[hunt.dogshome]

Driveshafts - help! help!! HELP!!!

Got the bushings out of the lower arms and replaced them today (grumble, grumble) and noticed that the inner joint "companion" is loose on the stub coming out of the gearbox. This is LHS.

It doesn't feel good. There is about 5mm longitudinal play and 2 or 3 mm up/down and L/R if you grab it.

Can't see what could be loose or worn exactly? Do they loosen themselves off the splines or something?

I'm guessing a new driveshaft stub or is there something else? It can't be normal can it?


TIA.

Update:- the shaking I've been getting (as well as the rubber bushes) is probably because the RHS track rod end wasn't done-up tight :evil: Gearbox has been out and bolts have been removed - need to speak to the garage about that:evil: :evil: .

The RHS inner joint is similar in slackness to the LHS. So, we'll see....

 

[hunt.dogshome]

Well, the new bushes have improved the steering and braking. The loose rod-end nut (although not-good) wasn't having any effect as the taper was locked-solid. A splitter and a blowlamp, then retightening solved that.

Still vibration at about 70 when accelerating though.

Any ideas about the inner joints? Are they supposed move? The play can be felt by grabbing the large body closest to the gearbox - the part that the largest bit of the gaiter clamps around. It moves in and out and can be jiggled all-ways to the side. The one on the other side of the car is similar.

 

[earthworm]

That, IMO, is a ton of slop for the inner CV joints. The car must have well over 150K miles on the clock...

A man must know, from the shop manual, what the wear limits are..

 

[hunt.dogshome]

Hi,

It's not the trichoids, it's the carrier that's attached to the stub coming out of the box. Done 80,000.

Do they fail? I can see replacement parts for the tri-rotor bearings, but how does the carrier go wrong?!!??

 

[hunt.dogshome]

Help! PLS?

Has anybody had these "companion flanges" off the car? Item 7. I'm fairly sure they are not a solid 1-piece item as I've got bags of play in them. If you grab the inner part (biggest diameter) of the inner boot thats clamped to it, it can be moved all over the place.

Are they in 2 bits with a spline or something? If they're solid then the diff is breaking free!

Where can I get them where they don't cost half the value of the car! Whole recon driveshafts perhaps?

 

[tidewatersaab]

Done 80,000.
Sorry, no help here.
I have 85,000 US on mine and hope I don't have the same slop.
Hope you find the answer.

 

[Dead Centre]

Hi Hunts.

Yes they are 1 piece unit. When you buy a new shaft you get that bit plus the Tri-pedal bearing assembley.

You then fit this to your shaft via the removal of your old unit and the circlip ect.

Or you could call a breakers and get a whole new shaft and pop the lot in.

I doubt that there is anything wrong with the inboard shaft joint. It is more common for the outboard joint to go due to teh turning of the wheels.

You do get movement or freeplay in the joints.

A good thing to do is to pop the boot a little and pump in some grease. This is especially good for the pass side inboard joint due to it being place directly above the exhaust DP. I was told this by a saab tech who said that over the life of the car the grease can get a little cooked.

Dead

 

[ragtopcav]

Or you could call a breakers and get a whole new shaft and pop the lot in.

this is the route I would try and use, [I wonder if Cavalier ones fit]

A good thing to do is to pop the boot a little and pump in some grease. This is especially good for the pass side inboard joint due to it being place directly above the exhaust DP. I was told this by a saab tech who said that over the life of the car the grease can get a little cooked.

Y'know that makes sense, yet another top tip from the house of Dead good one.

 

[hunt.dogshome]

Aha! 1-piece unit. Thanks.

I'm really not sure what's going on here now then because it can be moved up-and-down and side-to-side in relation to the gearbox casing. This with everything back together, car on it's wheels. With the strut off, it could be moved in-out 5mm and up-down etc a good few mm as well.

Diff bearings?

Diff or flange splines worn-out?

Snap-ring lost?

The inner tripod to the flange isn't showing any play.
There's no oil coming out of the diff.




P.S. My Cav Haynes manual fits the car (brakes, suspension....)

 

[kemosaabie]

Is yours a 5 speed or automatic- and what year?

 

[Dead Centre]

Aha! 1-piece unit. Thanks.

I'm really not sure what's going on here now then because it can be moved up-and-down and side-to-side in relation to the gearbox casing. This with everything back together, car on it's wheels. With the strut off, it could be moved in-out 5mm and up-down etc a good few mm as well.

You will always get slide movement on the actual shaft. This is because it slips into the bearing cups at each end. Usually the inner board cup has a spring this presses against the tip of the Dshaft and gives cushion.

When you say 'in relation' to the Gbox casing what do you mean. Not the whole cup as you would be getting oil leaking surley? You shaft seals keep the oil in the diff area. Are these still sealed?

Dead

 

[kemosaabie]

hunt.dogshome it looks like your car is a 1997. Nick at Genuine Saab has a factory bulletin on his website under service information library which can be found here:

http://genuinesaab.com/psi/index.htm

You are looking for 94- Final drive oil leak- which is under the transmission column.

The inner CV joint on both sides is called a driver in Saab speak. The factory spec for radial movement (up and down movement of the driver as it comes out of the transmission not movement of the half shaft going into the driver) is only .8mm!

Just reply to this thread after you're read the bulletin- there seems to be some confusion about what is loose in your drivetrain. Oh, and there are options other than replacing the differential:cheesy: .

Does your transmission leak? Have you checked the oil level? All that movement of the drivers will wear the seals out in no time.

I just fixed my drivers side driver oil leak last week!

 

[hunt.dogshome]

Thanks guys.

0.8mm is quite a lot really. With the driveshaft loose (ball-joint split) I'm feeling quite a bit of play in the driver. With it all together <0.8mm ~~maybe~~. SEEMS like more. I wasn't expecting to find anything.

Not losing oil though.

I'll get dial gauge out and measure for real in relation to the box as per that data sheet rather than in relation to the subframe. Noticed now that prying the driver moves the gearbox ever-so slightly, so I'll go for the accurate measurement.

A fair bit of vibration though. The tyres are nearing their wear markers, so to rule-them out it's getting new balanced ones tomorrow.

Squirt of CV grease will be applied under boots anyhow now. Ta.

My mate at work reckons that there is play on most auto makes FWD drivers as well. SO, if you see two blokes laid under various cars in a carpark - we're feeling propshafts and not nicking cars or cutting brake-lines!