Replaced DriveAxle - Clunking Noise - Maintenance and Repair Forum

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Replaced DriveAxle - Clunking Noise
Wednesday, April 06, 2005 4:28 PM
Hello,

I just replaced my Drivers Side (shorter) Drive Axle on my '97 Cav 2.4L 5spd.

Now when I drive, I hear a Clu-Clunk, Clu-Clunk, Clu-Clunk. The Clunking noise speeds up when the car speeds up, and continues to clunk even when I put it into neutral and coast (5spd). I cant really hear it outside when I stick my head out, but can really hear it inside. Keep in mind, I did not drive very far/fast before parking it.

Now when I pulled out the old driveaxle, I lost a lot more tranny fluid then I was expecting, and I do not have any to top it up with. Before I pulled it, I checked my level and it was just below the "ADD" line (and I realized I should have bought a bottle). I've heard that my tranny only holds about 2L of fluid, so that would mean I am pretty low now.

Do you guys think that it is because of the tranny being low on fluid? Or do you think that it is more likely that it is something to do with the driveaxle? Im hoping the ladder, since Id rather screw up a driveaxle then my tranny.

I haveto go to work tommorow, so hopefully I can get this worked out today.



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Re: Replaced DriveAxle - Clunking Noise
Wednesday, April 06, 2005 4:40 PM
Maybe you have a bad part, after all, you cannot tell unless you open it up, we all know crap like that happens.
Check the circlips, the things that hold the CVJ in place at the transaxle housing, maybe it was not seated correctly, an easy oversight.
Re: Replaced DriveAxle - Clunking Noise
Wednesday, April 06, 2005 4:55 PM
Hey,

Well I checked the CV joins on the new part, and they seem fine.

If by "circle clip" you mean the little clip that is near the end of the spline on the side that goes into the tranny, it was there, but I dont konw how it is supposed to be seated correctly. Its just a small clip that is either there or not, I do not think it can be adjusted...







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Re: Replaced DriveAxle - Clunking Noise
Wednesday, April 06, 2005 5:52 PM
Bad strut mounts....
Re: Replaced DriveAxle - Clunking Noise
Wednesday, April 06, 2005 7:52 PM
No adjustments, it's either seated or not.
It basically just clicks into place.
Just trying to help ya out in a crappy situation.
The main deal is, did the problem occur prior to the replacement?
If not, just pointing you in a direction is all.
Re: Replaced DriveAxle - Clunking Noise
Wednesday, April 06, 2005 8:13 PM
Ok more details:

I put the drivers side on a stand, put the car into gear and drove the wheel in mid-air. When off the ground, the axle does not make the noise. Only when the weight of the car is on the wheel and it is actually driving, does it to do it. I tried to simulate the weight of the car by jacked up the control arm and compressing the suspension - and still no noise in mid air.

One thing I did notice is that the fat part of the driveaxle on the transmission end rubs a little on a bolt that hangs down from the tranny. Initially I thought for sure that was the problem, but then I thought about it and I figure it isnt it because: Even at like 10-20kmh the clunking is a steady "clunk.....clunk.....clunk..." but at that speed the driveaxle must be spinning very fast already and if it was that part, it would be making the clunking noise a lot faster...

The only thing I still havent tried is topping up the tranny again, but I do not think that will solve the problem.



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Re: Replaced DriveAxle - Clunking Noise
Wednesday, April 06, 2005 8:19 PM
Quote:

Bad strut mounts....

100% I went through countless strut mounts, there pretty cheap.


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Re: Replaced DriveAxle - Clunking Noise
Wednesday, April 06, 2005 9:45 PM
?? You mean the mounts at the top? I dont think so... Why would they be giving me problems all of a sudden now coincidentally right after I just put in a new driveaxle?



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Re: Replaced DriveAxle - Clunking Noise
Thursday, April 07, 2005 5:16 AM
it's not the strut mount. It's the axle. It's under warranty, change it. The strut mount can't be making noise if it's not hitting bump or anything. I have the same problem right now. I jsut pick up a used one at the junk yard. They are half the price and they have a 30 days warranty.

Mine is doing it with both wheel in the air and with the car on the ground.



Gilles
2.3 Ho

Re: Replaced DriveAxle - Clunking Noise
Thursday, April 07, 2005 6:01 AM
Quote:

Only when the weight of the car is on the wheel and it is actually driving, does it to do it.
That to me sounds like a bad strut mount but if the driveaxle is under warranty go for it, but what your saying sounds all too familiar to me I went through 6 bad strut mounts in one year damn cheap monroe parts before going back to gm parts. I also changed a driveshaft recently and did a strut mount at the same time, the mounts are weak and the reason you dont hear the clunking in the air is because its the weight of the car comming back down on it that makes the clunk.


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Re: Replaced DriveAxle - Clunking Noise
Thursday, April 07, 2005 6:08 AM
sounds to me like the replacement axle has a bad cv-joint on it...this would make it only clunk when the weight of the vehicle is stressing the joints...swap it out for a GOOD replacement, and not the junk you get from autozone etc...u know where im coming from..good luck!


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Re: Replaced DriveAxle - Clunking Noise
Thursday, April 07, 2005 11:25 AM
Well I forgot to mention initially that my car was recently lowered - Sportilnes + Eibach's. My original driveaxle was already bad and needed to be replaced, but right after lowering it got a lot worse, which is the reason I replaced it.

Now I took my car into a shop today and had a tech quickly look at it (no charge) and he said that it looked as though it may be too short, or angled awkwardly due to the lowering of the car - although he cant be 100% sure since the car is lowered.

I thought maybe since its lowered, it will need something other then an OEM replacement, but then I also remembered that my car has been lowered before with the current driveaxle (before it went bad - due to torn cv boots) and it was fine.

Anyways, I am getting ANOTHER driveaxle (different brand) and will put it in tonight. If it makes the same sound again then we know that its not the driveaxle...



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