Drive Shaft Or Wheel Bearing?

Similar to another post, My 2.5td makes a sort of rumbling noise when I take a right hand bend. Sounds a bit like an areoplane really. No noise straight ahead or turning left, no difference in gear or out. The noise becomes noticeable above 20mph. I've jacked it up and rotated the front wheel but can't find any play at all. I remember the MOT before last the guy said that the nearside driveshaft was worn, went back to the same garage a year later and no mention, amazing.

Is there any simple way to test to see if the drive shaft is worn?

Hi Jackyboy

It is not impossible but would be unusual for a 2.5 with less than 150k to have drive shaft or wheel bearing problems.

Regards

XMexc

Ho hum, indies are taking a look at my intermittent rattling/calttering on right hand turns problem in the Prestige tomorrow. That one is at 162k now.

How do you diagnose a noise that doesn't occur except when moving?

I have had wheel bearing failure on a 2.1 td at around 150k. It went on for many miles and sounding morw and more like a tram, when I eventually fitted a new one I thought I had gone deaf!

It will probably be the left hand one as the noise usually increases with the load. You won't be able to feel any movement until it gets very bad. The noise is caused by the case hardening failing and the balls dropping into the pits left.

Its unlikely to be the drive shafts as cornering does'nt exert any additional load on them.

Peter.N.

I Had the exact same symtoms , it turned out to be the left hand wheel bearing,
Regards,
Norman

That is when i took a left hand corner it rumbled,
Regards
Norman.

Mine makes the noise from the front N/S when I take a right hand corner. The car has only done 73K

I assume to fit the wheel bearing I need to remove the front hub, big /difficult job??

That sounds right. Its not to bad a job. You will have to remove the hub assembly and put it in a vice, the most difficult part is getting the outer ring of the bearing out of the hub, it would normally be pressed, if you run a ring of weld around the inside, when it cools it will shrink the ring and it will come out quite easily. You can press the new one in with with a long bolt with suitable spacers, various sized sockets are usually best. You may be able tp press it in with the vice using the same. Make sure the housing is burr free and clean and you press it in straight, or it will jam. An aplication of grease will also help.

Peter.N.

starting to wonder on the V6 - when I back off the throttle it kinda kangaroo's gently until the throttle is re-applied. Sometimes get it a little when accelerating up from steady speed running too.

Last time I 'checked' going lock to lock, no rumbles/judders etc, but it tends to clonk clonk clonk when turning full circle under acceleration, but I'd figured was probably the drop links as it clunks over the bumps too

Will have to check the intermediate bearing I think, need to do the inner gaiter on the long shaft & outer on the short one anyhow sometime soon. I've got a bearing somewhere in the parts bin, probably a couple other bits needed too though.

regards
Dave

Hi Dave

A continual clicking noise on full lock would be a worn CV joint. The intermediate bearing can cause noise but it would be continual as the load changes very little with change of direction. I once had one break up, allowing the shaft to fall out of the gearbox with resultant lack of drive!

Peter.N.

Hi Peter

that was my initial thoughts too, but only does this 'at speed' as it were, when being a bit heavy with the loud pedal and not necessarily at full lock, not when driving slowly going lock to lock when you'd be checking the CV's for clunks/clicks

Last time I heard noises in those circumstances, one of the strut tops was starting to fail (central part was pushing its way up into the bonnet but hadn't let go yet - rubber failing) but the ones on the car appear to be ok.

Think I'll have a look at prep'ing a couple spare shafts and just swap them both out, probably more or less the same amount of hassle in the long run. The long shaft would have to come out anyhow for the intermediate bearing - might as well change it as the car's an '89 so bound to be well worn by now. Guess gearbox oil seals too.... when I get round to it

regards
Dave

Screams wheel bearing to me ... The mighty CX started a drone that I couldn't place.... Me being me.... Well I figured if I ignored the sound long enough, it'd become obvious.... A few months later is was noisy in a straight line, and howled everytime I turned left, and almost dissapeared when I turned right..... ie: definatly the left front wheelbearing. That's a "Fun" job on a CX

If the noise gets louder when you load the corner of the car (so turn one way), then disappears when you turn the other way (so unload the offending wheel), it's most certainly wheel bearing. If it was the driveshaft intermidate bearing, the only likely change in symptoms would be load.... ie: lifting on and off the accellerator.

Driveshafts themselves would knock on full lock before becoming noisy in a straight line !

seeya,
Shane L.

I would concur with shane. I also have changed one on a CX, plus a top ball joint, and trailing arm bearings, and the head gasket about 15 times, and ..... fun wern't they.

see my other post, my issue has been resolved by fitting a new upper engine mount.

This post has been edited by DrTim on June 29, 2008 05:55 pm

Should that be 'fitting'?