Order of events:
-scraping noise from front end for a few months. Assume low brake pads, thick disc edge "crust". Is on the to do list.
-large vibration suddenly started. Car undriveable above 40km/h
-rabidly worsens to thumping, feeling of loss of power. Call out roadside assist after checking d/s front wheel for play as that's where it feels like it's coming from. All wheel nuts are tight as well.
-rear engine mount rubber cracked in half, half fallen out. Tow home.
-replace rear engine mount. Front also cracked in half, replace that too.
-driveable speed back up to 40, don't want to though. Engine rocking movement on neutral rev back to minimal.
Ring pedders, ask them to check it, describe problems, they say check tyres in case one has an egg in it or delaminated.
-change all 4 wheels over, no change.
Free spinning p/s front hub makes a grinding noise, removal of caliper removes said grinding noise.
-grabbing at driveshafts, they have a few mm of both axial and longditudinal play. Is this normal? No boots are torn, some seem a bit misshapen.


TL:DR my car suddenly started shaking violently above 40. Directly road speed related. Worse under load. Engine in neutral sounds ok. Engine mounts f+r fixed. Any ideas? Possible wheel bearings or driveshafts?

A problem you have ignored for months? OMG!!

"Free spinning p/s front hub makes a grinding noise, removal of caliper removes said grinding noise. "

There's your problem!
Probably seized piston or splash guard distorted. Or slide pins seized. Or pads worn out and the warning tang scraping.

Driveshafts sound normal.

Jack up the offending wheel and try to rock it in/out at the top and bottom, also Left/Right at the centreline of the wheel. You should get no movement of the wheel, especially in the vertical direction. Horiz direction you may get a little but that could be slack in the steering. If you get vertical movement, your wheel bearing is stuffed. The fact that the noise goes away when the caliper is removed could reinfoce the bearing theory as well, because there would be nothing for the brake pads to scrape on. Replacing the wheel bearing is not easy - you need a very strong press.

Caliper opens and closes fine, removal of caliper was to see if the noises were pads dragging or bearing brokened. Will overhaul them while it's off the road anyway.

New brakes going in tomorrow. Car is too low, replacement 2nd hand engine mounts sagging and putting it just low enough to cause the inner driveshaft end to bottom out in the cup. Hence why it always felt a bit better after being jacked up and quickly worsened again =/ will raise car and see if it fixes it while waiting for engine mounts. If it's still clunky, may have done damage to driveshafts. It's done about 0.8km since being brokened. Also, new brakes!

Hey Tim, long time no see! How low are we talking? lol

I set it so that the ralliart bar cleared the gutter at qork by about 3mm. It doesn't clear all carpark gutters though, unfortunately. Wheel arch flares were off not trimmed.