18/6/08 - Damaged axle - update

When I returned from Avon Dassett the other week my rear wheel bearing had failed.

I have replaced the wheel bearing and just taken the car for a test drive.

There is a lound "Rub Rub Rub" noise, consistent with the rotating of the wheel. Its loud enough to almost be a "Clunk Clunk Clunk" noise.

The noise stops when I gently apply the brakes whilst driving.

I have stripped the drum off and I think I can feel some sort of "Rub" in the system as I rotate the axle shaft by hand.

I have also taken this video of what looks like a wobble, but perhaps the centre ring is not straight anyway?

Is the axle shaft bent? Is the axle housing bent. Strangely enough when I had the shaft out I did think I saw a slight twist in the splines.

http://www.bigjimny.com/images/phocagallery/videos/axle.mov

So now I have had a quick look

Pulling the halfshaft showed what could be the bad news. I used a spirit level on the basis that it would have a straight edge (but it is always worth remembering that the measuring tool could be at fault!)

The pictures show the outcome:

A gap along the edge implies the shaft is bent.

And putting the straight edge on the other side shows the bend the other way.

And the splines do not look straight to me either....

 And just a quick picture for those who doubt that it has 26 spline driveshafts.

Martin