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Followup To
Question -
Hello Ed,
I have a Buick Regal '99 GS, with 60K miles...during freeway driving, there is no steering wheel vibration, good tracking, no pulling...when driving straight, steering wheel position is very slightly left, there is a low pitched whine on all pavement types, sound goes away when I make the steering wheel neutral . Is that possibly alignment problems?
Immediately after freeway speeds, on side streets, I can hear an on/off loud clunking sound. then it goes away after driving a few miles.
when doing tight forward circles in the parking lot the car is quiet.
what do you think?
How would I know which CV joint...left or right is causing the clunking? Do I need special tools to extract the drive shafts from the trans?
thanks in advance for your time and comments,
Best regards....Dax
Answer -
Hi,Dax
Sounds like the front hub bearings may be worn,you can check this by lifting the ft tires off the ground,and wiggle the ft tire up and down,if there is slight play or excessive play then the wheel/hub bearings will need to be replaced,side to side play is worn tie rod ends,check this out first and let me know what you find,Thanks
Hello Ed
thanks for your fast reply!!
I separately raised each front wheel, hands at 12/6 o'clock, a little play was felt LT side, alot on RT side, hands at 3/9 o'clock, same result. I just bought this car and didnt feel anything on the test drive. Next car I will jack it up. the sellers did tell me they did some mountain driving...I think more than some!!
when I rocked the wheel front/rear, no clunking heard...does that mean the cv shafts are ok?
when taking off the big outer hub nut on the cv shaft, can I use some heat on it without damaging the outer cv joint?
thanks again for your expertise, you are a AUTO GURU...DAX
AnswerHi,Dax
As long as the cv boots are not leaking,and the cv joints dont make noise on hard turns or accelerating then they should be ok.
On the hub/axle nut,i wouldnt use heat as it will melt the grease in the cv joint and damage the joint,i soak the shaft that goes through the hub with a good penetrating lube,WD-40 etc,let it soak in there for a little bit,then screw the axle nut back on until it is flush with the outside part of the shaft,get your big hammer out and start hitting the shaft direct center,you'll know when it breaks free,sometimes just a little bit will knock it loose,if you need more help let me know.
ED
