Drivetrain clunk (and a LONG story)
08-09-2006, 06:44 PM
#1
Drivetrain clunk (and a LONG story)
OK. Let me ask the main question b4 the story. Should the halfshafts have ANY play in them (left to right) at all when the car is on the ground?
Also, what can cause the axle nut to loosen?
Now, the story. Drove to Ft. Lauderdale for a trip out of the country. Everything's good until I get off an exit for gas and hear a soft metallic rubbing from the left front. I stop and take a look and could find nothing really loose. I get back on the road again, but now just wasn't sure so I pull off again at the next exit and hear the noise some more. In addition, there is also a knocking, clunking noise that would happen when I leave a stop sign or a light. (NOT the clicking noise from bad CV Joints).
I take the wheel off and decide to check the axle nut even tho I don't have the right size socket. Using my channel locks, I was actually able to LOOSEN the nut(a little bit)!!! I'm thinking to myself, there's NO way I should be able to budge that nut, especially with channel lock pliers! So I snug it down as best as I could, reinstall the cotter pin and get back on the road.
The next day my friend and I find a shop (Tire Kingdom- a subsidiary of Merchant's) and drop the car off after telling them about the nut and the noise. 4 hours later they say everything is good-nothing wrong. The service manager says, "Those nuts don't need to be too tight anyways". The car drives fine to my friend's house with no noise.
I leave the country, come back after a week, and the car's making the same noise again!! THIS time I find/buy the right size socket (36mm) grab my torque wrench (I ALWAYS have my tools in the car), and tighten it to the Chilton manual specs (over 200lb.ft.) The shop hadn't even checked because the same old cotter pin was still in! Anyway no more knocking, all the way back to NC.
What do y'all think? I belive the play in the halfshaft was the clunking I heard as the car moves off. Once it's rolling, the noise is gone.
Sorry for the length! Any thoughts?
Oh yeah. 1583 miles roundtrip. Average 28 mpg-running with cruise at aroung 76 to 78 mph. Still haven't changed plugs yet-Not bad for plugs with over 110,000 miles on them.
Also, what can cause the axle nut to loosen?
Now, the story. Drove to Ft. Lauderdale for a trip out of the country. Everything's good until I get off an exit for gas and hear a soft metallic rubbing from the left front. I stop and take a look and could find nothing really loose. I get back on the road again, but now just wasn't sure so I pull off again at the next exit and hear the noise some more. In addition, there is also a knocking, clunking noise that would happen when I leave a stop sign or a light. (NOT the clicking noise from bad CV Joints).
I take the wheel off and decide to check the axle nut even tho I don't have the right size socket. Using my channel locks, I was actually able to LOOSEN the nut(a little bit)!!! I'm thinking to myself, there's NO way I should be able to budge that nut, especially with channel lock pliers! So I snug it down as best as I could, reinstall the cotter pin and get back on the road.
The next day my friend and I find a shop (Tire Kingdom- a subsidiary of Merchant's) and drop the car off after telling them about the nut and the noise. 4 hours later they say everything is good-nothing wrong. The service manager says, "Those nuts don't need to be too tight anyways". The car drives fine to my friend's house with no noise.
I leave the country, come back after a week, and the car's making the same noise again!! THIS time I find/buy the right size socket (36mm) grab my torque wrench (I ALWAYS have my tools in the car), and tighten it to the Chilton manual specs (over 200lb.ft.) The shop hadn't even checked because the same old cotter pin was still in! Anyway no more knocking, all the way back to NC.
What do y'all think? I belive the play in the halfshaft was the clunking I heard as the car moves off. Once it's rolling, the noise is gone.
Sorry for the length! Any thoughts?
Oh yeah. 1583 miles roundtrip. Average 28 mpg-running with cruise at aroung 76 to 78 mph. Still haven't changed plugs yet-Not bad for plugs with over 110,000 miles on them.
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