Weird noise - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

drei · 07-21-2009, 02:17 PM

hey guys, im sure that this question is covered somewhere in another post but right now i dont have the time to look for it.
i have a 1995 celica gt (5SFE engine) and every time i turn the wheel at very low speed, like when i parallel park or any speed under 10km/h i hear this popping, clicking, knocking noise...i dont know which word describes it best. the noise seems to be coming from the front of my car.
also somewhere in between 75 and 90km/h i feel a vibration in the steering wheel.
any ideas of what might be causing that?
thanks for any kind of help

Puffie40 · 07-21-2009, 03:22 PM

So far it sounds like your driveshafts are worn. If it is the driveshafts, there will be a "thump" just as you accelerate (Manuals will also have this after you change gears). Check it out: Go under the car, grasp the shaft between both CV joints and try to wiggle it front/back/up/down (There should be no movement)

If it is the driveshafts, the wobble at highway speed should disapear after you replace them. Otherwise, get the wheels (re) balenced.

drei · 07-21-2009, 03:53 PM

thanks i will check that out tomorrow morning because right now i need to get to my class.

PhantomS · 07-21-2009, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Puffie40

If it is the driveshafts, the wobble at highway speed should disapear after you replace them. Otherwise, get the wheels (re) balenced.

The "wobble" could also be "cupped" tires - has happened to two of my cars in the past - cheap tires seem to be prone to cupping (and cupping is accelerated by worn suspension components, i.e. struts, apparently....) As much as I love cars, I really freakin' hate them some times...heh

Puffie40 · 07-21-2009, 06:59 PM

I know what you are talking about with tires - I can't go far above 100km/h on my corolla with summer tires without some vibration starting - but worn driveshafts will also show vibration as they start to wear out.

drei · 07-22-2009, 02:49 PM

well i just checked the drive shafts and those things move in all possible directions. the one on the driver's side is the worse. the up/down and left/right movement is around 1cm.

now the question is, how difficult is it to change the drive shafts and are there any special things i need to mark before i remove any parts?

i'd go see a mechanic but i'm quite short on cash now since i got no job.

thanks once again to all who take the time to help me out

RobMilkshakes · 07-22-2009, 07:21 PM

they're not too bad, will definitely take some time and a little confidence. make sure you have a drain pan and new transmission fluid ready to go. the easiest way to get to them is to pop off the outer tie rod end from the hub, then unbolt the bolts at the bottom of the control arm and push the control arm down with a pry bar some just so the hub can clear. Take a piece of wood and tap the axle with a hammer(using the wood in between) to unspline the axle from the hub. you dont have to take the hub off anything else because now you can pivot it out of the way while its still attached to the strut. On the driver side you should be able to pop out the axle, helps to use a pry bar to pop it out of the transmission (have the drain pan ready!), replace with a new one and make sure axle is straight when yu push it in so the clip at the end can engage inside and the axle not back out on you. On the passenger side, there is a carrier bearing in the center right next to the second CV joint, that was a PITA when I did mine because I didn't realize it was held together by two pinch bolts(just look for the bolts that dont attach the bearing to anything, its two or maybe three? bolts which are short and only run through the bearing, take those out and stick a screw driver between the two sides(you'll see it splits up the middle) and pop the two sides apart and your axle will be free. Replace with the new one, which is easier because there is no clip at the end and reassemble from there. make sure you replace the gear oil/atf that you lost.

be glad you dont have the 3 speed auto that came with the A series engines(I had one on my last car) I found out about a month after I did the axle on my old ae92 corolla that the differential fluid and tranny fuild are seperate and most of my diff fluid was gone eek.

The only tools you'd really need would be a 30mm axle nut socket, a breaker bar, sockets(should only need I believe 12, 14, 17 and 19mm? but its been a while) and a pry bar or two.

Also try to find a full open day or two, first time doing these can take a while, subsequent times are much quicker.

good luck

Puffie40 · 07-23-2009, 01:46 AM

Quote:

now the question is, how difficult is it to change the drive shafts and are there any special things i need to mark before i remove any parts?

Depends on if you have the space and tools necessary. You will need a set of wrenches and sockets in 12,14,17 and 19mm, the 30mm axlenut socket, and a flexbar (Or a piece of pipe) long enough. (those axleshafts are torqued to 200 ft/lb, so you need the leverage to overcome it - wrench it off while the wheel is on the ground) a torque wrench would be nice, but since you are on a budget, borrowing one or just making it "nice and tight" should be good enough.

Find some good solid blocking to support the car. remember you have to get right under the vehicle to pop the inner CV joints out, and that's your face under some 1500lb of metal. Saftey First!

Before you start, it would be worth it to look for leaks coming from the driveshaft seals, as you have the chance to replace them while the shafts are out.

The procedure is like what robbo said. the strut/wheel bearing has to move aside to get the front end of the shaft out, and the way to do that is to undo the three bolts on the ball joint. after that, other than the little carrier bearing, the removal is pretty straightforward. Popping the axleshafts out of the transmission will be a little frustrating (Prying is all but impossible!), and I find wacking it with some wood and a hammer is the way to go. Remember to not be under the transmisson when you pull the shaft out, and have a pan ready.

I would set aside half a day to do a job like this. I estimate on my first time I did this it took me three hours to get both shafts out and replaced (Not counting buttoning it back together and cleaning up).

For driveshafts, I got mine from NAPA. Corolla shafts were around $150 each with a core deposit.

drei · 07-23-2009, 02:24 PM

thanks a lot RobMilkshakes and Puffie40. your help is very much appreciated...i will try to do this over the weekend...

do i need to adjust the length of the drive shafts or they are pre-adjusted?(i dont even know if thats a word)

RobMilkshakes · 07-23-2009, 06:33 PM

They come the right size