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Failing CV shaft? Fun with cobalt suspension/ drive train
So last week I was getting some really weird vibrations when holding a consistent RPM at around 3-4 gear.
Thought prehaps I was having some transmission issues so I replaced my seeping cooler lines and topped up the fluid. Alas no.
Well i I had just put on Solid mounts 2 weeks ago, okay, so I removed those, put stock back on.
The weird shudder was gone, great!
Well were back to trading problems, now, I am getting a lovely axle clicking noise.
When doing right turns only, about 90 degree turns and only when on the throttle, will I hear a click click click(or thud thud thud) really quickly.
I also notice the click for a second, when taking the foot of the brake to gas. This sounds like something is slipping until a catch. And if my ears are good, this noice is coming from the hanger bearing area...
I inspected axle axle boots, not a single tear. Lug nuts are tight, wheel bearings were inspected to have no play.
Brought it into a shop today and they gave me, its a classic GM “steering shaft rattle, we didn’t even need to take the wheels off” **** me, Wasted 50$ on that inspection....
(Honestly tried to brake it leaving there shop...)
its not the intermediate steering shaft, that was replaced 2 months ago. It’s not sway bar links because I have Powell adjustable Links (just made sure those were tight✅)
Thoughts anyone? ....I am lowered, been lowered for A while. No accidents recently....
I would say from the clicking noise you hear while taking very sharp turns (regardless of how slow you are going and the clicking frequency picks up with wheel speed?) that it is the CV joint on the wheel side of your drive shaft. I've had this happen to me before. The joint hadn't actually failed completely but something was deformed that made the joint bind up at sharp angles. The shop you took it to may know some trick that I don't but the only way I know to inspect the joint for this issue is to remove the axle. With the axle removed you can pivot the joint with your hand and, if it is like mine was, you will feel it bind up when you try to pivot the joint in sharp angles. It will pivot freely when at small angles but get really harder and harder as you get closer to max angle. I keep having this issue come back with my NAPA axles but I think it is from trying to put power down out of sharp corners during autocross. Out of curiosity I would like to remove the boot and inspect the joint to see what is getting deformed but NAPA warranties the axles so I just trade them in instead.
I never had a click when taking the foot off the brake to the gas though I assume you have an automatic saying it that way? It's possible that could be due to your CV joint. These symptoms could also be caused by bad wheel bearing but if that was the case I'd think your shop would have detected that issue. Also, if the clicking frequency varies with wheel speed and the clicking happens when you are holding the steering wheel in place at full lock it makes no sense that it would be "steering shaft rattle" whatever that is.
Taking foot of brake to accelerator... yes I am auto 4T45E. I thought that noise sounded like the hanger bearing found on the f23 trans, but after looking at the GM fax, my car does not have that “hanger bearing”. So my one click noise, sounds like the inner axle joint (in the boot) “catching” if that makes sense.
I’ll stop overthinking things, get that shaft replaced see if there’s still noise
Hopefully that fixes the issue. Personally I'm not an advocate for throwing parts at something before a proper diagnosis but if you aren't doing the work yourself I suppose it would be silly to pay a shop labor to remove an axle and put it back if nothing is wrong. At least tell them you want to keep the old axle so you can inspect it after the fact and if it turns out to be fine you can keep it as a spare. Depending on how low you are that can easily make a CV joint wear out faster because they are constantly at a more sever angle which causes the internal parts in the CV to slide back and forth a greater distance for each revolution.
No i dont advocate it either. I work in a parts department though, Back counter advisor so exclusively I’m working with technicians.
Parts are cheap, it’s hard to find good techs these days...
They’ll have to swap over the output shaft from the old shaft, and if that’s out they’ll be able to check axle seal, bushing and output shaft itself and c clips etc.
If that’s not the problem I don’t know what could be?
not a gambler put I’d put my down on this
Originally Posted by jdbaugh1
Hopefully that fixes the issue. Personally I'm not an advocate for throwing parts at something before a proper diagnosis but if you aren't doing the work yourself I suppose it would be silly to pay a shop labor to remove an axle and put it back if nothing is wrong. At least tell them you want to keep the old axle so you can inspect it after the fact and if it turns out to be fine you can keep it as a spare. Depending on how low you are that can easily make a CV joint wear out faster because they are constantly at a more sever angle which causes the internal parts in the CV to slide back and forth a greater distance for each revolution.
had some time this weekend to swap out my passenger front axle, axle seal/bearing and c-clips. Alas no change.
Not disappointed too much, glad to have ruled one thing out now.
Still have an appointment for Tuesday, wont be for inspecting an axle anymore though...
So I got two problems right now and I think now they're unrelated problems
1.) There is a clicking noise when turning right, and right only. Will spray grease on intermediate steering shaft Monday see if that helps the problem.
The steering shaft was replaced a few months back, who knows maybe that's going again? (I never did the the gear, maybe that should be done.)
Something that concerns me a little is my downstream O2 sensor jumper wire sits right on top, of the base of the intermediate steering shaft, I wonder if that is binding the shaft going only one way,
I also want to raise that jumper and zip tie it to something so its not resting on the shaft and will be able to rule out it getting tangled.
2.) Holding a steady RPM or during a GRADUAL Acceleration at approx 60-85 km/h there is a loud bellowing vibration.
On Monday, I will also inspect tires to see if perhaps I've fucked up A belt On one or more tires.
( I have two Uniroyal winter tires on the front and two Lauffenn tires on the back, so rotating directional tires can't really be done.... but they're only 5 months old too and I plan on selling them after this Winter.
Weird because, If I floored the car from 0-100 km/h, there would be no "loud bellowing vibration." the car would shift perfectly.
Anybody going threw intermediate steering shafts by the season lol?
I'm assuming lowering puts a more severe angle on the component....
going to close this thread In a while unless someone apposes... I was all over the place.
Did a lot of research, found a page that said to check and clean the TB.
Well I went to clean the TB it was black as hell but more importantly, the Intake Manifold is filled with Oil and very, very dirty.
Was not prepared for intake manifold to be disgusting so might try to get into the shop at work tmr, maybe someone will have time to remove it and inspect for cracks, etc.
if no cracks we should be good to clean and reinstall, otherwise to my knowledge the 2.2L manifold is like 50 bucks the 2.4L on is about 500 hahaha leave it to GM,
Not sure who thought directing PCV into Intake was a good idea, messing with lots of auto Ecotec guyès im sure
also if anyone is getting a clicking noise when turning, after the replacement of your intermediate steering shaft.
Check your rear o2 sensor jumper, mine was close enough to the shaft, that when turning, the jumper was getting pinched in between you rear auto trans mount(i think).
Anyway, a well placed zip tie, and the jumper is not going over the shaft, no bind. no noise when turning=====**** yeah!
03-05-2019, 06:20 PM
