Anyone have problems with drive axle CV joints or bearings?
 

Lately, when I go from 1st to reverse, or reverse to 1st (changing directions of loading on the drive train), and let the clutch out to load the drive train, I hear a click or popping noise that comes from the right rear wheel.
Even with the engine off, I can rock the car front to back and get the hub to click. When I put my hand on the outer drive hub, I can feel a vibration when the click occurs, but I cannot tell if it is actually in the CV joint or the bearing.

Has anyone else had this happen? Was the problem with the CV joint, or did it turn out to be in the bearing?

The vibration and sound appears to be coming from the wheel and not the differential, so I don't think it is the clutch pack in the rear end. If it was the rear end, I would think it would also click or pop when going around corners and I don't seem to be getting that.

What year is your car and how many miles do you have on it ?

You don't say if it's an outward motion or turn of the wheel that is making the clicking noise.

I would check the torque on all of the rear suspension parts including the sway bar end links.

Your axles and hubs are splined in and most likely would not have any play in them to make a clicking noise.

CV Joint
 

Hey,

Had the exact same symptoms that you describe. 2000 MN6, @ 24,000 mi. Turned out to be the inner CV joint on the right halfshaft. Jack it up and move the wheel fore and aft while watching and holding the shaft. I'll bet you feel a little extra play other than normal gear lash. I just replaced the entire halfshaft assy. Noise gone. Don't forget to put a new shaft seal in the diff since you're going to be in there. It's a pretty straight forward repair. Just follow the book.

Good Luck,
John

remove the halfshaft from splined wheel bearing, clean/lightly grease the splines, this is 'most likely' the problem

Thanks,
I am fairly sure it is in the CV joint, only mine is the outboard joint.
I can feel the click on the outboard cv joint hub, but cannot feel it when I touch the inboard joint or the half-shaft. I have never had one just start clicking. I may jack it up and test for extra play when I get home.

Did you ever have to replace the other half-shaft, or did you just have a problem on the one side?

anyone know how to service and repair the CV joint? Does it take special tools? Or do you just replace the entire axle assembly?
John

:iagree: Absolutely positively right on..

And it's not even necessary to completely remove the shaft. Just back the nut off, shoot some lube in there, tighten the nut, you are ready to go.:thumbs:

You should be able to verify this; with the car on a flat surface, roll the rear wheel back and forth with your hands while looking at the nut / center hub. Usually you can see a slight movement along with the clicking. :cheers:

:iagree: I agree with you and Dan_the_C5-Man on this one too. Several members have been able to back off the nut as Dan said and shoot some penetrating oil into the spline/hub interface. Kroil and Pennelube are two of the better brands out there. It's definitely worth trying. Cheap too. :D

Half Shaft
 

I just had my left-side half shaft replaced for the exact symtom you describe. Due to where I am living I did not have the ability to try an fix it myself. The repair fixed the problem. 99 coupe 6spd with 43,900 miles.

Seems like trying to put grease on the splines would be worth a try. If it does not work you can then proceed with the half shaft or servicing the joint. I don't know how difficult the joints would be to service. The left half axle was $345.00 (parts alone) at the dealer. I wanted it fixed asap and he warrenteed an earlier rear-end leak for free (also left side). Good Luck.

Definitely don't replace the halfshaft. If the joint were worn out you would hear driveline clunk but the popping sound you describe is actually a slip-stick phenomena which can occur at the interface between the bearing and the CV joint (there is also a similar phenomena that can occur in the bearing but it's unlikely). So the guys who spray lube between the bearing and the joint are doing just the right thing.

You can't really repair a CV joint. If they click or clunk, depending on circumstances, it means that either the cage windows or the race tracks have been brinelled by the loading through the balls. There's nothing you can do about that except replace. I'm not sure about Corvettes, but some halfshafts are made so the outboard joint can be removed from the driveshaft, some not. Whether you replace either joint or the whole halfshaft, no special tools should be needed presuming you can get the outboard joint out of the hub.

Anyone know if the outboard joints are servicable on these?

My money is on the bearing. I though for sure mine was a CV joint, sounds exactly the same but it was the bearing/hub. I have heard those cv joints almost never fail. My car had 32000 when the rear drivers side bearing went, and about 45 when the front drivers side one did. Autozone and a few hours and you'll be set.

Good luck!
-Ken

:iagree: Very possible. If however, you want to try something very easy and very cheap without going to all the time to remove the halfshaft, just remove the wheel and axle nut and spray some good rust penetrant into and around where the axle protrudes through the hub. Re-install and re-torque the nut.
Easy,cheap and worth a shot. Some guys here have had good success with this.
HTH,
Robert

Clunk/Pop Fix
 

The exact same noise cropped up on my Z a few weeks ago, forward gentle 1st gear starts would produce a pop or clunk noise coming from the passenger rear, I could let off and get back on it lightly in first and cause it to happen again and again. Crawled under and shook the half shafts, rotated the wheels while shaking the half shafts, shook the wheel to induce bearing play, no noise. Read this thread and thought I'll try the lube. Pulled the center cap from the wheel and impacted off the axel nut (1 5/16 socket). Oiled the splines with a few drops of a med viscosity spray lube (Tal 5). Reinstalled the nut with a little blue loctite on the threads and took it out for a test. Noise gone. I wonder how many times the procedure of changing out the half shaft works the splines enough to eliminate the noise and the mechanic thinks the half shaft was the problem. My own experience with constant velocity joints like those on the vette half shaft is that they will make a continous clunking when the balls roll through the brinnelled portion or the race, and the rolling is most pronounced when the CV is at its steepest angle like turning on a front drive car or when a vett is lifted with a jack. When I lifted my car and did not feel or hear a noise while rotating the wheel and pushing on the shaft I thought the CV probably was fine. I also would never had thought that the popping noise could have been coming from a dry spline. I learn something new every day (too bad I forget two things every day also).

I agree. This was a common noise on C4s. Haven't had it happen on my C5s yet but will not be surprised when it starts. With my 86 it started when I had to change a rear wheel bearing. After that it clicked all the time. When I took the center cap off I could see the splined shaft moving around in the bearing as I moved the car back and forth with the lug nuts and a wrench.

Bill

Well, I finally took your advice and solved the problem.

Since my car was still under warranty, I made the mistake of taking it to the dealer to get it fixed since I did not have a large enough socket.
I told the dealer the noise was from the hub, spline, or bearing because I could feel it on the hub when it clicked. The dealer kept it a day, said it was the brake caliper, and they fixed it by putting some anti-seize on the brake pad clips. Of course, the noise came right back.

I drove it for several more weeks to see if it would get more noticeable and it did. I was about ready to go back to the dealer when I decided just to try to lube the splines myself. I found the right size socket, backed the nut off, and sprayed penetrating oil on the splines. Just for good measure I sprayed some lubricant on the splines that goes on wet, but forms a dry lubricant. Torqued the nut back down, and the noise was gone. I thought I might have trouble getting the nut loose, but it came off almost too easy, so I suspect that it might not have been torqued correctly to start with, which may have contributed to the problem.

As one of the other members noted, I wonder how many times mechanics have replaced the half shaft and thought that solved the problem, when in reality, they just happened to solve the problem by cleaning up the spline in the process.

Most of the clicking noise is gone, but I noticed today that if I back off the throttle suddenly in second gear, I still hear a little pop.

Do I just need to give it more time for the penetrating oil and lube to work in the splines, or do I need to spray the splines with a heavier lube?

Did just penetrating oil work for anyone, or is light lubrication required to completely get rid of the problem?

I think I am on the right track because I could hear the noise everytime I started up or backed up, and now that is gone. Now I only hear it when I am accelerating and back off the throttle, so I guess it is still possible I have a second problem with the joint.

This is a well known problem within the cv joint industry. The noise is coming from the splines, but it is caused by motion between the bearing face and abutment face on the joint which sticks due to friction but then slips as it is overcome by torque. When it slips, lash in the spline connection is taken up in the opposite direction and you hear the pop. This is why many auto companies now use a press fit (created by a helical spline) between the joint and hub.

As I mentioned earlier the same can happen within the bearing but this is much less likely. The best way to solve your problem is to lube the other end of the spline as this will let lube get between the bearing and the joint. This will prevent these 2 surfaces from sticking together until overcome by torque, which then results in the pop you hear. Spraying lube on the nut end relies on the oil working it's way along the length of the spline to get where it needs to go.

pics please
 

Yes, someone please point me to pics of this fix.
I have the crack/pop sound when you ease the clutch out in 1st or reverse !!!
I want to see exactly where to lube?

Fixed the rear popping and the weird noise under acceleration!

I took the rear wheels off and removed the drive shaft spindle nuts on both sides. Got a can of penetrating fluid and sprayed the crap out of the outside splines on the drive shaft. Also took a brass hammer to lightly compress the drive shaft so that I could work in some more of the penetrating fluid. After a little while of spraying and working the shaft in and out it flowed smoothly in and out of the hub. I then replaced the spindle nut and tightened down to 125 ft/lbs. Took for a test drive and all of the noises are gone!!!

You will need:
6-point, 33mm, deep well socket
torque wrench
penetrating fluid
brass hammer (or you can pad a regular hammer with a rag, just don't want steel on steel cause it could hurt the internals of the CV joint)

The only problem now is I succeeded in making a C1214 code, "check ABS system" and "check traction control" pop up when I punched it in the rain. Seems the troubleshooting will never end...

If I have a chance tonight I will pull the rears off again and take some pictures.

3rd Childhood has it right. The key is getting the lube to the inboard end of the spline, but there is no need for a hammer.

I removed the axle nut, and with the wheel off, found that there was enough end-play in the CV joint to push the axle in about 1/4" and expose the surface between the CV joint hub and the back of the bearing. I swabbed light lube on the bearing/hub interface and the inner part of the spline making sure I coated the entire surface, re-torqued the axle nut, and the noise was gone.
NOTE: I did tap on the end of the axle with a rubber mallet once, but after that, the spline slid easily in the hub. I pressed on the end of the axle with my knee to free up both hands while I cleaned and lubed the inner hub and spline.

Some people are just removing the nut and spraying lube on the outboard end of the spline. This relies on the lube working its way the length of the spline to get to where it needs to be.

My service manual says axle torque is 118 ft-lbs.

Texhawk0,

Thanks for all the details... that helps a lot !!
Also thanks for the correct troque !!

hhhmmmm, seems I can quit patting myself on the back for doing a half ass job and fixing the problem - the popping is slowly returning. :toetap:

I was weary about getting under the vehicle with a cheap hydraulic jack and no jack stands. Tonight I buy hockey pucks, jack stands, good lubricant, and actually spend a little time making sure things get fixed right. :thumbs:

I haven't seen a tech tip on this yet, should I take pictures, post true torque specs, and all that good stuff so we can make an article out of it? :bigears

Yes, please do. Been watching this thread as I need to do mine also.

Thanks, Perry

The popping on mine also came back the first time when I just sprayed penetrating oil behind the nut on the spline.
At least you know that you have found the source of the problem.

You want to coat the inside hub/bearing surface with a lubricant, but don't go too wild. You don't want so much that you end up getting lubricant slinging up on the brake rotors.

So here we go with my first try at writing a tech tip. Feel free to let me know how I did, and what I can make better about the post.

Here are all of the tools that you will need: 33mm deep well 6-point socket, 19mm socket, torque wrench, wheel lock key, and some penetrating fluid (I prefer "PB Blaster" but didn't have any handy when I did this).
Attachment 48177481

Pull off the center cap for your wheels and break loose the lug nuts and output shaft spindle nut. The spindle nut could be pretty tight so don't be surprised if it takes a bit of elbow grease to get it to break loose.
Attachment 48177482

Jack up the rear end, support the car, spin the lug nuts off, and remove the rear wheels, you will now be looking at this.
Attachment 48177483

Now you don't have to worry about hitting your wheel with the torque wrench or busting your knuckes open on the wheel. Remove the spindle nut the rest of the way and take a good look at what is behind it.

Now we can see the front side of the splines that mate the output shaft and the hub assembly. Go ahead and give a little squirt of the penetrating fluid into these ridges, but not too much cause this isn't the important part. If you push in (towards the transmission) on the middle of the output shaft it should slide in to the hub. If it's rusted in place a light tap with brass hammer or mallet should break it loose so you can now move it by hand.
Attachment 48177484
Attachment 48177485

Now while pushing in look behind the hub assembly and look at where the drive shaft actually goes into the hub. If you look carefully you can see the splines entering the hub, and the mating surface of where the drive shaft buts against the hub. Give this area a good soaking with the penetrating fluid, both on the splines and the flat portion where output shaft meets hub (grease or oil may work better on the mating surface, but the penetrating fluid worked fine for me - for now).
Attachment 48177486
Attachment 48177487

When I did this all of the runoff went down the hub and then dripped off the lower ball joint, but you still want to try and keep from spraying so much that the brake rotor will get penetrating fluid on it. Work the spindle back and fourth in the hub a few times to make sure that the penetrating fluid has completely covered the splines and all contact areas and you are pretty much done.

Spin the spindle nut back on until snug, put your wheel back on and snug the lug nuts down. Drop back to the ground and torque the spindle nut to 118 ft/lbs and the lug nuts to 100 ft/lbs (make sure to torque in a star pattern so you get even torque).

Now go for a test drive and listen to the beautiful silence coming from the rear end. After driving a few miles I like to double check torque on the spindle nut, but I don't know how necessary that really is.

Hope this helps!!!

I would just make one other suggestion. I would lightly grease the contact faces while you are in there. The popping occurs when these faces break loose under torque. The grease will prevent the sticking part of "stick/slip" which is the real root cause of the problem.

Good job BTW. I was thinking about doing something similar but didn't really need to take mine apart. You saved me the trouble.

I agree. I think "penetrating oil" may be too light a lubricant to keep the problem from coming back since it is primarily used as a solvent. I stopped short of using grease, but I did swab the surfaces with oil.

I noted the use of grease or oil.

Now who needs to see this to make it a tech tip, cause it seems to be a pretty common problem.

Bravo jbauch357 !!!
Thanks a million. I'm ready to do mine now. Your tech tip has been very helpful. I think a moderator can post this to the tech tip library.

Clark

Great job on the write up and pics! :thumbs:

The only thing I might add is that the nut is not intended to be reused. If you do this procedure and the clunk comes back, it may be that the nut is loosening.

I would also agree with many that using syntheic grease will last longer than penetrating oil.

We need more of this kind of stuff on the site!

What is the source of this information? I have a factory service manual and it does not mention to replace the axle nut, whereas it does say that on other fasteners, like the steering wheel nut and brake caliper mounting bolts.

This info is super!!

My 2001 speed developed this "pop" early summer. I did check the axle nut for tightness, was OK, but I'll go a step farther now and try to get some lube in there.

Here's hoping!!!

RonJ ... :cheers:

I still catch myself getting ready to flinch when I put it in gear, expecting to hear the popping again, but so far, the noise has not come back. The light coating of 30 wt oil on the inner hub surface is still working. If I ever have to go in again, I would consider using a light grease instead of just oil.

Well, I pulled the axle nut off, (left the wheel on) used the long nozzle that comes with most penetrating oil spray cans and put the oil into the splines, worked it back and forth. Some more penetrating oil and then I used an air gun to blow the oil down into the splines until I saw it coming out the back side.

I then used Mobil1 10w30 (what else) ... :lol: and blew it through with the air gun.

I tightened the axle nut up to 135 ft.lbs. even though my manual says 120.

THE POPPING NOISE IS GONE!!!

I don't fully understand why the noise was there in the first place. Is the splined axle knocking back and forth in the hub? Why is the torque for the axle nut only 120 ft.lbs.? It's a big nut on a decent thread. Gees, the wheel nut wants 100 ft.lbs!! Bottom line is that you can't argue with success!!!

My thanks and a tip of the hat to the lads who posted this information!!

RonJ ... :thumbs:

The noise is not actually originating from the spline, it comes from the sticking and releasing of the surface between the hub and where it contacts the bearing on the inside of the hub. Sounds like you forced oil through the spline from the outside and got the oil all the way through to where the oil needs to be. I pushed the axle in about 1/4 inch and swabbed oil on the inside surface where the source of the noise is. The axle nut is only torqued to 118 ft.-lbs. because the spline is carrying the load. All the nut does is hold the hub and half-shaft together.

Here is my original description...
Originally Posted by TEXHAWK0
3rd Childhood has it right. The key is getting the lube to the inboard end of the spline, but there is no need for a hammer.

I removed the axle nut, and with the wheel off, found that there was enough end-play in the CV joint to push the axle in about 1/4" and expose the surface between the CV joint hub and the back of the bearing. I swabbed light lube on the bearing/hub interface and the inner part of the spline making sure I coated the entire surface, re-torqued the axle nut, and the noise was gone.
NOTE: I did tap on the end of the axle with a rubber mallet once, but after that, the spline slid easily in the hub. I pressed on the end of the axle with my knee to free up both hands while I cleaned and lubed the inner hub and spline.

Some people are just removing the nut and spraying lube on the outboard end of the spline. This relies on the lube working its way the length of the spline to get to where it needs to be.

My service manual says axle torque is 118 ft-lbs.

I did put oil directly on the hub/bearing surface as well as blowing it through the splines. My point with the nut tightness, if it was tighter, perhaps the stick and release problem would be reduced with more torque on the nut. It's a big nut with a large flange to spread it's load out where it contacts the hub. I don't think the assembly will be harmed by increasing the torque on the nut.

The nut itself is self locking, the deformed thread type of lock and is very tight on the threads once the lock is reached. I should have tried it when I was working with the nut, I wouldn't be surprised it's taking 50 ft.lbs. just to overcome the resistance of the self locking nut.

RonJ ... :cheers:

Since there is a bearing in the hub, the relatively low torque may be related to how much pre-load the bearing is supposed to have.

I have developed the same click :willy: . I will have to take it apart this weekend and force some redline synthetic grease in there. I love this forum. :flag:

My car just had this symptom, I'm so happy I found this thread.

You guys are super. The dealership would had charged me an arm and a leg for an axle replacement.

Just did it....clicks are gone :party:
Used foaming motorcycle chain lube with the little straw on it. Great for getting in between the axle and the bearing even with the wheels on. Total time....30 minutes.

Hi I wondered is anyone could shine a bit of light on my problem.
I have a 90 zr1 with coil overs from DRM and since I have instaled them the car seems to eat universal joints on the drivers side half-shafts. every 300 miles or so one of the UJ's starts to click and when I remove it the needle bearings in the UJ have been powderised and started to wear the actual UJ. I have replaced the wheel bearing and anti-roll bar bushes but to no avail. Just wondered if this was heard of before or what it could be.
Thanks Louis

:thumbs: My sentiments exactly - I was about to go to my dealer - but I will give this a try first -

I get a pop every once in a while, And thanks for pictures and write up i know exactly what to do now. :thumbs: Would it be better to use lithium grease in the areosl form provide better lubrication? :bigears

:iagree:

I doubt this is your problem, but I mention it only because I can't think of another explanation. Cardan joints are meant to operate at very low angles. If your suspension changes have increased the operating angle of the UJ, service life can be greatly reduced.

Well, they are coming back again :toetap:
Possibly driving in the rain for over a month straight has something to do with it. I am going for a heavy synthetic grease this time around and see how that holds up to monsoon season here...

I really need a more vette friendly local...

Bummer! :ack: Might as well go ahead and throw on a new nut while your there this time.

CV/Rear End Noise
 

Thanks to all who have posted their symptoms/results to the problem within this post. My wife's 2001 convertible has been experiencing this problem since @ 28,000 miles. I have not been able to hear the noise, due to diminished hearing induced by too many years of aircraft engine noise in my line of work.

I have checked everything within the rear end to include torque values and physical security of all components to no avail, until performing the hub lubrication technique as descibed within this post.

It has solved the noise gremlin associated with the differential/half shaft problem, as described by my wife.

It was a simple job, after obtaining the proper 33mm socket to perfom the task. I used an anti-sieze grease to lubricate the splines after cleaning the area with spray type Liquid Wrench. The hub nut was torqued to 118Ft/Lbs and the wheel nuts to 100 Ft/Lbs.

My wife is very happy, now that this noise is no longer present in the right rear wheel.

This will most likely become a part of my routine maintenance every 20,000 miles.

This type information on the Forum is what makes it such a great resource for all of us to utilize and share.

Thanks again for all of the input.

Dbstephens@comcast.net

Another satisfied customer !

Did the "noise elimination mod" today. Worked flawlessly. Thanks to everyone involved in this post.

Being a motorcyclist, I also used motorcycle chain lube. Most people here don't realize motorcycle chain lube is the perfect lubricant for this application. It sprays on like WD40 (and is penetrating like WD40) but in a few minutes it becomes thick (so it doesn't fling off the motorcycle chain). Unlike penetrating oil that almost completely evaporates, chain lube (Bell Ray) leaves white lithium grease that will last for a very long time...

MD:cheers:

Tech Tip by jbauch357
 

That was an excellent write up jbauch357!!!! Kudos to ya! :cheers:

saved a trip to the shop!
 

Had already contacted a shop and was about to have them replace the cv joints. this tech tip worked great. next up will be the baseline dyno at DTP before the modding.

Just today I started hearing clicking sounds from the rear wheels of my '99 Coupe. Reading these posts, will first be trying this re-lube effort and see if it cures it. I won't complain about the price of new shafts as I've certainly gotten the miles out of these original ones, should it become necessary to replace them. Currently they are showing $233.76 for each. The nice thing though is if re-lubing the splines will save me nearly $500! We'll see this weekend.

:iagree: :iagree: Seen this condition posted here too many times to NOT be the first thing to check.

I've seen this before on drive shafts. Check that the yokes aren't distorted. When the yokes are distorted the U-joint is in a bind and will self destruct. A drive train specialty shop can check them and straighten the yokes.

I noticed mine doing it some last summer. When I did the brakes, I saw the axle nut is very rusty, along with the threads. I hope it itsn't froze on there.
I am going to pull the tranny/ differential soon, so I will have to pull the half shafts out anyway. Would it be better to coat the splines with some anit-sieze, instead of oil or grease?

Oh! Is boths sides Right hand threads?

I re-lubricated the splines this morning and the click is gone. I used offf-road motorcycle chain-lube for it. Thank You all for contributing to this Forum as it just saved me nearly $500 for new shafts as that is what I expected to have to replace.

:iagree: 100 %

Thank You!

:thumbs:

Chuck

I just bought a 2002 Z06 lately. It has the clunk in the left rear. I was certain it was a CV joint or something equally significant.

It sounds just like when the drive-shaft flex disks on a Mercedes Benz are worn out...clunky play in the drive line...except that it is isolated in the left rear rather than directly under the center of the car.

I can't wait to try the oily-spline solution! I sure hope it works!

Where can a non-motorcyclist find the chain lube?

I was POSITIVE I had a serious problem...

but I lubed the splines and properly torqued the axle nut (it was not very tight)...

and the noise is GONE.

Thanks!

Well, guess I'm next on this one. The wife's car has developed a loud clunk when the driveline is loaded and unloaded, so I'll start with this since it is fairly simple, and it sounds like the same issue she is having. Hopefully will have some results by the end of the week. Not sure what I will use for lube right now though, whether motor oil, gear oil, wheel bearing grease, or white lithium grease.

My dad had the same problem with his 04 M6. He took it to the local dealer:ack: turns out there is a GM service bulliten for this. Not a recall. It has something to do with the fluid in the rearend. They said that the fluid from the factory was not at a sufficient level which caused it to break down early. They replaced the fluid with a different type and up to the proper level. This was just a few days ago, but the noise is gone. For now at least.

Any idea what the axle nut part # is?

The threads on the end of the axle were pretty rusty, so the nuts are rounded off a little. I'm not about to run those all the way up and risk them rounding off if I have to take them off again. The threads cleaned up pretty good when running the nut off, but I've run it up and down the threads a few times to clean them up some more.

I have a pair of new spindle nuts sittng in my toolbox at home, when I get there I can post up the part number. Alternatively I am sure that if you did some looking on GM parts direct you could get the number...

Spindle nut part number: 10257766

If I remember right they ran be about $15 a piece from the local dealer...

Thanks!! I ordered them today from the local dealer and they will have them in tomorrow. $9.32 each

A THOUSAND THANKS!!! I too fixed this clicking I thought I had to live with in my 02 Z06! Used white lithium grease. I also noticed some talk of loose axle nuts...did not notice that problem, in fact it almost felt as if the nuts were stripped because they were quite stiff coming off and going back on...I wonder if this was 'factory intentional' to prevent them from loosening???

The axle nuts are self locking. They are made to have an interference fit on the threads to keep them from backing off. Don't use any lubricant on the threads when you torque the nut to 118 ft-lbs.

Use the right sized socket to get at tight fit and prevent rounding of the nuts. (I think the socket is 33mm and you can get one in the special sockets section of your local parts store)

I had the same issue. Pulled the wheels, removed the axle nuts and greased the back of the bearing where the CV hub meets the bearing. I used penetrating grease in the splines as well.

Snapping axle noises are gonzo!

slight amendment here...

if you tighten/loosen the same axle nuts too many times they will fail to hold their grip and you will have to buy new spindle nuts, so do it right the first time around. in the end the thing that worked best for me was a good thick coat of synthetic grease, the PB blaster was too thin and would loose it's effectiveness after a couple months.

some of the dealers are supplying replacement spindle nuts that are the same size as the factory (33mm) and some are supplying a nut that is one size larger (34mm). so double check the side of the head before tearing the car down.

I did this lube trick to get rid of the "pop" last year, oddly enough, just about exactly one year ago to the day!! I looked back and I posted on this topic Oct14, 2006.

Right now, after a year, the noise is back, not sure how many miles have gone by.

Last year I blew engine oil in with an air hose. This time around, I'm going to try spraying chain lube into the splines and behind the bearing. Chain lube should creep well and stick!

It's an easy task and if I have to do it once a year, no big deal.

RonJ ... :cheers:

Wow!
 

Worked like a charm! Had the local dealer work on it to the tune of around $400, claiming their mechanic was a Corvette specialist, with no results. Can't say enough about this exceptional forum and it's outstanding members and their wisdom. Rockin'!

thx problem fixed

WoW ! That was easy . Chain lube worked great and the clicking is gone . Great post . :eek:

I did this last night and was so excited to think this would solve my issue, but it did not. I used chain lube and greased the splines thoroughly.

My issue is that when the car rolls over any even slight uneven terrain or sometimes turning, there is link a clunk/pop like as if something is loose. I have had the car up on the lift several times to check for loose nuts/bolts but have not found anything. It sounds as if something is held in place under pressure and pops out under certain conditions.

Something to note though, when I lightly brake, i get a shuttering from the rear like it is shaking up and down on the drivers side. Not sure if this is related to the clunk.

Just want to remind everyone that the real problem with the famous clunk problem (when shifting between forward and reverse) is a slip/stick issue between the hub and the outboard CV joint. Greasing the spline may work sometimes mainly because some gets through to the mating surfaces between the joint and hub. But the best fix is to put some lube on this interface.

None of this applies to clunks when just rolling ahead as ZO Quick mentions. This doesn't smell like a CV issue to me.

WOW, I just finished this service on both sides of my 04 Z06, I used PB blaster penetrating oil shot into the splines to loosen things up. Then with the axle pushed in a bit I sprayed PB lithium spray grease onto the back spline area and the face of the CV joint, and just a couple shots into the front side of the splines. Torques it all down and took it for a ride.

HOLY COW, it is amazing the difference!!!!

Thanks for the post to all who did this first. I think with my car having the wheels off all the time for autox and track days this will become a quick once a year service like the trans fluid for me!

Thanks to jbauch357's pictorial, fixed the annoying clicking problem on my son' '02Z, worked like a charm, used Castrol chain lube. Replaced the spindle nuts also. They were 33mm on the car but the replacement nuts from GM were 34mm. Thanks, great forum.

thread mark and Thanks

Recently bot a 2006 z51 Vert with 22K miles. Changed the Diff Fluid first - some noise is gone. Doing this tonight. My 06 C6 has the 34mm socket. I'm a MCY fan so I'll use my fav PJ1 Blue. Hope this does the trick! Dang rear brakes squeal too.... (Car has been washed and not driven too often?) I have service records showing Diff Fluid was orig changed at 11K miles / diff fluid was clean and nice overall. Crossing fingers for test drive soon.

GREAT POST - THANKS for details and piccies. I started getting substantial concerns about being able to get to the inside of the spline but THIS Thread eliminated that confusion for me!

I'm following instructions and have tapped the end of the axle with a rubber mallet medium hard and nothing loosens. How hard can I/should I whack it without doing any damage?
Tks.

Well, that wasn't it.

I followed instructions, lubed generously with chain lube and I still have popping as before.

A local Vette mechanic says its a wheel bearing. Your thoughts?

I would try to add limited slip additive to the differential before replacing the wheel bearings. You can buy a small plastic bottle of it from dealership. It costs about $15.00. This fixed the popping noise in my Z06. I believe the posi traction plates in the differential were sticking. It will be easier to get the fluid in with a pump.

Did anyone ever get a definite fix/cause of this? I have a 2008 Z06 and it just started this. Weird thing is... now that when the car is on a light slight hill downward, in neutral, and brake off, the car WONT roll. I give it a push, and bam, there is that pop noise and it starts to move.

There has to be something that caused this, all of the sudden out of no where, It really can just need lubed up?

I could be wrong but any new input is appreciated.

Thanks!

Does this occur after the car has been sitting a few days or after each time you stop?

It happens every single time I stop. Even if I get on it in first gear and keep letting off and then punch it again, click click click every time I hit the gas.

Forgot to mention its an 2008 Z06, sorry if its in wrong section here.

okay, it could be the axle issue mentioned in this thread or maybe something else. I'll ask a friend with your generation body style and see if they can offer any possible causes. As I am not as familiar with C6 issues as I am with the C5.

:canadaflag:2004 z06 doing mod this week will update:toetap:

rear axel bearing
 

I replaced the bearing right rear and still have a roher in right going down the road am in Noonday south of tyler,can You help . thanks ken

My 03, six speed, is doing this and it sounds like a different problem! I put it up on a hoist and the lash clunking seems to be coming from inside the transaxle. I took it to the dealer and he found a bulletin from GM that basically says that cars with the Tremec 6-speed Manual, the clunking is a result of normal lash from driveline, axle, isolation flanges, dual mass flywheel and other stuff all working together and is a normal condition called parade clunking! (PIP3896)
After finding this document they were satisfied that the clunking is normal and sent me on my way!
I don't believe the noise we are hearing is normal and it is sending me up a wall. I, like you would like to get more information and that is why I am searching the forum!!

Oh man. So glad I finally found this thread. I have been battling this popping and popping under heavy acceleration for a while now. I have replaced both axle nuts and replaced all end links to no avail. Going to pick up some chain lube from autozone and give the splines a good lube. Hope this fixes my problem. Why is this not stickied?

I know, this clunking drives me crazy! I'm in Idaho and inside, my shop is about 10 below, so the 'vette is parked and I am going to wait until spring to lube the splines. Then I am going up to Missoula, Montana and do the Lochsa River road! It is 130 miles of curvy scenic overload!

Here's the fix thread from 2006, I found that chain lube worked for me as it doesn't sling off

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...earings-2.html

Assuming you install new axle nuts you can put locktite on the old ones and use them as lock nuts to make sure the new ones remain tight.