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Ticking noise when driving

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Danne

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When I drive the car I hear a "ticking" noise. It ticks faster when I drive faster. The noise stops when I brake, even if I just brake very lightly. And when I release the brake the ticking comes back. So it has something to do with the wheels I guess. Also, when I drive 90kph the car starts to shake, quite a bit actually. This might be connected to the ticking?

Anyone have a clue what this could be?

/Danne
 
The shaking at that speed is a common problem. What you have is called 'scuttle shake' and it can be caused by several different things. The simplest one to try is to ensure that your front wheels are correctly balanced by somebody that can balance wire wheels. Unfortunately if the wire wheels themselves are very old they may also be out of shape, however the first step is to try to get them balanced as they may be ok. Balancing the rear brake drums will help as well.

What is the history of your car? It seems like it has not been very well maintained by the previous owner?
 
Sounds like lose/worn splines. I had the same noise with my MGA. Does it do it more on corners?
Matthew
 
The 'ticking' noise could be due to a 'warped' rotor*. As the rotor rotates, a high spot will pick up the pad and when the high spot has rotated past the pad the pad drops, contacting the caliper body and making the noise. Applying the brakes stops the noise because the pad is pressed firmly against the rotor around its circumference.

*The late Carroll Smith was adamant there was no such thing as a 'warped' rotor; he attributed the rotor unevenness to pad material building up unevenly on the rotors. Either way, it can cause the rotor to pick up the pad and if bad enough cause pulsing in the brake pedal when the brakes are applied. I had this problem for a couple years, but new rotors and new, different brand pads cured it.
 
I don't know about the ticking, but if the shaking persists after you get your wheels balanced, try balancing the rear brake drums. They are very heavy and surprisingly unbalanced (at least mine were). It made a huge difference in my car.
 
Check the U Joints in the drive shaft too.
 
+1 on the brake pads. All it takes is a minor thick spot in the rotor, and up and down they go.
If you jack up the front wheel and rotate it, you can watch (and hear) this happen.
 
Thank you. I'll try to get someone to balance the wheels today. Balancing the brake drums and checking the rotors sounds like I have to get some help from a mechanic. Or I have to google how to do it:smile: I'll try o jack up the front wheel and rotate it and see if I can hear the sound.

Yes, the previous owner hasn't taken care of the car properly. Its a 1964 phase 2. Originally shipped to the US, came to Sweden 1994. During 1994-96 they said it was undergoing a renovation. Well, I wonder if they might have been drunk for 2 years during the renovation:smile:

I'll try to check the splines. Yesterday when I drove through a small street with houses on both sides, it sounded like a horse running. "clapeti clapeti clap"...

Keoke, U Joints - what is that?

/Danne
 
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