Hey all,

Need a little "reassurance" on this diagnosis...

When decelerating in gear, i am getting a clicking sound coming from the rear of the car. Occasionally when accelerating pretty hard, I get some "other" clicking, but that is sporatic... mostly on the decelaration in gear.

This says CVs/half shafts/joints to me. Make sense? Any other more "serious" ideas? Dare I replace these myself with the fabled assembly bolts and my lack of tools?

So the other question is how long will they last like this (can I get some miles till I put it away for the winter), and will I be risking some damage riding around?

TIA,

 

I would say CVs as well. They are very easy to change and are about $70 each at a local autoparts store.

 

just need 8mm tripple star (cheesehead, serrated, etc..) from your local parts store. thats the only thing you need to get them off and back on.

Edited size wrench. Sorry, double checked becuase i thought it sounded wrong, and it was.

 

Sounds good to me. You've probably got quite a few safe street miles left on them once you start hearing them. You can get a better idea of how bad they are by lifting the rear and turning the wheels manually to listen. Not a hard install at all, and, only really requires one tool. Get new bolts and be sure to clean out the threads and surrounding area real good. Torque to spec, then recheck torque after 100 miles. You could try to repack them and just buy new boots. I highly recommend Swepco 101 Moly. With an 86, if they're original, might be better just to replace and be done with it for another 18 years.

Good Luck!

 

So I guess the horror stories of seized bolts and stripped heads are not *that* bad?

Good news on the safety part, I'd just assume make this a springtime project as I put a few last miles on it this fall!

I also hope that when swpping these it will cure some driveline lash, right?

 

If you have driveline lash, i bet most of it is your transmission and not your cv's. I had lash, and then the R&P went, and now with the new tranny its gone.

 

SCARY! I have toasted a R&P before, but that was before I knew that 944s weren't meant to lay tire... I really don't want to do another in this particular car!

So springtime it is sounding like tranny overhaul central... it's gotta be someting every year!

Thanks,

 

I have found when taking out cv bolts, to tap the socket in a few good licsk.This will "wake" the bolt up and make sure the the socket is seated in the bolt good.

 

the tranny job really isn't bad after its been done once and the bolts aren't stuck. I wouldn't worry about it.

 

OK, I gotta bump my post again (should I feel guilty replying so many times to my own topic?!)

Driving home after work (and all these great responses), I have noticed that my "clicking" is more of a "CLACKING". It's pronounced over my non-stock exhaust and the windows down, and definitely sounds mechanical.

Before I drive it more, for fun and diagnostic reasons, I intend to jack up the rear and do some figuring...

What do I look for when checking this out? Simple play in the system? do I need a helper? If the CVs are bad, will I see the play in them in relation to the spindle/wheel/tranny?

Thanks again all for any final thoughts... I know a tranny swap will turn into a "while you're in there" experience and don't feel like doing a clutch, regardless of the ease of bolt removal!

 

Clacking is a little more of a problem than clicking and indicates you are probably running with very little grease inside the CV's. The problem than could manifest itself rather quickly through increased heat buildup from running without grease would be severe galling of the *****. Severe galling can lead to complete failure. It's going to be pretty hard to tell the health of the CV's without actually cracking them open. The test I described is more to isolate that the problem is indeed the CV's and to determine which of them it is (since there are four.) Even after determining which it is, replacing only one would only buy some time and not actually cure the age problem. The others won't be far behind. Just like wheel bearing, CV's suffer the same use as a whole. As I stated earlier, if you want to abate problems for a undetermined period of time, the cheapest way to proceed is to at least repack them. However, if they are already clacking before you make it to repacking, then you have a possibly unrecoverable problem. New halfshafts have come down in price in the last few years enough to make them a very good choice when CV joint maintenance is needed.

When you lift the rear of the car and spin the wheels, you may be able to find the culprit and also determine how bad it is. By spinning the wheels manually you may be able to hear the ***** fall into their sockets (6 of them per CV.) If you can see the wheel get hung up on rotation because the wear is so bad it is clunky, then you must take action immediately.

You can attempt to grab the drive axle and rotate it. You may be able to feel an excess of play (more than 1-2 degrees of unchecked rotation.)

Driveline lash can in fact be caused by bad CV's. And, if you have the clicking/clacking then I would certainly start there first. However, if you are experiencing excessive driveline lash after the replacement of CV's, it could certainly be the transmission or the clutch. If you still have the OE rubber-hub clutch, then you should immediately check for lash in the central tube. Remove the trapezoidal rubber plug on the transaxle bell housing then reach in to try and twist the driveshaft. Car must be in neutral and the clutch engaged. More than 2 degrees of twist with a OE type rubber-hub indicates the clutch may need to be replaced.

Good Luck!

 

wow

dude

yer-da-man!

Really, thanks a ton, that helps a LOT... I feel honored by having the great guru "SKIP" assist in my post not once but TWICE!

Time to play with my new jack some more...

 

Always remember; it's free advice - you get what you pay for.

So, any updates?