Loud metal poping noise when turning after rebuilt transmission install.

[truwarrior]

Just recently got my tranny back from shep. Basic rebuild with a wavetrac lsd install. Everything seems to be ok but when I turn I get a loud metal cracking noise. I know it happens when turning right but haven't been able to test turning left due to the fact that I don't want to damage the new tranny. Everything appears to work fine on jack stands and I can't recreate the popping/cracking noise.

Any idea what to check? I was a little rough with the axels trying to get them back in by myself but I never head them make any noises and appear to look ok.

 

[viperlp01]

Did you bolt the support for the long axle back into the block... that could be easily forgotten....

 

[cruisintalonawd]

I would check the axles

 

[twicks69]

Agreed with the guys above, it sounds like the driver-side halfshaft is not fully installed into the axle, OR the halfshaft bracket is not bolted back onto the block.

 

[DSM4me44]

I was a little rough with the axels trying to get them back in by myself but I never head them make any noises and appear to look ok.

When you say rough, do you mean, you had trouble getting the axles to lock in (due to the little "C" looking ring on near the end)?

Check your joints on your axles. Maybe one is lacking grease. When checking your axles be carefull not to rip or losen your boots to the point of no return. If you weren't leaking grease before, you will be now if you are not carefull. I haven't had good luck replacing those, which is why I had to by new axles before instead.

 

[truwarrior]

Did you bolt the support for the long axle back into the block... that could be easily forgotten....

Where is this bracket? I have a GST FWD not AWD, I don't think there is a bracket for FWD...if so I can say I didn't bolt it back togeather then... I did install the one bolt from the block thru to the tranny right by the differential.

 

[truwarrior]

When you say rough, do you mean, you had trouble getting the axles to lock in (due to the little "C" looking ring on near the end)?

Check your joints on your axles. Maybe one is lacking grease. When checking your axles be carefull not to rip or losen your boots to the point of no return. If you weren't leaking grease before, you will be now if you are not carefull. I haven't had good luck replacing those, which is why I had to by new axles before instead.

Yes, I had problems because of the c ring and lineing up the splines. Also the passenger side alex I had to move counter clock wise from the bottom of the car to the top of the car inorder to get it into position into the differential, i.e. had to pull the whole suspension toward me and the rear of the car and bend the alex part nearest to the hub inorder to rotate around the frame, tranny and other parts to the differential.

How do I check the axels? I don't see any rips, tears, or grease, although I did notice that on the driver side axel half way down he axel is a smaller boot which had a little wear on the boot...I figured it might have been from me trying to aline the axel into the differential.

Any other ideas? I just boot my summer rims on and about to take it for another ride around the block. This time I'll try left hand turns instead of right hand turn.

Thanks in advanced!

 

[DSM4me44]

USUALLY, and I say usually, if your joints are bad on your axles, it is due to a rip in the boot (loss of grease). If you don't see any rips or grease, your probably ok.

 

[truwarrior]

Looks like the passenger side axel came out about 2mm. I pushed it back in as hard as I could. Also put on my summer rims instead of the winter rims. Everything seems ok for now. Took some decent but slower turns and no issues.

I did notice that 2nd gear is popping out of gear now though... Figured I't give it a few more miles before I try adjusting the linkages etc...

 

[truwarrior]

Spoke to soon. It's doing it consistently again after driving for about 15 miles with out an issue. It does seem to happen mostly if not only during right hand turns though... Just went back under the car and the axel appears to be in the tranny still this time.... Also tried making 6-10 right hand turns while on the stands in 1st gear and I cannot recreate the issue on stands...

Any further ideas with this info? Also the noise can happen multiple times in the turn, sometimes it's louder then others but for the most part it's pretty loud to the point where I'm surprised the cars still moveing and that something didn't bust in half...eek

 

[Jeff99GS]

Spoke to soon. It's doing it consistently again after driving for about 15 miles with out an issue. It does seem to happen mostly if not only during right hand turns though... Just went back under the car and the axel appears to be in the tranny still this time....

No. You're not getting the axle in all the way. Use a chisle and hammer on a flat tab to TAP the axle in further.

Your binding up the CV joint cause its jammed up and not fully extended

 

[truwarrior]

Looks like it does make the sound on the left hand turns too. Right hand turns just seem louder!

 

[truwarrior]

No. You're not getting the axle in all the way. Use a chisle and hammer on a flat tab to TAP the axle in further.

Your binding up the CV joint cause its jammed up and not fully extended

I think you might be on the right path but can you further describe where to tap? I'm not sure if I'm following where to tap it and don't want to cause any further damage.

When I put the axel into the differential it it was rather just hand moved it but I never felt anything pop or lock into place. Just checked now and it's still in place right up to the tranny.

Also my drive way is on a small incline so I decided to backup, cranked the wheel to the right and started to roll down he hill slowly. The car locks up and if I give it a little push with the leg out side the car it make the cracking noise then continues to roll down the hill. Unfortantley I don't have any one availble at he moment to help determine which side is causing the problem...

 

[Jeff99GS]

Usually there is a flat lip somewhere on the axle that you can tap INWARD on...This is what I had to do on my car when I bought it. The Previous owner didnt install the driverside axle properly.
Normally when installing a new axle you can just THRUST it in to the transmission hard and fast to engage the clip without doing any tapping. Now that your car is all together you would either have to take it back apart and RE-RAM the axle in the Trans. Or just leave it together and tap the axle in with a mallet.

Here is where I tapped mine in from. Remember to rotate the axle and tap the flat spot on the other side too. That way it will slid in evenly. IF the axle is in all the way and it still makes that crunching sound, then you have a BAD CV joint and it will need replaced. You said in the first post the Axle and CV joints were OKAY before the tranny install? Which is why I think you have at least one of them NOT clipped in all the way. The difference between being IN and NOT IN is only like a 1/4" so it can appear that its "IN" all the way and still NOT be in all the way.

 

[truwarrior]

Perfect. I'll give this a shot. It is strange that it drove perfect once I put my summer rims on and pushed the passenger side axel back in, but then started happening again after 15 miles or so.

Thank you!

 

[Jeff99GS]

Yeah Its cause it never clipped in all the way so it slid back out. Same thing happend to the guy I bought my Talon from. He said he slid it in a few different times, and it worked for a couple weeks then the crunching sound would come right back after a hard turn or two.

So when I bought it he must have just pushed it in cause it was fine for a few days....then all the sudden it started making that crunchy sound around turns. Sure enough the axle was NOT in all the way. Those suckers can be quite hard to get in all the way and locked.

 

[truwarrior]

I took a pry bar and press the cv joint in useing another part of the car for leverage. Still appears to be having the same issue. Both sides but mostly on right hand turns. Shep said it could be the WaveTrac LSD breaking in and doesn't think it's an axel issue. He said it's normal for the axel to move in a out a bit.

I'll drive it for a few more days. If it still act's up I might just start with a new passenger side axel.

Did you feel the car jerk at all when you had your axel issue? When it pops it almost feels like the car car jerks to the side a touch... It also seem to do it mostly/the worst during slow turns.

If it's still the axel is it possible that the engine height or some else might be a bit out of whack causeing the axel issue besides not being in the tranny 100%? Just looking for other possible ideas.

Thank you!

 

[Jeff99GS]

Well I would take Sheps word over mine haha. I dont have a LSD in my Talon....But I do have an Auto locking posi trac in my Jeep and It makes a Clicking sound around turns. If I get on the throttle out of the turn the jeep will kinda swerve or jerk to the side cause its locking both axles up together.

When My axle popped out of the Talon it was a terrible crackling crunchy sound from the CV joint BINDING.

 

[truwarrior]

Until I drive the car more is there a feasible way to check the outward cv? According to the article I read online, they state that a bad outward cv joint can cause poping and clicking noises while turning?

Below is a youtube link of the issue that keeps happening. I push it in, pryed it in lightly with a crow bar and this keeps happening... For reference the top part of screen is the rear of the car and the bottom is the front of the car.

YouTube - Axel

 

[jking29]

If you grab the axle just before the boot of the outer cv joint and pull back and forth on it, from the front of the car, do you feel any play? If so, you need a new cv.