Member Since: 25 Oct 2015
Location: Gloucester
Posts: 93
Home made chassis ears
I've posted on here before about my woes over clunking noises and whilst they are not getting any worse I do imagine I'll be stuck on the side of the road at some point.
I started to look at chassis ears and could not justify the expense, so I have made my own.
3x mini microphones with couple of extension leads
1xlaptop with 3 usb ports and a copy of Mixpad.
Associate each of the mics with different channels on the free software.
Then strap the mini mics to different bit of the car and push record on the software and see where the clunks are coming from. That's the theory anyway. When it's dry I'll have a go
Member Since: 27 Mar 2008
Location: Wirral, UK
Posts: 3067
Interesting experiment. Will the laptop run three soundcards at once? (Or four, including the built in one)D4 XS, gone, much loved, never forgotten
2018 FFRR SDV8 Autobiography - Gone to someone with less sense and more time to enjoy it
2016 Toyota Hilux Invincible - Liberating experience
21st Dec 2017 4:33 pm
Sea Raider
Member Since: 01 Nov 2016
Location: None
Posts: 4450
Will they not just pick up road noise?
21st Dec 2017 5:02 pm
Robbie
Member Since: 05 Feb 2006
Location: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Posts: 17932
Go-pros or similar usually do the trick. In a push a dash cam will do. Seeing the clunk as well as hearing it makes for easy diagnosis.
Land Rover - Turning Drivers into Mechanics Since 1948
Member Since: 25 Oct 2015
Location: Gloucester
Posts: 93
James W wrote:
Interesting experiment. Will the laptop run three soundcards at once? (Or four, including the built in one)
Yes that bit seems to work. I have the 3 usb sound cards hanging off 1 usb hub and the software can see the difference.
I do expect it to pick up road noise but these bloody clunks and Judders sound like gears not meshing and I can't even work out if it's front or back or inbetween. Am hoping by placing them in strategic spots I'll see on the screen which mic is picking up the clunks and then be able to focus down
I've done the cheap stuff and replaced the rear callipers, disks, pads and handbrake pads. So now expecting to find a more expensive problem. Gut feel is its either the transfer box clutch biting or a rear diff problem.
Still, hopefully no more guessing and my home made ears will tell meD3 V8 HSE
My other car's a Volvo, see my blog www.pearman.cc/blog
21st Dec 2017 6:24 pm
eddyoz
Member Since: 01 Oct 2013
Location: Mandurah.WA
Posts: 66
ok ... this WILL work but it's the analysis of the data that may mean you won't get anything useful out of it unless you spend a fortune. it's essentially how sonar works on submarines. (and also a system that looks for stress in the structure of large ships )
what WILL bear fruit is if you compare periods when it's NOT making the noises you don't like with times when it is. look for higher volume on one mic input and it should be something nearer that one.
if you never get periods without the noise you can still use the method by making changes to things you think are linked to the noise and see if it makes a big difference in volumes across the 3 channels.
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