Hey
1991 Max, auto trans
Have started car but not driven it around. I needed to unseize the brakes first. Doing this, I discovered that the driver side front wheel, when spun, makes a "click click click" noise. Thinking that maybe the starter had gotten stuck in engage I took off the starter, starte is fine. Had a friend spin the wheel, sounds like it may be the trans/diff. Wondering what it may be, and how complex the repair is. If I have to take it to a trans shop the car is going to sit there, forever.

 

I've never spun my wheels while lifted, but could it also be that the CV boot is torn and the grease has all been flung out leaving you a dry joint?

Just throwing another option out to ya.

I was just saying so, because if it was a transmission problem, shouldn't you also have problems when driving? Like slipping or delayed shifting? Drive it around and see if you notice any sounds. BTW, how many miles on the tranny? Are you the first owner? If not, maybe the first owner(s) drove the car hard, and it being an A/T, it may be due for a rebuild/replacement.

Good Luck

 

since the noise occurs at a specific wheel and not at both i would start at the source and not presume something common to both wheels i.e. the trans.

how much of a distance have u driven with this noise? how long has the car sat? in what kind of weather?

i agree it could very well be a rotted out cv boot or even wheel bearings that just need to be moved about to be freed or even repacked.

have u checked the brakes? what do the rotors look like?

start at the offending wheel (the front driver side in this case) and work your way through the brakes, spindle, axles and related rotating assemblies...
one technique i find useful is actually placing your hand on particlar points of the suspected source and using it almost like a stethescope...
let your hand be your guide

 

Yup, I used my hand as the stethescope DEFFINITELY coming from where the axle comes into the case. I have started the car, but not driven it around, since the car has sat for a while and the brakes needed to be unseized. So I popped the car up and to make sure all was good I'd spin the wheel (the brakes had seized so the wheels wouldn't move). No, I'm not the original owner. My friend owned the car before me and the trans and engine were in working order. However it has sat for probably close to 4 months now...Outter CV is fine, I suppose that the inner MAY have issues. However the control arm bolts ARE rotted out and I don't want to have to fight with them to pull the axle if someone knows that it's a trans issue Seeing as how the car needs about $700 to get it going legally, I'm not going to throw an additional $700+ on the trans alone For that $1400 I'd go out and hunt a Max in better shape

 

Anyone else?