My car has developed an intermittent groan from the rear when turning at low speed with the clutch engaged. I first noticed it about two weeks ago right after switching to my second set of wheels. At that time it was fairly loud and seemed to be coming from the left rear wheel area when turning left with the clutch out. Push in the clutch and the sound stopped immediately. I let the car sit for an hour or so while I had dinner and went out to pull the wheel to see if I could find a problem. When I moved the car so that I could jack it up the noise was gone.

I didn't hear the noise again until last night when I was leaving a store. I pulled out of a parking place turning to the left and the sound was back. Although the sound was louder turning to the left this time I could hear it turning to the right also. After a few turns in each direction the sound was gone.

Any ideas as to what this may be? The sound seems to be coming from the area of the wheels. I'm hoping that I'm not about to lose another rear differential and since the sound seems to be outboard it very well may be something else. BTW, the rear differential only has about 2000 fairly easy miles on it.

 

Did you check the lug nut torque when you had it up? I'd check the torque to make sure the nuts didn't "settle".

 

Good thought Utah, but yes I did. All lugs at 80ft lbs on two different sets of wheels. The sound lasted maybe 10 minutes the first time and only about 3 minutes the 2nd time.