5 gsr drivetrain knock/banging. pics to help me diagnose.

[aaronevo5]

hi guys. recently had to take my evo 5 gsr off the road due to a very loud knocking/clunking in the drivetrain. loud under acceleration and deceleration and u can get it pretty much silent if you balance the throttle so there is no load and you just coast. I am leading toward me thinking its a drive/prop shaft problem as it feels unbalanced also. I have had a quick look under it and took a couple of pics of what may be the problem area... so what do you guys with more experience think??



these two are of the rear passanger side shaft, where it joins the diff. there is oil leaking from where it goes into the diff and dribbling down the diff housing. (actually enough to leave a spot on the floor) the boots of the driveshaft look ok and not loosing any grease, but where it slots/joins onto the diff where its actually leaking from there is a lot of play (a lot more then the other side which is dry).

now im leaning toward this being the problem, with the play and the oil loss. would you blame the diff or the shaft? as I don't really know how these work.
the noise I could only explain its like say a wheel is slightly loose and its that kinda banging noise. all gears select fine, clutch is good still etc.

the only other thing ive noticed which is probably not relevant to the problem is the 2 rubber donut mounts on the prop, how much play shound these have??

any help would be appreciated. thanks, aaron

 

[ElDopesta]

From what I have read buddy, it sounds like the Prop Shaft to me.

To confirm, please advise, was the clunking faster and louder at speed and slower, less noisier when you were off throttle / slowing down?

Also, please update your User Profile to include your location.

 

[aaronevo5]

Thanks for the reply mate, ill get it done later when im on my pc... but im in walsall, just off j10 m6.

its instantly audable as soon as you roll and gets louder and louder the faster the wheels are turning (its not relevant to gear its relevant to wheel rotation speed and doesnt change when you clutch in.) so its still there when you clutch in etc.

can get it pretty silent if you balance the trottle.
loudest at higher speeds under load.
doesnt really change when cornering.

its loud as hell and had to take the car off the road as soon as it happened because of it.

now what can go wrong with the prop? what do i need to check?
all i noticed is that the rubber donuts in the center of the shaft holding it to the underbody there is a good deal of movement, say half an inch in one. the other looks ok. and all other joins of the prop etc look ok.

many thanks for help in advance, aaron

 

[aaronevo5]

Additionally, if this has anything to do with it i dont know it may be irrelevent...
When you crank the car over just as it fires there's a loud clunk which sounds directly under the center of the car. Its done this since i bought it. Ive had a look underneath and cant see anything that would make that clunk, maybe that's a tell tale sign its the prop also? Coincidence? Thanks.

 

[aaronevo5]

Is there any way i can physically see and check a drive/prop shaft health by getting under it? Or have i defo gta get it on a ramp and drive it. Cheers

 

[ElDopesta]

Please update your User Profile to include your location.

It makes it easier for me and others to redirect you in cases such as this.

Any way, I notice that you are in Walsall so you have a couple of options:

You can come to me, Central Birmingham and I can stick it on one of my ramps and see what's what exactly or you can visit a Prop Shaft Specialist that I have used from time to time.

I am not sure if they have the facilities to inspect your unit as I mostly send someone over to them with the faulty shaft or a schematic of the modifications I need made to the unit and they get the job done for me...:

wolverhampton propshafts

 

[aaronevo5]

hi thanks for the reply, just worked out how to add my location the thing is its off the road as we speak and i dont want to drive it anywhere because the noise is so loud. So traillering it would be expensive just to get it on a ramp...but... i do have a garage about 100 yards from my house which i could see if theyd drive it on a ramp for me for a few quid and see exactly what im up against so could crawl the car that far i suppose. but the only thing that worries me is that its only under acceleration and decelleration load so i hope to god it still knocks when its in the air lol.

what do i need to look for whilst under there except for listening to noises? stuff that doesnt look balanced like wobbling driveshafts etc??(just incase it is silent)??

ive located a full prop off a chap on here so if it is that ill just do a complete swap... fingers crossed.
thanks all.

 

[ElDopesta]

If your car has not been lowered then you may be able to check it where it is.

You will need to get on your back a wriggle as close to the prop shaft (near it's mid section) as possible and give it a vigorous shake up and down, left and right.

I suspect that the connecting bracket near the knuckle, has either broken off or one or both of the fixing bolts has/have come away.

It should be an easy fix either way, repair or swap.

 

[6.5ghost]

these a bushing holding the prop inplace can't think where but you would see it rather like a arb bushes. There are allowance for movement but if the rubber have worn you get eccessive play, the banging particularly as you start the car.

possibility:have you inspected the exhaust or may be the drive shaft. these do sometime catch and do clunk a little

 

[aaronevo5]

Well ive finished painting my wheels so ill get them.back on the weekend. Ive been my moms and picked up my jacks and stands so ill get under it, see if there's anything blatant, if not drive it on the stands and try and locate it. Fingers crossed... Ill let you guys know how i get on. Many thanks for the reply's.

 

[aaronevo5]

quick update guys... bad news. ive been under it and inspected the prop thouroughly, i cant see anything wrong with it at all. all the joints look sound with no play, all bolts are present and correct and tight. the only play is the middle donuts which looks like the acceptable normal play. anyway, i was going to put it on 4 stands and drive it on the stands to see if i could narrow down the area the noise is coming from but i didnt feel it was safe enough to do this. i let my partener drive it up and down our street a few times and outside the car it defo sounds rear end related, and sounds alot more 'clangy' outside. i fear it is diff related. so im going to get it to a specialist in the near future and just get it sorted along with fluid changes all round. in the meantime i will be doing other bits to get it how i want it ready for when its fixed thanks for the help guys.