What are the ways of working out if one has a broken wheel bearing or their differiential is about to die? Is there a significant difference on symptoms between the two or do both sound the same if either has a problem?

So far I havn't been able to feel any difference in ride, but from 20km/h and onwards I hear a groaning noise coming from the front (I've yet to even work out if its coming from the left or right) and the pitch is proportional to the speed I am doing, but its not screeching or whining (which makes me think its not the bearings).

I've tried to jack up each corner and rotate the hubs by hand but I can't hear or feel anything abnormal, though I can't rotate them 20km/h anyway.


Please don't be the diff, I can't afford to replace it :pray:

Whats your gearbox oil like?

I've not yet dropped the gearbox oil yet.

I can hear a groaning/growling noise when I am in neutral and in both downhill and flat coasting situations, although only audible above 20km/h.

Havn't felt any non-ordinary backlash yet.


Yes i've removed and installed Magna engines and transmissions and made lots of holes in one, but this ones new to me, i've never experienced a dieing/broken diff and I havn't encountered a car that has worn bearings yet, so these symptoms are all new to me. Must say I've been doing a lot of googling the past 8 hours and learning more and more about differentials.

Check the inside drive shaft cv joint for end play and lateral movement. When they start to fall apart they sound terrible. The big advantage is that you can notice it if the lower control arm is jacked up until the wheel is just off the ground.

Be careful while you are under the car on the jack

Hope this helps

drive the car straight, and then turn left or right.. if the noise gets louder on turns, the wheel bearings are more than likely stuffed! not expensive to repair, but a press is needed!

Well its definitely not the wheel bearings, they are all fine.

My old man being optimistic (I'm a pessimist so I keep thinking its the 'diff') also suggested it could be the inner joint on the driveshaft.

So I have to jack up the lower control arm, I can't check it by jacking the car up and letting the lower control arm left dangling at the lowest spot?

Hmm if I can check the inner joints then this might be a lot cheaper then buying new driveshafts as a trial and error diagnosis.

A complete drive shaft is about $100, much easier than fiddling with the inner.

By the way, if it is the inner cv joint and you can definitely hear it, then it's about to drop its guts. There isn't much mechanics in the inner cv, there nothing like the outer.

When they strip, you stop.

Hope this helps

I still have to work out which driveshaft it is though.

Do 3rd gens have intermediate shaft bearings (on the longer driveshaft)?

If so then i reckon check that out. Lift one front wheel at a time and spin the wheel by hand (with car in neutral), listen for noises...

Yes the 3rd gens have the intermediate shaft.

I think I *may* have found the problem. It *looks* like it may be the inner CV on the drivers side where the intermediate shaft is located.

What's annoying is that shaft was supposedly replaced only a couple of months ago :doubt:


Magnabuff: Why do you keep removing your posts? It makes my posts sound weird!

Teco,

I am working off a 2nd gen but i think the mechanics are the same...
if your drive shaft is about to go.. you will notice a light "shudder" under heavy load almost like the wheel isn't quite gripping the road...
i am assuming you know how to check the wheel bearing????
if not then check for sideways play and up down play by leaving the car on a flat surface and trying to tilt the wheel top and bottom.. and front and back... almost like you are trying to wiggle it off the studs..
if there is significant movement then the bearings are stuffed...
the other thing is have you checked your lower control arm fluid filled bushes? those can go too you know..
i live in the nth beaches if your around and i can check it out.. i have a little knowledge and being the son of an auto electrician i know a few tricks..

I'm back in square one, it was neither the passenger or drivers side CV.

Wheel bearings are fine, we checked them out and it was ok.

The lower control arm bushes were replaced with offset polyurethane bushes only a year ago, I did look at it and they weren't cracked.


I might just drive around until something actually breaks. I'll have to remember to upgrade my NRMA membership so they can tow me home for free when it happens.

Just remembered

"Groaning noise", I had a similar noise after I put poly bushes in my 2nd gen. Found it to be a lower control bolt and arm nut that goes through the centre of the poly bush.

The nut was a little loose, and made a shocking noise in the suspension travel up and down. Tightened the front and rear nuts and all noise gone. (Mind you it looked tight, when put the ring spanner on it it was 1/3 of a turn loose. Made all the difference.)

Buy new spring washers and nuts if it is the problem and tighten home.

Hope this helps

I'm back in square one, it was neither the passenger or drivers side CV.

Wheel bearings are fine, we checked them out and it was ok.

The lower control arm bushes were replaced with offset polyurethane bushes only a year ago, I did look at it and they weren't cracked.


I might just drive around until something actually breaks. I'll have to remember to upgrade my NRMA membership so they can tow me home for free when it happens.


So did you even check the intermediate shaft bearing?