Bad CV Joint?

[Cool Mr Steve]

Alright, when I am backing up toward the left at regular speed or higher speeds I get what sounds like a click from my front end. Sometimes it's a softer click, but often times it's a very aggressive pop that causes people to look over to see what I hit. It doesn't do it as often when I'm backing up at VERY low speeds, but it does it in higher speed sharp cornering. Also, while coming to a fast stop I have noticed the same noise, which may or may not be related. Last but not least, when accelerating hard or decelerating hard while going over a bump (usually a pothole) I get the same noise only VERY aggressive. It scares the piss out of me. These problems seem to me that they should be related, but I'm pretty dumb when it comes to suspension stuff. How do I check for a bad CV joint besides checking for a rip in the boot?

 

[ross41]

In order to check the CV joint you really need to take it off the car or at least out of the wheel end so you can rotate it and stuff. I wouldn't think there'd be much you could really tell by inspecting it though. When my CV joint went, it would pop and scare me but only when I was turning at slow speeds. So you've got me thinking you're problem might be the inner tie rod. I know on my 2G the inner tie rod is a ball on one side that fits into the steering assembly and then a thread on the other end which the outer tie rod end threads onto. Anyways, try to figure out which side it's coming from (drive around through an ally or by the side of a building). Then take the nut off the tie rod and take it out and move it inwards (toward the oposite side of the car) and then back towards yourself. If the ball moves around inside the steering assembly it's a bad inner tie rod.

 

[hereitcomes]

Clicks from slow front end movement are usually CV joints. Both of my front ones were ripped and they clicked no matter what I did. I replaced them and the noise went away.

 

[Cool Mr Steve]

Just to make sure everyone understands this, it really isn't something I'd like to call a "click", more of an aggressive snap sound or a hard popping noise. I'll try to do what I can to inspect it later on today, but if anyone else has another idea, feel free to chime in.

 

[ross41]

If it's a grinding pop or thump it has to be a CV axle going bad. Now just determine which one it is and get a reman. axle from AutoZone for $50 - $70.

 

[Mitsu RacerX]

I changed both of my CV axels. With the right tools it only took me 1.5 hrs(bothsides). Its farely simple.