Driveshaft replacement

tim · Post by **tim** » Sat Jan 21, 2012 3:13 pm

Bit of an odd one, this. Just over a year ago the White One needed a new CV boot for the MOT so I fitted it. Unfortunately the kit I got had one of these silly straps that can only be done up with trick pliers which I didn't have, the result being that the strap popped off followed by the boot and I had to take the whole thing off and do it again. A few miles after this we suddenly got a loud clack-clack-clack on full lock from the hub area, which put the fear of wheels-falling-off into the wife. I took the thing apart but couldn't see anything, but replaced it with the one from the scrappy. Problem solved.
It's just happened again on the other side! OK, one goes, then the other. But the thing is, the hub balljoint had split the rubber so had to be changed and I had to take the hub off to airgun the balljoint out of its socket. Pretty much as soon as I'd put the hub back in, the driveshaft started its clackety noise. So both times, the noise has started immediately aafter the driveshaft has been withdrawn from the hub and put back in again and the nut tightened up. Is this pure coincidence?? If the thing was worn, I thought that maybe the act of retightening the nut might just tip the balance.... ideas?
So question - who's doing the best prices on replacement driveshafts at the moment?? I still have the other scrappy one but best buy a new one while they are still available. The few prices on the net seem to be £65 odd, plus post.
On the subject of replacement boots, I've got some Shaftec kits now which have a ratchet fitment and don't need pricey pliers to fit. I just noticed that Haynes show nylon ratchet ties on the boot; I tried that before and they lasted about five minutes.
Just put the wagon in for its MOT a full month before to allow time for all those niggly little repairs.... there weren't any! Straight pass. Bloody 'ell. Nearly 300,000 miles and still going strong. The shaft clatter didn't come into it because there was no actual play to be felt at the wheel.

Mothman · Post by **Mothman** » Sat Jan 21, 2012 4:45 pm

Hi bud,

there's Diesel BX driveshafts on Feebay for 35 quid post free, both left and right.

Andy

tim · Post by **tim** » Sat Jan 21, 2012 5:02 pm

I had a quick look but they seem to be recons rather than new - if the sellers can get the parts, why can't we? There's no details about what's been fixed or not, and the postage back for us civvies who don't have carrier contracts would be a killer. I know, I'm just an old cynic.......but I' d rather have a new one and play safe. Has anyone tried one of these (although 'recon' wasn't the word used, some kind of weaselly alternative.)

rmattila · Post by **rmattila** » Sat Jan 21, 2012 11:34 pm

The outer CV joint is attached to the actual driveshaft with a circlip. If it fails, the shaft can slide a distance off the joint, which may cause some oddities (typically a heavy vibration during jumps). Are you sure the outer CV joint is properly fixed to the driveshaft?

B-Hive · Post by **B-Hive** » Sun Jan 22, 2012 7:05 am

The sequence of "failures" seem like too much of a coincidence to me.

Firstly, unless the car is a very high miler, the CV's are quite hardy and they shouldn't be too warn. Secondly when they wear they do so gradually, even with a recent air/water/dirt ingress...or unless they have taken a heavy bash..

Also I cannot understand why the whole assembly needs to come apart in the first instance just to replace the boot clip/clamp

Yes so I'd be checking the little cir-clips on the ends of the shaft as suggested..

tim · Post by **tim** » Sun Jan 22, 2012 12:39 pm

I took it off because the boot was covered in grease, needed to be refitted and I needed to find someone with the correct tool and a strap and I felt presenting them with a driveshaft would be more acceptable than a complete car. However, this was over a year ago; my point was that the clattering started after the refitting and that the same problem has occurred again after a similar exercise though this time I did not take the driveshaft off so it only had to slide gently in and out of the hub as I removed and fitted it.
I haven't stripped down the driveshaft as I need to use the car today and tomorrow (short trips only!) and also, when I stripped the other one a year ago expecting to see a problem I couldn't see anything wrong - I did suspect the circlip but it hadn't moved. So I'm rather expecting the same result. The scrappy one needs a new boot kit fitted before use anyway....I would say that nearly 300,000 miles does make it quite a high miler! Although I daresay someone can beat that??
As regards the noise, I couldn't really say it vibrates, it's just bloody noisy. My present thoughts are to buy a new one tomorrow (unless I get some feedback on the 'remanufactured' ones - that was the word, I now remember.) Alternatively I can rebuild the scrappy one and fit that - my only reason for buying a new one would be as I said because if the outer end is at the end of its life and I can't source the bits, then I'd rather buy a new one now while they are still available. If I can then fix the old one, we have a good spare on the shelf.
As you say, 2BX, the 'coincidence' thing is what made me do a post in the first place - I'm buggered if I can think what would have set it off this time. Hopefully the BX Brains Trust will chew it over....

bx petrol auto saloon · Sun Jan 22, 2012 1:02 pm

Dear Tim.
Hi-ya Tim, nice to meet Tim, your Andy,s freind are you Tim ?
I have just been out to rummage around in my toolbox again

I have one of those special pliers to tighten the old fashioned cv gaitor
straps

you can borrow it for as long as you need it my friend

You can,t do them without, they are a rare set of pliers to look at, and
even more to use

The type of clip they fit;- looks like a letter D but sat on the straight
part of the D is horizontal, making a semi circle, with a extra slot for
the gaitor strap to go through, and another round hole for the pliers to
fit in.

The straps should be long enough to go around the gaitor twice if my
memory is correct

Let me know Tim if this is the sort you have ok, I can show you how
they work

Hope This Helps Tim.
Give my regards to Andy too
Vince.

KevR · Post by **KevR** » Sun Jan 22, 2012 1:27 pm

bx petrol auto saloon wrote: You can,t do them without, they are a rare set of pliers to look at, and
even more to use

Thet'll be Ligarex strapping and pliers then! Once you get the hang of it it's great stuff.

tim · Post by **tim** » Sun Jan 22, 2012 2:22 pm

Vince - many thanks for that - the Shaftec boot has a ratchet type strap so this should do OK without special pliers. The boot was flagged as a fail on last year's MOT so I had to do it in a hurry, and as this was my first one I didn't know I was going to get this type of strap until I opened the box. I did my best with it but didn't appreciate how damn tight it has to be to stop the boot slipping off the rim; I tried a plastic ratchet tie but that didn't work either. So I took the unit down to the local garage and they found a spare strap and fitted it for me; that's why I took the thing off, they are busy and their ramp space is limited.
Thanks for the offer - I haven't got an inner boot so until I can get one tomorrow I can't finish rebuilding the spare. If the ratchet strap gives problems I know where to come!

bx petrol auto saloon · Sun Jan 22, 2012 2:37 pm

Dear Kev R and Tim.
Thats ok I am pleased you,ve managed to get it sorted ok Tim

And 11/10 Mr Kev, all these years, even I didn,t know the name of
them Kev, I will have to write that one down

as it has one of
those, forget me easily quckly kind of names too

All The Best.
Vince.

tim · Post by **tim** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 5:06 pm

Interesting day. I got the spare driveshaft (left-hander) on the bench to fit new rubber boots; I then realised there was a bit missing! When we got the engine out of the scrappy we couldn't move that shaft, but eventually the roller section pulled out of its housing leaving the housing on the motor. Bugger. Quick dash down to where the engine was, and I tried to get the housing off. Would it move? Would it hell. I tried all the tricks I know including using a plain bolt laid crossways on the gap between housing and mount; after a lot of hammer taps it finally went; predictable when you have a steel bearing mounted in an alloy housing exposed to years of salt and stuff. It goes a bit furry to say the least.
So back home to reboot....except the boot was too big for the inner. I got in touch with Shaftec and to cut a long story short I reckon the thing is a pattern replacement and the dimensions are different. And that includes the splines into the outer hub so I can't do a quick transplant.
For now I will use the old inner rubber which is just holding on, and if I can't locate a suitable replacement of 76.5mm diameter it'll be new shaft time.
Also I've seriously rethought how to do the job - if the knackered one is as difficult to shift as this one, it will have to be a case of ramps, wheel chocks and maximum access underneath. Anyone have any helpful comments?? There was a thread recently about a similar problem, I remember.

KevR · Post by **KevR** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 5:28 pm

I've had similar problems with pattern, so called re-con shafts – the outer joint's often not even a proper CV joint and they don't last long and aren't compatible with original bits.

tim · Post by **tim** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 5:46 pm

I must say the outer bit looked solid enough; I daresay anyone who's handled these parts on a regular basis would probably have spotted straight away that it wasn't original. Anyway, I'm going to whack it on and see what happens. It's that or a new one! Looking through old threads just now it seems it's 50/50 whether the thing just comes out of its housing or needs to be given some welly; Citronut doesn't use ramps, just lies on his back and whacks the steel collar inboard of the housing. (Hi Malcolm). So I could try that perhaps.

KevR · Post by **KevR** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 5:55 pm

FWIW I've never had one stick in its housing, so maybe you'll get lucky!

tim · Post by **tim** » Sat Apr 21, 2012 5:43 pm

Thought I'd run this one up again! a day or two after the last posting the White One settled down, hardly a clack to be had except on tight turns. I kept the shaft on the bench ready and had it in mind to do it next week; however, the old wagon suddenly developed a clatter so loud that the wife refused to drive it again... it literally kicked off yesterday morning. So I did the decent thing.
One of the reasons I hadn't just got stuck in was working out how to do it. Being the o/s shaft, it has a bearing on it, and I'm familiar enough with a combination of ally housing and steel bearing exposed to 15 years of road salt that I wasn't expecting it to come out without a fight. So that meant getting under it with room to clout the steel collar inboard of the bearing with a hammer and bolster. AND you've got a wheel off, meaning no brakes..... luckily the tractor ramps came in handy again, along with stout chocks and axle stands, the ramps being wide enough to take the full spread of the stands. Job done but it was a hell of a job to get it moving. WD 40 and a lot of welly. So if you are going to do yours, take note. It may not be possible to pull the thing out from the outside. The clack was the outer of the shaft -grab hold of it and you can pull it backwards and forwards. Which is exactly what I expected. The circlip is still in place so something else has simply worn out. It was also very dry, whoever fitted it didn't put enough grease in.
The previous day I'd replaced the n/s shaft on the Red One which had also developed a bit of a clatter!

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Driveshaft replacement

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