Gear Stick Wobble On Left Turn !?!?

[mhyphenl 10 1 Cars]

Just had MOT done and passed, had to have drive shaft seals replaced but since then....

 

If I do a left turn, best felt on a bend in the road, my gear stick wobbles about and inch left to right in time with wheel speed. I guess on a left turn the right hand wheels are loaded, I'm assuming it's a front wheel issue. Can't really feel it in the car, only through the gear stick. Nothing on a right hand turn. Any clues??

[welshpug 1,662]

ns inner CV joint would be my guess, possibly wrong length shaft, possibly a 306 diff fitted.

[jackherer 543]

If it started immediately after the driveshaft seals were replaced then I would imagine the CV joint was damaged on removal, e.g. it's common for people to inadvertently dismantle the tripod from the cup and then the needle rollers can fall off.

[mhyphenl 10 1 Cars]

Nothing has been changed, all standard stuff and all worked fine before they changed the shaft seals. I'm wondering if they've done something wrong in putting them back, interesting that you say wrong length driveshaft could give these symptoms. Have they not pushed something home properly I wonder. I'll have to take it back but need the car over the next 3 days. I just can't work out in my head what exactly is causing the wobble. You say nearside inner CV, would nearside be unloaded round a left hand turn? And does inner mean the one closest to the diff?

[Anthony 1,003]

If it's only on left-hand turns, is the offside (longer) driveshaft correctly clamped on the lower engine mount (the two L-shaped clamps with 11mm nuts)? If not, that could explain it.

 

Seems unlikely it would be an inner CV that's fallen to bits as they tend to be noticeable under load in a straight line as well.

[welshpug 1,662]

urgh, sorry, I got confused there, if its a left turn then the right side will get loaded up meaning the Right side inner cv will be compressed, therefore it could be that the RH shaft is not fully seated, or the tripod joint has been disturbed as Kieran mentioned.

 

inner is the inner one yes, outer CV is bolted through the hub.

yeah, what Anthony said

[mhyphenl 10 1 Cars]

If it started immediately after the driveshaft seals were replaced then I would imagine the CV joint was damaged on removal, e.g. it's common for people to inadvertently dismantle the tripod from the cup and then the needle rollers can fall off.

 

Can this be fixed by dismatling and re doing? It's awkward as they're ABS shafts so not so cheap or easy to replace. Typical, it's the only thing I've had a garage do on the whole car!!

[mhyphenl 10 1 Cars]

I bet they've forgotten to do up those retaining bolts on the engine mount!!! s*itty garage. It went in for MOT, to sort the leaky drive shaft seals and to try and get the damn engine light to go off. They failed to do the light and done something to my drive shafts !!! If it's not the bolts on the engine mount thingy should I take the boots off and check the joints?

[toolie72 67 1 Cars]

Check first it's definitely your old shafts, then check bearing clamp-might not be fully home.

I had no end of grief when I replaced drivers driveshaft-they all seem to be too long or too short ie binding up or overextending that's why I'm saying to check if shaft has been changed, if not its the refitting ie middle bearing not fully home, bearing housing slack, driveshaft nut not tight

I'd guess middle bearing

[mhyphenl 10 1 Cars]

Thanks for all the replys guys, I'm going to check the middle bearing first off. Probably best to just re fit and make sure all is correct. My only worry is that I disturb the seals in the diff housing which is what happened last time I had it apart. I probably should take it back to the garage and make them sort out their own mess but I don't trust they'll do it right!!

[jord294 93]

Also had similar issue where top engine mount had collapsed.

 

But if it's only since you had driveshaft seals, I'd go with slack intermediate bearing

Edited March 14, 2016 by jord294

[Anthony 1,003]

Thanks for all the replys guys, I'm going to check the middle bearing first off. Probably best to just re fit and make sure all is correct. My only worry is that I disturb the seals in the diff housing which is what happened last time I had it apart. I probably should take it back to the garage and make them sort out their own mess but I don't trust they'll do it right!!

With new seals you should be OK removing and refitting the shafts if needs be - obviously you'll need to drain the oil first to save a mess!

 

If the garage did it who perhaps aren't familiar with 205's, make sure that the diff seals are sat slightly proud as if they're installed flush they don't tend to seal properly (although that won't be the cause of your current issues)

[mhyphenl 10 1 Cars]

Cool, I'm hoping it's not the engine mounts, they're all new!

 

I'll have a quick look first, if it's obvious i'll just sort it, if it looks like a removal job I'm going to have them about it!!

[mhyphenl 10 1 Cars]

Ok, just checking some facts as the garage seems to be trying to wriggle out of this. Could this be caused by play in the ball joint on the wish bones. They cited slight play in the ball joints on the advisory for the MOT?! I ttok the car on a fast windy road and at high speed round a long bend the vibration is very obvious through the wheel.

 

Cheers in advance

Martin

[Anthony 1,003]

I would have thought that if there was enough play in the ball joint to cause this sort of issue then the car would be driving horrendously which, I'm assuming, it isn't?

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

With the car on the floor get hold of the shaft near the inner CV joint and push/pull/shove it radially in all directions. There should not be any noticeable movement in any direction. If there is movement or worse you can hear a clicking noise, then its a shaft problem. How caused is a different matter. Is there a new looking clip on the inner CV gaiter boot?

[mhyphenl 10 1 Cars]

No, seems to drive fine apart from left hand turns, I can only really feel it on sweeping bends, not noticeable at junctions etc. I'm taking it back to the garage that changed the seals tomorrow but they'd made hints on the phone at trying to blame the ball joints. I'm pretty sure they've done something wrong and I'm not in the mood for paying for their mistakes!

I'll try pushing / pulling etc when I get home. I refurbished both shafts when I did the suspension a couple of years ago so the clips are quite new anyway. This issue definitely was not there before it went to the garage as I went for a good test drive on the way to the MOT to blow the cobwebs off and test the ABS.

[mhyphenl 10 1 Cars]

Sorry I've not visited this for a while, just has a session on the car. Had both drive shafts out of the hubs. Wanted to try and avoid draining the gearbox so just carefully manipulated them to make sure they turn smoothly when compressed and extended, both seem fine. Checked the intermediate bearing and that's done up tight. I then put all back together and jacket up the car on the wishbone to compress the drive shafts and rotated the wheels. Did each independantly and again it all seems to rotate fine. Am I missing something or can there be another cause? The fact that it's felt through the gear stick well before you can actually fell it suggests it must be something connected to the engine. It's very rhythmical so must be with wheel rotation I would have thought.

Any other things I can check?

[Paul_13 212 1 Cars]

Grab the shaft and try to move it up and down, you may feel some play

[toolie72 67 1 Cars]

Paul_13 did you read your comment before you posted it, enough to make bishop blush heehee

[mhyphenl 10 1 Cars]

brilliant!

[mhyphenl 10 1 Cars]

Ok, jacket up the car again. took wheel off and jacked up the wishbone to compress the drive shaft as far as poss. It was very stiff to turn. At the speeds I can turn the wheel it's impossible to see if it would make the engine and gearbox judder. Two things observed though. If I let the wishbone down a bit the hub is easy to move as it should be and also if I rotate the hub and look at the drive shaft it appears slightly loose, like there is some sideways motion to it, as slight wobble. If I grab the shaft and try and wobble it side to side it's very hard to move!

 

I don't suppose anyone would have a drive shaft I could borrow to see if it is at fault? I'd like to try a known good one before I start replacing all the suspension parts!?

[welshpug 1,662]

does sound like they are too long and you are running out of plunge depth, which side did you try and what diff do you have fitted?

[mhyphenl 10 1 Cars]

does sound like they are too long and you are running out of plunge depth, which side did you try and what diff do you have fitted?

[Paul_13 212 1 Cars]

I did, thought it would make people laugh