Byron in MS

Hey guys....I have a clicking coming from the left rear at low speed. I can hear it best when idling to a stop. It does seem speed dependent as it is faster at faster speeds. It seems to go away under acceleration, but I cannot be sure as my exhaust is pretty loud. I jacked the car up and spun the rear wheels, but cannot hear the noise. There is some thumping from the transaxle, but not the same clicking. I checked the heat shield to make sure it was not hitting the rotor. I have taken the wheels off, and spun without the wheels and cannot hear it. I have taken the rear calipers off and removed the rotors to check the emergency brake. There is not a rub or anything obvious that I can see that is hitting or rubbing. I have even removed the center caps and that is not it. I cannot hear it when the weight is off the car. I can hear it when I push the car in neutral. The best way to describe the noise is that is sounds like an old fashioned speedometer cable that is about to break.

The car drives fine and everything else seems ok. There is no noticeable noise at highway speeds. Any help or advice would be appreciated!

32krazy!

could it be the lugbolts hitting the ebrake? did you replace them recently with longer ones?

Kevinmacd

could be velocity joint on the rear axle

Byron in MS

Thanks guys. I replaced my lug bolts with studs several months ago. I checked them and they are not extending past the shank on the hub and are not hitting anything inside the e-brake. I looked at the CV boots and there is no cracking and no grease escaping. I also thought it could have been one of the straps that bands the end of the cv's, but those are all tight. My first thought was CV joints, but wouldn't that click when the car was in the air too? Push the car with weight on it and I hear it; jack it up and spin the wheel and I don't! Weird!?!

Is it possible for a CV joint to fail and not exhibit any outward signs?

Macster

Has one of the studs worked loose?

The boot can look fine but the bearing can be sick and given the symptom a bad CV bearing is high on my list of suspects.

Just because you do not hear the noise when you spin a wheel with the car in the air is not a sign the CV bearings are ok. They are unloaded and unloaded in a way that puts them into a position -- drooping -- they do not otherwise obtain.

With the car in the air supported by the body lift points you could try grabbing each half shaft and giving it a side to side and back and forth shake test looking for any play/movement out of the ordinary.

You have 4 so the odds are that not all are bad. If you find all 4 have the same amount of play then this test is not valid. But the few times I've checked I've never felt any play/movement.

But before you dismiss the shafts raise the car again this time supported by its tires and with the shafts in their more normal position check for any play again.

You are dealing with heavy duty components so shake them with all your might.

SSST

Start simple. I had that, and there was a rock that had become embedded in the tire tread and got stuck. I had to pry it out with a screwdriver.

928drvr86.5

I would put my money on the CV joint, and from my experience it's the outside one at the wheel that typically goes. Check for a cracked or perforated boot with signs of grease leaking, that's a dead give away.

928drvr86.5

Another way of saying this is.... when the suspension is not compressed to normal ride height, the CV inner/outer races contact the ball bearings in a position where they normally wouldn't, and likely it isn't worn out of tolerance in this positiion, hence will likely still feel tight.

I have found the only definitive way to check is to remove the shaft from the car and secure the shaft in a vice and check the backlash while applying torque thru the whole range of CV extension.

Macster

Wording my awkward is often granted. Thinking practice need I more writing before.

Seriously, thanks for restating in a much easier to read way.

I was hoping the CV if it was bad would be bad enough that a shake test would turn it up.

But it might be similar to what I was told when I asked various techs about front diffs, how to know when they are bad, and the techs told me when the car comes in with the front diff making noise.

Thus if the car was taken to a dealer service department (or an indy with good knowledge of these cars) the techs might give a listen and diagnose the noise as a bad CV.

But removing it might be the only way.

SSST

All the more reason to check for rocks.

Good luck with the diagnosis. In my case it really was a rock. I'll defer to the experts if your tire is free of foriegn bodies.

Byron in MS

Yes, I am thinking CV joint. Wish it was a rock!!

Dock

I had a similar sound coming from the front wheel; had the wheel bearings replaced and the sound is gone. It was either a wheel bearing making the noise, or it was something that was corrected (intentionally or unintentionally) when the bearing was replaced.

Byron in MS

Got to the dealership this am for track inspection. No clicking, no noise what-so-ever. Everything met with their satisfaction.

Macster

Must have been a rock in the tire then. (That must have been some rock.) I'm glad I was wrong.

okiedude

I hate it when that happens.