changing direction. If you are in one of these cases go to your mechanic.
