removing weights off drive shaft????

[adamukcorrado 0]

i'm still trying to isolate a clunking sound coming from the front of my vr6, it's either drive shaft, top mounts or bushes i'm sure but don't know how to isolate which one!

 

i've read in a couple of threads that one of the drive shafts has counter weights that can become loose and knock and that they can be cut off as they don't do anything, surely this can't be true?! why are they there if they don't do any thing!? or have i just misunderstood someone elses thread?

[RW1 0]

i've read in a couple of threads that one of the drive shafts has counter weights that can become loose and knock and that they can be cut off as they don't do anything, surely this can't be true?! why are they there if they don't do any thing!? or have i just misunderstood someone elses thread?

 

 

There's a vibration harmonic in the shaft but in practice it isn't nocticable. Sure it's loose? If solid on the shaft, leave alone.

[adamukcorrado 0]

yeah i have not checked if it's loose, just know i have a loose/worn part and exploring all the options. i didn't make much sense there was a part that could be removed!!

any ideas for deciding where clunking is coming from?? top mounts, wishbone bushes or drive shaft? all of them could be worn but don't know how to check!

[h100vw 0]

Could be a ball joint too.

 

Best way to check them for play is on a ramp. Do the same checks as if it were an MOT.

 

In my experience wishbones don't usually make any noise when the bushes have gone. You just get a wandering feeling in the steering and the wheel sometimes doesn't sit straight any more.

 

With the weight off the wheels, try levering the wishbone away from the hub while watching the bottom ball joint. Even with the clamp bolt done up sometimes they move in and out of the bit bolted to the wishbone. I had that on a Passat, it rattled like fcuk coming off speed bumps and if there was not much weight on that side due to cornering. They are about a tenner so maybe worth fitting new ones to eliminate. Not too hard to do at home.

 

One thing not mentioned yet is the Anti rollbar drop links. The bushes in them wear, maybe a pair of new ones, again cheap, would be a good move. Home job again depending on spannering skills.

 

Not sure if you have full struts fitted but on a Golf I had a while ago, I didn't tighten the collar on the strut enough after fitting new inserts, it knock big time on little jiggly bumps, until I got the stilsons out.

 

Hope that gives you a few ideas.

 

Gavin

[adamukcorrado 0]

Cheers Gavin, i'll be getting under there tonight!!, i'm sure it's a combination of knackered bushes and something like a ball joint as it does wander badly, i'll update the thread if i fine anything interesting lurking under there!

[h100vw 0]

Rear wishbone bushes allow the most movement when they are worn out. You will find strange wear on the tyres if it has been doing it for a while. Often looks like you have under inflated them, wear on both outr edges.

 

Gavin

[adamukcorrado 0]

Fixed it!!! :D finally found the source of the clunking to be the joint on the wheel end of the front wishbone, one of the 2 bolts that hold it to the wish bone had come loose and the wheel had just enough movement to clunk!! and the best bit is it didn't cost a penny!

if only all the problems on a vr6 were so easily fixed......

[KARMANN 0]

Check rear wishbone bushes on front-I noticed my drivers side wishbone was sitting much closer to the under side of the car than the passengers side-so i replaced it and heypresto no more knocking.

 

Cheers Fraser

[woody 0]

Gald to hear you fixed it Adam. Found a VR6 rad yet