Hi all,

I'm going to jack it up today and check for play in the bearing. Does anyone know what else might cause a clicking that increases tempo the faster the car goes? I don't believe it changes when the steering wheel is cranked over hard left or right or when the brakes are engaged. The transmission was just rebuilt but it did it before that; the rebuild didn't change anything. Other than that, I don't know what to look for or where, so if anyone can suggest anything, I would be most grateful. And thanks.

Mike

Bad CV joints make a kind of clicking/knocking sound.

Thanks Bastard,

I know about CV joint noise and I'm wondering how to eliminate or confirm them as the source of the noise. My understanding is that CV joints don't knock during straight travel and that I can reproduce the noise (if it'* the CV joint) by turning the steering wheel to the left or right stops and then driving forward. Is that not correct?

Mike

For the most part. Usually a bad CV joint starts out only making noise while turning, but if it is too far gone, it can clack anytime the wheel is rolling.

I agree with all thats been said above.

The most common failure for a CV axle is the boot. Jack up the car on each side and inspect the axle boot for tears and/or separation. If you can pull the boot away and see the joint in any spots, then the axle is toast.

It is possible to rebuild one, but its usually cheaper and faster to just replace the entire shaft.

i had mine go, and it only clicked when turning then it did it all the time.... i replaced it and that was it. also helped with my reverse slaming as well.

Can anyone tell me how to make sure it'* the CV joint? I just replaced the tranny (after just buying the car) so money is really tight right now.

Will a bad CV joint also click if the car is raised, the transmission is in neutral and the wheels are turned by hand? It'* really important to me to solve the real problem and avoid replacing good parts. Thanks again.

Mike

A junky CV joint makes a distinctive sound, you just have to know what it sounds like. Try turning the wheels right or left directionally and then spin the tires to try and replicate the noise. It may need to be under a load to get the definitive clacking noise of a doomed CV joint
A torn boot is a good tell-tale, but after so many miles CV joints just wear out whether the boot is still intact or not.
With the car up in the air, trans in neutral, spinning the wheel by hand, if you hear a slight crunching, grinding, "squonking" noise but the wheel otherwise seems to spin freely, I would suspect a CV joint. If the wheel does not spin freely, I would suspect the hub or sealed bearing assembly.
It is not uncommon for CV joints to go bad soon after a transmission R&R. You can get away with doing one side (CV joints + halfshaft assembly) at a time, when you decide which side is bad. Just remember to save up for the other side because it will just be a matter of time before it goes bad as well.

Also check you tires to make sure there are no loose cords or debris that could be slapping with each go 'round. Brakes the same way. There is a metal wear indicator on the brake pads that rubs the rotor when the pads get too thin. It usually makes a chirping sound kinda like a cricket, but when it is just barely scraping, it may sound like something else entirely. If you see that your pads are getting thin, you can try bending back that little metal squealer and see if that cures the noise you are hearing. My brother had a rock lodge in between the backing plate and rotor on his S10 and it really sounded like the world was coming to an end. It was just a rock, it pried out with a screwdriver. Sometimes though, it is just time to replace stuff.

Took it to a different tranny shop. Said it wasn't the CV joint. Said it sounded like it was coming from the "Diff." Says I should take it back to my mechanic, so I do. When i get there, the *&^% thing is quiet as a mouse. After I drove around a bit today, the sound came back some. I put two new tires on the front today, and while it was in the air, I checked for wobble (none), boots, (they're in good shape) and the brake pads have 1/4 inch or so left on them.

Thanks for your time you guys.

I'm not sure where to go from here. If the noise continues, I'll take it back to my mechanic and let him listen.

Also, when the tranny shop got back from their test drive this morning, my check engine soon light was on. The codes (my mech cleared them) were 63 and 41 (or 61 & 43) One was the Cam Position Sensor and the other was the EGR Valve. After they were cleared, they never came back on (so far today). Any thoughts on that (so soon after a tranny rebuild?)

Mike