Rock in tire tread

[Vic]

Greetings,

Has anyone experienced a clicking noise from the front wheels, sounds the same as a rock stuck in the tread of the tire, but this one won't go away. This is a 2009 Georgetown on a Ford chassis and it's been into Ford three different times, Ford agrees that the noise is there, but states that it's the Alcoa hub caps making the noise. Alcoa states that it's the hubs! I can only turn the radio just so loud.

It's ( the clicking noise ) now loud enough to be heard in the car that's following the Georgetown. Anyone run across this before? Any information would be gratefully appreciated.

Vic Shepherd

[Max Power]

Are you sure it's not a U-joint going bad?

Remove the hub caps and you'll know if that is your cause.

[NWJeeper]

Originally Posted by Max Power

Are you sure it's not a U-joint going bad?

Remove the hub caps and you'll know if that is your cause.

Our Georgetown makes the same noise from the drivers side front. There is no U-joint in the front of a non 4x4 vehicle. Remove the hub caps and take a drive. I have been meaning too just haven't gotten around to it. I did jack up the front end with the levelers till the front wheels were off the ground and spun the wheels as fast as I could by hand but couldn't get it to make the noise...

[Max Power]

I know there's no U-joint on the front axle I just figured it might be hard to determine where exactly the sound is coming from.

[The Z Team]

I have had mine in twice for the same noise, They can not find it. It would be nice if they could find it. i have looked myself but unable to find anything.

[ronhanson]

I have this too. The wheel covers are the likely source according to most internet searches, the wheel flexes slightly and the hub caps are rubbing it. A good test would be removing them as nwjeeper suggests. I went around and tightened mine and some where loose but I haven't had a chance to see if it worked yet. Next trip is this weekend.

There was even some mention that tightening them alone did not help and some people have added some material to dampen the noise. I haven't pulled them off so I do not know what that would entail yet.

[Vic]

To All: The following is an email from Forest River:

"I have recently discovered that the clicking noise is caused by the
hub caps being a little loose and moving around. To make it go away we
are recommending removing the cap spreading a bead of silicone caulk
where the cap meets the wheel and after it is in place remove the excess
silicone. This may sound odd but it works."

Thanks to all who posted.

[NWJeeper]

Thanks a bunch Vic for posting that fix, I'll have to get out and do it soon before our next trip.

[ronhanson]

I drove mine yesterday and tightening it didn't work.

I pulled the cover off and you can see how the hub cap could rub the wheel around the outside edge. It's amazing there is enough movement there to do it.

I put some electrical tape under the corner edge to act as a gasket. The silicone sounds like a better idea. Besides the outside edge, the caps fit pretty loosely on the 3 wheel studs also. I would add a little silicone there also. I'm packing up for a trip so wasn't able to test it or even confirm the noise was gone with the hub cap off.

[Vic]

For anyone interested:

I followed Forest River's advice a few weeks ago and glued the front hubcaps to the rim. Over the Labor Day weekend, I finally drove the motor home and NO Clicking! No more rocks stuck in the tread.

Drive Slow & Watch the Patrol.