clicking or knocking when turning at low speeds

[corolla1990]

Hello All,

I just bought a 1990 Toyota Corolla LE. The recent owner gave me a receipt of a recent replacement of a left axle shaft.

The car still gives me a clicking or knocking sound when I turn sharply or U-turn and accelerate at slow speeds.

Couple questions, is the left axle shaft the same as the CV joint?

And where would you guys start in troubleshooting? Bad new left shaft? Bad wheel bearing? Bad right shaft?

Thanks in advance.

Erik

[toyomoho]

This could be a bad constant velocity joint. Each axle has an inboard and outboard joint. When someone says they replaced the axle, it usually means the axle plus both joints.

Try tuning the car in circles or making sharp turns as before. What direction of turn makes the noise? It is usually the opposite side of the turn that has the bad joint, usually an outer joint (the one at the wheel). If noise on right turn, check left axle.

If the new axle was a "rebuilt" axle, it could be bad. This happened on one repair, a bad rebuilt axle from the parts store.

Normally a wheel bearing would not make this type of click, click noise.

[03mooncorolla]

Axle shafts on front wheel drives include CV joints.

toyomoho's post above covers the rest.

[punter]

Originally Posted by 03mooncorolla

Axle shafts on front wheel drives include CV joints.

toyomoho's post above covers the rest.

Well you can take the cv's off at either end, so there not always included. For example i've changed the outer CV joints well keeping the same axel.

But what you say makes sense why would the axel be replaced if the CV was bad.

[corolla1990]

Ok, it makes the clicking sound when turning both left and right. It used to only click when making an extreme left or right u-turn. Now it clicks when making a left or right turn from a top sign.

For what it's worth, the drivers side threads, cotter pins and nut is bright and shiny. The passenger side is black and dusty.

Should I replace both CV joints?

[daniel2002p]

are your CV joint boots still in one piece??? that sounds like a lack of grease in the joints and metal is rubbing against each other???

[alltracman78]

Have you listened to see which side it is coming from?
You can also look under for a split boot, but the joints will go bad when full of grease sometimes....

[andylphoto]

Yes, try to determine which side the noise is coming from. It will progressively get worse--both louder and more frequent, i.e. on milder turns. If it's obviously coming from one side or the other, start with that side.

[Spud]

Sounds like CV joints to me.....

[corolla1990]

It's coming from the driver's side on both turns. That shaft was replaced in Oct. 2005 by previous owner. Any ideas?

Both boots are in good shape with no tears. However, when I squeezed both boots, the passenger side felt like it had a bunch of grease in it but the new driver's side felt empty. I couldn't find a grease fitting to fill it. Any ideas?

Thanks guys!!

Erik

[aaron7]

Sounds bad. Isn't uncommon to have one go bad that quick if the grease all came out.