Axle sounds, post "replacement"?!

[suicideking]

So I had a bit of a problem with my driver's side axle after someone nudged by wheel doing a sh** parking job beside me. It made a faint sound akin to a clunk/grind, barely audible but you could feel it when you were braking.

Took it into the shop due to lack of time, had them inspect it, they said the axle needed to be replaced.

The shock on that wheel also is on its last limb (I hate winter) but its got a bit of life left in it, so I had the axle replaced. The day I got it back, everything sounded and felt right.

Its day three, and I can hear/feel it coming back after less than 50km of driving it gently. It only happens on braking; a faint, rhythmic "clunk".

I have a few questions in my head about this:

- Is it possible that the axle has ALREADY been damaged after such little driving?
- Is it possible the problem isn't with the axle at all, but somewhere else in the drivetrain?
- Is it possible the garage "repaired" and not "replaced" the axle?


Any other tips or suggestions for how to diagnose this without shelling out labour rates would be much appreciated!!

 

[MrPikolo]

bring it back to the shop and have them make a better diagnostic for free.

Anyway, does your car shake at all when brakeing? Does it do it while your turning while brakeing?

 

[suicideking]

The car doesn't shake while braking, though I started noticing the sound/feel during braking. It seems fine when turning (creaks very rarely) and braking.

Just at lunch, I noticed a slight metallic rhythmic rubbing sound when I coast. It doesn't have any feel through the pedals to it, I thought it might be a warped rotor. (Despite the car not shaking during braking.)

 

[suicideking]

Did some more experimentation trying to find out what might be causing it.

When driving down a smooth road, I'll let go of the steering wheel and it will wobble very slightly, eventually drifting towards the right fairly quick.

Now the drift I've got covered; I checked my brakes on that side and it looks like the caliper is partially seized. I've got a rebuild kit, so thats pending.

What I don't get is the wobble, and the rest of the sounds.

I have some new questions:

- Could the original nudge into the wheel have altered the alignment of the suspension?
- Since the clunk only happens during braking, what components could be "stressed" directly by that force?