CV Axle question

[Fitz98]

Is there supposed to be any horizontal play in a CV Axle?
My 98 Expedition 4x4 passenger side seems to have a small amount of lateral play in the CV Axle. When I force it by hand it will actually move the passenger side shaft about 1/8" in and out of the front differential. Is this considered normal tolerance, or could I have a bad CV Axle or something wrong in the differential shaft? I am chasing an intermittent grinding noise and thought I had the problem solved by replacing driver side wheel bearing, but the sound has come back.

 

[FL_Rob]

Sure ..the articulation of the front end would dictate that there must be "open play" for the suspension to move up and down.
On the arc ..that would mean in and out,on the splines of the shaft.

It would seem the problem is with the CV joint itself = new shaft.

 

[Trav]

When i did mine i did notice some play, i cant say it was 1/8" but there was definitely some. I will look for an exact OEM spec but it may take me til tomorrow am.

 

[Astro14]

If the IFS on your Expy is what I remember (ex-wife kept mine...long story...), then you've got a regular CV joint set-up on the front axles, like any FWD car. There is a tripod joint near the differential carrier - it allows for in/out play and some small angular changes. There is a CV joint by the steering kuckle, it allows for angular changes.

so, yes, it should move in/out on the tripod joint...but not much at the CV joint...so, if it's moving in/out about 1/8"...that seems about normal...does it click or clunk when you do that? The noise from a worn out CV joint is usually a clicking or clacking especially while going around a corner (joint articulated)...not really a grinding sound...

 

[Fitz98]

Thanks Trav and Astro.
That clears up that part. I am having a [censored] of a time finding out where this grinding noise is coming from. It initiates on medium to hard braking and is a hollow metallic grind sound on every 1/2 rotation of the wheel and usually starts after about a mile of driving. Sometimes the sound stays, sometimes it goes away on straight driving.

 

[chad8]

caliper sticking

 

[Fitz98]

I don't seem to have any unusual brake wear, overheating or any pull to one side or another.
What other signs would I look for to troubleshoot a sticking caliper?
I just did brakes recently, replacing with ceramic pads and greased up all sliding surfaces and pins.

 

[chad8]

If you touch your brake and the sound goes away its probably in the braking system.I had a similar problem on my toyota. Squeaking noise that went bye-bye when I hit the brake .Had noise on right turns too. Caliper was shot.I think either your caliper is out of whack or possibly you bent the dust shield in when u did the brake job.

 

[Trav]

Fitz i cant find any exact spec but i looked at a 97 i have here and its the same as the 99, a little play. I doubt yours has any problems with the slight play either.

 

[Fitz98]

I actually removed the brake sheild to eliminate that as a possibility. The sound does not go away when tapping brake, and in addition, it's a grind, not a squeak.
Thanks for the info

 

[Fitz98]

Thanks for taking the time to look that up. I guess that's normal then.
I did spend more time looking under the vehicle and the hood. I found part of the heat sheild on one of the cat converters to be rusted loose. I relocated it slighly, but that should cause more of a rattle than a grind I would think.
I also found that there was a round rubber piece that covers over the clamp on the axle hu closest to the wheel. Somehow that was wedged between the rotating axle and the hole in the steering knuckle that the axle shaft goes through. I repositioned that too, but don't see how that would cause a grind either. I'll test drive and report back if either issue solved the problem.

 

[mechtech2]

1/8"| is a lot. But some detectable play it good.
The play could be in the circlip/groove, or internal loose parts [bearings/shims]

 

[OVERKILL]

I thought you changed the wheel bearing and the noise went away?

 

[Fitz98]

I was considering that bearings in the differntial may be a contributing factor to the grinding noise, but couldn't put together the connection with latteral play. Might be worth taking it out and investigating. I doesn't look like that hard of a job.

 

[Fitz98]

Yes, I did say that. This is what is driving me crazy. Every time I do something new, the noise goes away on my test drive, only to reappear later after swallowing my money.
I'm no dummy and likewise I'm no expert, but this is a tough one for me, because of the unique, intermittent characteristic of this noise, combined with the fact that it only is audible after a mile of driving and under decelleration in motion makes it that much harder to diagnose. It's hard to isolate, while in the cabin of a moving vehicle.
I am thinking to drive it to get things heated up, then put the whole truck up on jack stands and engage 4x4 while tires are off the ground and see if I can hear isolate an obvious problem.

 

[Fitz98]

So you will probably not believe this.
Took the truck for an agressive test run and seems like this time the problem is cured.
It was either the rusted Cat converter heat shield (I don't think so, since I think this would be a rattle sound, not a grind),
www.hometheaterlifestyles.com/Rustedheatshield.jpg
or it was the rubber CV boot clamp cover that got wedeged between the steering knuckle and the rotating axle shaft.
Don't pay attention to the white stuff, I just sprayed some white liquid wax to quiet the squeaky rubber boot when rotating the tire for troubleshooting noise
www.hometheaterlifestyles.com/RubberinSteeringKnuckle.jpg
I relocated the rubber where it is supposed to be and the noise is gone now. You can see the wear ring in the rubber where it was getting rubbed.
www.hometheaterlifestyles.com/Rubbercoveringbootclamp.jpg
Still can't explain a grinding sound, other than maybe when the rubber got hot with friction, that it was swelling and creating resistance bewteen the axle shaft and the steering knuckle. What a freaky thing to figure out.

 

[Fitz98]

Well I am re-activating an old post here.
The grinding sound re-appeared and I took it to someone with a lift. Turns out grinding noise came from transfer case, only after getting heated up and on engine braking load. We changed the tranfer case oil and the noise went away for about 10,000 miles and now it is back with a vengence. Replacing transfer case with used one with lower miles.

 

[zzyzzx]

Originally Posted By: mechtech2
1/8"| is a lot. But some detectable play it good.
The play could be in the circlip/groove, or internal loose parts [bearings/shims]


I was thinking the same thing, except I was going to suggest going to an auto parts store and doing the same back and fourth test on a new one to see the difference.

 

[Silverado12]

Bad wheel bearing? Try going around right and left curves and see if the noise get louder. Loud bearing on right turn = left bearing bad.

 

[Fitz98]

Replaced the bearing as part of my previous trouble shooting. I iwll post later to document if replacement transfer case solves problem.