#1: Rear Axle Advice Author: devotedsniper, Location: Tamworth, StaffordshirePosted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 5:39 pm ---- Right guys i'm looking for a little advice on if my axle is capable of being saved or should i just swap mine for another.
After swapping my rear shock absorbers for new ones on thursday (my old ones weren't pushing back out 3 hours after i'd pushed them back in), i went to visit a friend and found i had a knocking/thuding on/off coming from the rear (normally i wouldn't notice this so it could have been making this noise for a while now since i blast my music but i had a friend in the car), anyway after getting home i noticed my passenger rear wheel leaning (see pictures below, there not the best but the passenger camber is fairly visible).
There doesn't seem to be any heavy wear on the inside of the tyre so i don't think it's been like this too long (it passed MOT January so i would have thought it would have been on the advisories if it was this bad before?).
So this is where you guys come in do you think my axle is savable? And i take it that it's the inner and outer arm bearing which need replacing to fix this if it is savable? (I'm going off this guide on the parts i need; www.206info.co.uk/Foru...28351.html ).
I don't remember feeling any play when removing my wheel to fit the new shocks but i can check when it stops raining/hailing/snowing here. Oh one final thing either side of the rear seem to be sitting at different heights (not by much), the drivers side seems lower, but it might be the wheel camber giving the illusion of it being higher (only thing in my boot is my sub on the drivers side and that isn't heavy).
#2: Re: Rear Axle Advice Author: Rob2859, Location: HalifaxPosted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 6:24 pm ---- It would be a good idea to stop driving it if you want a chance to save it. Even then it might be too late. If the axle tube is not damaged you can get away with putting new bearings on but if the damage has been done then you have no chance.
Out of interest can you record the noise? I attempted to adjust my axle but the bars didn't budge. I also changed the shocks and since then its made a rapid clunking noise when driving along, more so over bumps but I have not found the problem yet its nothing obvious.
#3: Re: Rear Axle Advice Author: Edward, Location: In the garagePosted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 11:48 pm ---- If it's leaning it's knackered. That picture doesn't look anything abnormal to me.
#4: Re: Rear Axle Advice Author: Harry, Location: StaffordPosted: Thu Apr 05, 2012 12:52 am ---- Looks alright to be honest, if there is no play in it are you sure it's not something else?
#5: Re: Rear Axle Advice Author: spike_202, Location: West midsPosted: Thu Apr 05, 2012 2:02 am ---- If you kick the wheel does it rattle? If so jack the back end up and shake the wheel like side to side if it's got ANY play it's gone
Looks alright to be honest, if there is no play in it are you sure it's not something else?
You could be right. the curve of the bumper can give off an illusion and make it look cambered.
#7: Re: Rear Axle Advice Author: devotedsniper, Location: Tamworth, StaffordshirePosted: Thu Apr 05, 2012 11:35 am ---- Right guys i have got some video but photobucket has destroyed the quality (was HD lol), you can hear the noises the best inbetween 00:27 and 00:35, you can also hear it at around 01:19, it's pretty constant around the block i did. I did notice though that when i took it down the country road afterwards doing 60 on fairly rough roads (you know the sort) the noise was pretty much gone, but it does return to what it is when i'm going slow and it's not always quite at high speed. Video below
And before you ask my spare tyre is secure and doesn't budge and i've checked the exhaust cutout for melting in case it was that but it wasn't even warm when the exhaust was at operating temp, i also gave it a quick rev to around 4k and i couldn't hear anything other than the engine.
I can try to get you better audio but my phone seems incapable of recording decent sound (odd considering it's crystal clear when actually calling someone).
there's also no play from what i can tell but there was a bit of a rattle when i pushed the wheel (but this might have been the jack, i didnt bother putting it on axle stands). One final thing i'm not being paranoid about the height differences, got a tape measure out and measured from the floor to the wheel arch and the passengers side is 35mm higher than the drivers, (passengers side = 61.5cm, drivers 65cm) a subwoofer, and a 1L bottle of coolant wouldn't cause that much of a difference surely?
#8: Re: Rear Axle Advice Author: kandlbarrett, Location: SwindonPosted: Thu Apr 05, 2012 12:48 pm ---- I assume that the new shocks when fully extended are the same length and that there aren't any tight spots on them. That could account for your uneven height. Also when checking height you do need to be on very flat and level ground. A garage floor is OK but a drive may not be level enough for this measurement to be usable.
#9: Re: Rear Axle Advice Author: Edward, Location: In the garagePosted: Thu Apr 05, 2012 1:07 pm ---- Could be a problem with the front suspension giving different rear ride height.
I assume that the new shocks when fully extended are the same length and that there aren't any tight spots on them. That could account for your uneven height. Also when checking height you do need to be on very flat and level ground. A garage floor is OK but a drive may not be level enough for this measurement to be usable.
The shocks were brought as a pair and there the same length, they also push back out smoothly, what do you mean by tight spots? They seem to be doing a good job anyway, my cars backend used to just act like pendulum when going over speed bump (goes over and then slams down, now its just smooth, and no i don't take speed bumpers fast).
Edward wrote:
Could be a problem with the front suspension giving different rear ride height.
My front suspension is fine from what i know/seen other than corrosion on the spring noted on the advisories, i do have new struts, springs, and droplinks going on next week (haven't got round to fitting them because of this). The only issue with my front suspension is the droplinks have a slight arc to them (bent) but i do have new ones ready to go on.
Ride height wise the front seems fairly even, it's only the on the rear that i've actually noticed it because i go out to the car and see my drivers side which looks like it's lowered and then i see the passenger side which you can just tell from the gap between the arch and wheel.
Don't suppose greasing up the bolts/connecting points on the shocks might help this? I didn't bother when i fitted them since there was no sign of grease to be found on the old ones.
I'm busy most of tomorrow but i'll get the car on the axle stands/ramps when i'm home (if i have time) and take some pics to see if you can notice anything out of place.
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