Matt
6 posts
Joined: 24/12/2006 18:03:09
Location: Trowbridge United Kingdom (Excluding channel Islands)
Driveshaft free play
I have an '86 City E which has started to make an unusual sound which seems to come from the offside front wheel. Today I put the car on axle stands to do some investigation. I found that one of the nearside ball joints is slightly worn, so I re-greesed it temporarily and will replace as soon as I can get a kit but the noise is still there (the ball joint probably had nothing to do with it). I have also noticed that both of the driveshafts have a small amount of free play 'in and out' and I am not sure if this indicates excessive wear on the outer CV joints. I know that the inner joint is the sliding spline type so some movement in that joint is fine. The diveshaft retaining nuts are tight so I am sure that it is not the whole driveshaft moving back and forth in the hub. I'm not sure if this type of free play is normal (as it doesn't seen excessive). Can anyone help?
Posted: Dec 24, 2006 07:20 PM
Roy
261 posts
Joined: 19/09/2005 19:34:20
Location: huntingdon United Kingdom (Excluding channel Islands)
You dont say what kind of noise it is, but you could be overlooking the wheel barings as a possible scource of the noise. is it constant or intermittent, a rumbling noise, squeeking, tapping, grinding or whatever. all these different noises could help isolate where and what is causing it. as can when it occurs such as when you hit a bump ect...any more info might go a way to helping you find out what's causing it
Posted: Dec 26, 2006 05:10 PM
The noise it makes is a kind of wooshing/rubbing noise, its dificult to describe but I wouldn't really call it a grinding sound. It does seem to be generating some heat if the car is driven (you can smell it around the wheel arch when you stop, just smells hot). Its off the road at the moment as I don't want to make the problem any worse bu I just don't seem to be able to issolate it. I don't think that it is the wheel bearing as when the wheel is lifted off the ground and the roadwheel held in the '12 and 6' position there is no free play whatsoever. I am considering taking out the driveshaft, hub and brake caliper and taking them all apart so that I can check the componants individually but I would rather diagnose the fault beforehand and save a lot of effort, bleeding brakes etc but if it has to be done it has to be done. Any ideas would be greatly appriciated as I am still a bit of a novice and have to follow the haynes manual for almost everthing, but I'm learning.
Posted: Dec 27, 2006 12:20 PM
Hmmmm.....Rubbing noise and lots of heat!... sounds like your brakes are binding. Check your brake pads for 'Glazing', a shiny area on the pad face indicating binding and heat build-up meaning your brake piston/s are seized or partially seized in the caliper and are not releasing the pad when you foot is taken off the pedal....you will also find that the wheel is difficult to turn when jacked up,There will always be a certain amount of resistance because of the drivetrain but it should turn without too much effort....check it out as you may find that your brakes do not give as good a performance when too hot, not good for finding out in an emergency when you realy need them. In extreme cases you will also see areas of discolouration (a yellowish, red or blue tint) on the discs themselves indicating severe overheating compromising strength and possibly causing distortion neccesetating disc renewal.
Posted: Dec 28, 2006 11:17 PM
Thanks, I think you've hit the nail on the head. I was under the car this evening and the brakes do seem to be binding, particully on the drivers side. I will take the calipers apart, clean them up and put them back together with new seals and pads and see if that fixes the problem.
Thanks for your help and advice, it's very much appriciated.
Posted: Dec 29, 2006 12:34 AM
No problem ...I had a similar problem and cured it by fitting stainless pistons and new seals. Now they're as good as you could want especially as I also later fitted new discs too!
Posted: Dec 30, 2006 02:14 AM
geordie racer
18 posts
Joined: 24/07/2007 14:54:26
Location: wolverhampton United Kingdom (Excluding channel Islands)
driveshaft gaiter replacement. help needed.
Hi I'm having difficulty working out how to put my new gaiters on my drive shaft (both the inner and outer), I can't work out how to get the pot joint or the cv joint off. Can someone please help as I have searched the forum and people have mentioned that it just slides off (maybe they work for haynes manual, simply remove) however mine don't seem to budge. Just to let you know the engine is out and the drive shafts are still attached to the wheel hubs. Any assistance would be much appreciated.
Pete
Posted: Jul 30, 2007 09:45 PM
Mone
164 posts
Joined: 23/10/2006 12:34:32
Location: Lethbridge, Canada
Ah yes... I was wondering the same thing myself, recently. A mini enthusiast with more knowledge than I took the shaft, stuck it in a vice, took a big brass hammer and smacked the cv joint off the shaft. Apparently there's kind of a round clip in a groove in there that springs out when it's put together- if that makes sense. Anyway- smack it! :)
PS: in real life my countertop is not purple... dunno what happened... lighting's weird or something... LOL.
Posted: Jul 31, 2007 02:13 AM
Roobz
223 posts
Joined: 15/12/2005 01:31:36
Location: Redbridge United Kingdom (Excluding channel Islands)
Theres a little cir-clip (that thing he said springs out), takeo ut thisl ittle clip and the drive shaft and hubs will seperate. give em all a good clean and then reinstall with the grease and the rubber boot.
would be alot easy to take the drive shaft of the car and do it in a vice tho.
Posted: Jul 31, 2007 10:22 AM
i will try that in the next couple of days when i get chance and let youy know how i get on. Is it easy to get the drive shaft off the car? i haven't looked yet.
Cheers.
Posted: Jul 31, 2007 10:33 AM
I've just been out to the car and tried to get the drive shaft out and the big nut with the split pin through it (the one that attaches the wheel hub and disc) won't budge. Is it anti locked or is there a knack to getting it undone?
Posted: Jul 31, 2007 12:13 PM
Yeah that big nut is torgued down to like 150 or so,, so it will take alot of work to get it off,, use the biggest breaker bar you can find,, to get as much leverage as you can,, and obvoisly remove the split pin first!
Posted: Jul 31, 2007 12:49 PM
Tim
1849 posts
Joined: 18/10/2004 09:40:59
Location: Bournemouth United Kingdom (Excluding channel Islands)
Also put the car in first gear and get someone to stand on the brakes (assuming you haven't removed the caliper yet).
Posted: Jul 31, 2007 01:09 PM
Penfold
7 posts
Joined: 24/07/2007 13:05:20
Location: United Kingdom (Excluding channel Islands)
carefully positioned blows to the CV joint where it joins the drive shaft will compress the circlip into its groove so that the driveshaft slides out.
for the hub nut you need to put the wheel back on and lower it to the ground. handbrake on, bricks under wheels and then use the right socket with a t-bar and at least 4 feet of scaffold pole. stand on the end of the pole and it will undo (you might need to bounce a bit but watch out for when it 'gives' so you don't lose your balance) "refitting is a reversal of this procedure"
Posted: Jul 31, 2007 01:43 PM
cheers guys the only problem with this procedure is the engine is currently out so i can't put it in first but i will replace the gaiters once the engine is back in as it seems the easiest way. cheers again your help has been great.
Posted: Jul 31, 2007 01:48 PM
If the engine is out you can "cheat" by using a large vice-grip (locking pliers) to firmly grip the shaft as far to th inside as possible and use that to smack the shaft out of the CV (hit the vice-grip with a hammer). You can leave your CV in the hub. With the shaft out of the CV you can swap your "gaiters" & then simply tap the shaft back into the CV after. Make sure all clips are in good shape & go in all right...
Posted: Jul 31, 2007 02:08 PM
I'll give this a go tonight or tommorrow and give feedback accordingly. cheers.
Posted: Jul 31, 2007 02:43 PM
Both driveshafts have now had their gaiters replaced, thanks for the tip with the mole grips and smacking them out it worked a treat. Engine is now back in ready to connect, just got to cut my exhaust to fit and finish the engine and she'll be ready for a test drive.
Thanks again.
Posted: Aug 02, 2007 07:06 AM
jesus cespedes
1 posts
Joined: 24/01/2006 11:07:43
Location: Rodgau Germany
which driveshaft?
I've got an Spanish built cooper that I've recently changed the engine for a Metro unit
The out of the driveshaft is hardy-spicer and the inboard a rubber coupling
I want to improve it to pot joint inboard and maintaining the hardy out
which driveshaft I need for it
I only find with outer Pot I really don't want.
thanks and regards
Posted: Apr 24, 2009 06:20 PM
daniel sheppard
40 posts
Joined: 20/09/2008 17:26:17
Location: london United Kingdom (Excluding channel Islands)
oil leaking from right hand driveshaft?!?!?!??
as in the subject there appears to be oil leaking from the right hand driveshaft at the gearbox end and i dont y this is??
if any1 has any ideas any help would be greatly appreciated!!
ive tried pushing the driveshaft back towards the gearbox as ino sometimes driveshafts can leak when they have moved out of place but its still leaking
thanks in advance daniel.
Posted: Apr 28, 2009 06:07 PM