MY TEENERS GONE LAME! II an update, Beginning to doubt cv's are the cause Options

[rascobo]

I previously posted in 'My teeners gone lame' that I had a bad cv joint; Now I'm not so sure. I based it on the fact that I could hear and feel a rotational clunking in the rear, but its not like a bad joint so much as one that has come completely free of the stub axle and is slamming around inside the trailing arm. I checked and all joints were tight and neither axle had any play in them. Then I thought I had blown out the wheel bearing(s) as I forgot to tighten the axle nuts before the 1st test drive. I tightened the axle nuts, raised the rear and found no play in the wheels, so I tried driving it again, but still have the loud clunk and jolt on each rotation of the wheels. Before I start tearing everything down, does anyone have any idea as to what might be causing this?[b]

[brp986s]

I previously posted in 'My teeners gone lame' that I had a bad cv joint; Now I'm not so sure. I based it on the fact that I could hear and feel a rotational clunking in the rear, but its not like a bad joint so much as one that has come completely free of the stub axle and is slamming around inside the trailing arm. I checked and all joints were tight and neither axle had any play in them. Then I thought I had blown out the wheel bearing(s) as I forgot to tighten the axle nuts before the 1st test drive. I tightened the axle nuts, raised the rear and found no play in the wheels, so I tried driving it again, but still have the loud clunk and jolt on each rotation of the wheels. Before I start tearing everything down, does anyone have any idea as to what might be causing this?

Maybe your 1st gear backed off.

[rascobo]

I previously posted in 'My teeners gone lame' that I had a bad cv joint; Now I'm not so sure. I based it on the fact that I could hear and feel a rotational clunking in the rear, but its not like a bad joint so much as one that has come completely free of the stub axle and is slamming around inside the trailing arm. I checked and all joints were tight and neither axle had any play in them. Then I thought I had blown out the wheel bearing(s) as I forgot to tighten the axle nuts before the 1st test drive. I tightened the axle nuts, raised the rear and found no play in the wheels, so I tried driving it again, but still have the loud clunk and jolt on each rotation of the wheels. Before I start tearing everything down, does anyone have any idea as to what might be causing this?

Maybe your 1st gear backed off.

Huh? Whats that mean?

[JRust]

PM sent. give me a call

Does it make this noise just pushing the car in neutral? Does it make it on blocks with the wheels off the ground?

[SLITS]

1.) Rotor hitting caliper?

2.) Broken tooth on pinion or ring gear?

3.) Loose rotor backing plate?

4.) Bad cage in the CV joint?

5.) Broken wheel bearing?

Anyway, if you jack up one side and rotate the wheel do you hear or feel it? Check both sides.

Try to isolate where it's coming from.

Is it only when in gear or does it do it out of gear?

Hey, that's the best I can come up with.

[SGB]

I've got that! In my case it is a bad trailing arm bushing. I jacked up the back end and wedged a screwdriver between the trailing arm and the inner fender near the suspension attachment point. I could pry it way off canter. There is a polished area on the suspension ear showing how far it gets off center. Maybe thats your issue too.

[rascobo]

Thanks everyone, You all are great (IMG:style_emoticons/default/pray.gif) Ill check out all Your suggestions and let You know what I find.

Scott.......

[rascobo]

You haven't heard from me in a while, but right after My last posting I developed a problem in the starting circuit that prevented me from starting the car and moving it inside to work on and also needed to vacation at the hospital for a bit. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/barf.gif)

Good news is I'm out, the car is starting and I found the cause of the drive train noise. Following your advise I raised one side of the car at a time, testing the wheels for play((wheel bearings), The axles for play(c-v joints), spinning each wheel for noise, brake calipers/rotors, trailing arms, etc. I could find nothing amiss, until that is , I noticed out the corner of my eye that while the drivers side wheel and axle were spinning smoothly the inner c-v joint remained stationary. It turns out I do have a broken cage in the joint. Never had one go bad that didn't have sloppy axle play and obvious grinding when turned by hand. Just glad I spotted it. I was getting ready to drop the drive train figuring it had to be in the trans-axle or clutch assembly. Thanks again for all the input! I might just get to a club event this year after all.

[rascobo]

Ordered a new C-V Joint thorough Tangerine Racing today.

What decided Me on them wasn't just the price ($95. incl. s&h). Of equal importance they included everything necessary (or even suggested) for installation, including the following: a new axle retaining washer, custom modified c-v joint, axle C-clip, new flanged boot w/ lg. O-ring to seal boot flange to joint, c-v joint gasket, 4 new bolts and 4 new schmeer washers, and of course a tube of c-v grease.

Many of these parts I regularly re-use (simply because of the time and hassle of running around to four or five places in the hope of finding them all) which has no doubt caused or contributed to the premature failure of the joints on more than one occasion. These are not factory 914 c-v joints, but rather parts from another application that have been modified to fit. I usually avoid this kind of substitution without a proven record, but (and lets face it, it would hard to find a joint weaker than stock) this is a reputable outfit and their forethought in providing all the extras impresses Me no end. I'll update this review after I've received and installed them.

I'm also having Gary Emory at 'Parts Obsolete' in McMinnville, OR. send me, along with some other needed parts, a couple good used ones for emergency back-ups. Gary's a great guy, 'old school', early 356 'outlaw' and semi-retired with barns full of every imaginable part for 911's, 356's, and 914's, and (if ya treat him nice) He'll most likely make you a decent deal on whatever your looking for.
[i]email: 'gary@partsobsolete.com'
phone (503) 835-2300....a little tip is He prefers a phone call to emails, (more personal He says).
web-site: www.partsobsolete.com ........and tell him I sent ya.

Scott........ (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)