• Hi Guest!
    You can help ensure that British Car Forum (BCF) continues to provide a great place to engage in the British car hobby! If you find BCF a beneficial community, please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

New Member and Steering Noise Question

Share this page

T

Ted_Merendino

Member
Offline
Hi Everyone,

My name is Ted and I'm the new owner of a 1960 Bugeye. I purchased the car about 3 weeks ago in Ventura California and drove it ~250 miles up HW 101 to the San Francisco Bay Area. It has a rebuilt 1098 cc motor, front disc brakes and a Datsun 5-speed tranny. I'm pretty fluent in all things BMW but I have zero experience with Bugeyes or British cars in general. I'm looking forward to working on and getting to know my new Bugeye. A few pictures are below.

Now, my first question: The car has developed a horrible rubbing, whining nose while turning. Turn the wheel in either direction while the car is moving and it sounds like the tire is rubbing on something. I don't think it's the tire because it sounds like metal on metal and and It doesn't seem to be linked to engine RPM. I'm just curious if this is a common problem or if you guys have any idea where to look first.

Cheers,
Ted

7703_3.jpg


a9e3_3.jpg


4363_3.jpg


6c42_3.jpg


5d5a_3.jpg


n3400616_33962645_5572.jpg


n3400616_33962644_5297.jpg
 
Welcome,
Nice looking little car.

Your rubbing sound could be many things. The first order of business is to take the wheels off and look for any obvious problems: Loose calipers, rubbing marks, etc.

It does not sound like a problem that is typical of these cars. That is to say... it is not a common problem that spridget owners encounter so frequently that we know a likely cause.
 
Nice car! Was that on ebay? It looks familiar! Is the noise on hard turning? If so, it could be tire rub due to larger than stock tires (they look larger in the pix!). I have had that problem and it will make an almost "tinny" sound! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/thumbsup.gif
 
I'm voting with bugimike, tire rub due to oversized tyres. Take them off and see if they're hitting anything on the inner fenders.

Great looking car, very clean. For some reason the shifter boot sticks out as a great touch. Maybe because mine has half the paint chipped off.

Ben
 
Thanks for the responses guys.

Bugimike,

The car was on ebay. I watched it not make reserve, so I emailed the owner and made arrangements to see it the next weekend on my way down to LA. I checked it out on Friday, made the deal on the phone on Saturday and left a deposit on my way back to the Bay Area on Sunday. I picked it up the next weekend.

The noise presents itself at various points within the range of the wheel travel. That is to say, it makes the sound under light, medium and heavy turning, but not consistently. Your description of a "tinny" sound is spot on. I'll remove the wheels and see if there are any tire marks inside the wheel wells.

saabmp3,

Thanks for the kind words. I'm really happy with the condition of the car. I'm going to remove the wheels this weekend and will report what I find.

What size tires are you guys running?
 
Ted,

I'm willing to trade my 59 Bugeye for yours regardless of what horrible, expensive, dangerous noise your front end is making! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif

Nice looking car! - wish mine looked that good even with a mystery noise. I go with everyone else's ideas about the tires. Do you know what size they are? Welcome to the LBC Club (Little British Car).
 
Your tyres look OK to me, I have 175/70R13s on a Bugeye and at a glance they look about the same as yours do. Take a look at the tyres and tell us what size they are, just to be sure.

You seem to have the standard steel rims that were fitted to the Bugeye in the factory so that is unlikely to be a problem.

Does the Bugeye have its original front brakes, or maybe later disks?

Jack each wheel up off the ground and spin them, have your SO or SWMBO turn the steering wheel while you listen close and spin the wheel.

Go to the other side and do the same, jack it up, spin the wheel, turn the steering and listen.

Eventually you will find it and my guess is it will be fairly obvious once you do.
 
OK, since I'm a gambling man... my money is on a loose caliper, but it is purely a shot in the dark.
 
No comments on the sound, but that's a nice looking Bugeye. Congrats!
 
Thanks for all the responses.

ncbugeye,

I checked the tires. They're 155 SR 13. The car has later disc brakes up front. I'll check for a loose caliper. I haven't had a chance to jack up the car but that will happen after work tomorrow.
 
Your tires are really not too big according to the size(though the fronts look bigger than the rears slightly in the pix and look to fill the wheel arch!), but perhaps are rubbing the inner wings at the top or front if the springs are a little weak and compressed while cornering! Other than that, I am at a loss, unless there are issues with a worn/dry steering rack! Looking at the side-on shot, does anyone else think the position of the front wheels within the arch looks a little odd? (wheel set back too far in the opening!)
 
Very nice little friend there.

Note that it is running a bit rich though.

Has it told you its name yet?
 
bugimike,

Thanks for the info. I'm going to remove the wheels and look closer after work today. This job is really cutting into my bugeye time! The hood was modified to hinge at the front. Perhaps that accounts for the odd placement of the wheel within the wheel arch?

jlaird,

What makes you think it's running rich?

P.S. Her name is Penny.
 
Bad Wheel bearing? likewise "PRETTY"!
 
Ahh Penny, let me guess you found a penny in her?

The inside of your exhaust pipe is very black, should be a light brown after the long run.
 
BIBBER,

Thanks!

jlaird,

The photos were taken before the drive to SF. The pipe was light brown afterwards.
 
Cool, dead on then.
 
Should add Pennys name to your sig, she will get upset and none of us want that.
 
Thanks for the advice guys. We're still in the Honeymoon period and I don't want to make her mad.
 
Back
Top