circusboy

iTrader: (2)

i was driving along and saw a bump sign. i slowed down, but not enough.
there was a 2" high seam in the blacktop. it sounded pretty bad when i went over it. it was fine for about another 4 miles. all of the sudden i heard a pop. then i let off the gas and i hear a flop flop flop flop .....

i checked the tires and they look fine. the flop flop sound only happens when i let off the gas. as soon as i start to take off the noise goes away.

i have no clue what this is. has any one else had this happen?

any input is welcomed

2001whiteSS6spd

I would check for a bent rim or a broken sway bar end link. Good luck

Eric

circusboy

iTrader: (2)

the noise is speed sensative. i'm think maybe i blew the shocks out or screw up my brand ne wrear end.

car maybe for sale after i fix the problem.

tracetrimble

noise when you let off the gas says U-joints to me.

circusboy

iTrader: (2)

i just jacked up the rear end. if you turn the wheel real slow the drive shaft starts to rotate before you hear the clunk. it's either a u-joint or the rear end. the car has 86K miles and a new gears install about 4K miles ago. i have done no hard launchs. do you think a a big *** bump in the road would take out my rear end?

maybe i'll just replace the u-joint. any advice with in the next hour would be great.

circusboy

iTrader: (2)

i got the driveshaft out. i turned the york and there is a clunk in the rear end.

is this normal?

should i go ahead and change the u-joint?

tracetrimble

if the UJoint is worn, it would be very obvious once you took the drive shaft off, but it's not a bad idea to replace them anyway since you're that far - the parts are cheap.

sounds like it's something in the rear end. how much play is there?

circusboy

iTrader: (2)

there is a little play. maybe a 1/4" of rotation.
today i was in some really thick stop and go traffic and the low-trac light came on when i hit the brakes at 2 MPH. you could feel the brake pedal pulsing or something.

where is the low-trac sensor located? if it's on top of the axle then it may have been damaged when i hit the bump and that's what i'm hearing from the rear. god, can i be that lucky, lol.

bww3588

iTrader: (49)

yep.....thats what happend to me in my truck i hit a good bump and when i started downshifting it started squeeling.......sure enough....u join\t.

FunkyTownFBody

iTrader: (1)

What if you have that noise and you already replaced the u-joint?

bww3588

iTrader: (49)

its probably gone again

circusboy

iTrader: (2)

i will replace the u-joint tomorrow and give an update

circusboy

iTrader: (2)

i have a pretty aluminum drive shaft. the manufacturer liked it too. he gave it heavy duty u-joint and fastened it so it would NEVER EVER F__KING COME OUT!!!!!!!

the best i could tell was you were supposed to remove sime little pins, then knock it out or beat the damm thing out. i gave up. looked good to me. no play what so ever in the u-joint. i put the driveshaft back in. upon doing so i noticed some fluid leakage from the front of the rear end. i think i busted a bearing and possibly the seal. i guess it's off to shop on this one.

thanks for all your replys.

Armageddon

iTrader: (41)

Your not going to jar the pinion loose going over a bump... you'd rip the rearend out of the car first. Who installed the gears? Pinion bearing preload is massive, it has to be for situations like this. Put the car on a 2 post lift have somebody sit in the car and run it through the gears. If it's drivetrain speed related you'll be able to hear it would the suspension being loaded. If it only happens with the suspension loaded on the road I'm going to say it's suspension related. Then again, it made a flop flop flop noise... kind of sounds like something rotating over and slinging something around. Almost like a piece of something attached to the driveshaft... get the car in the air and look.

circusboy

iTrader: (2)

Futral put the gears in. i know he did the job right. do you think i could have busted the shocks? the swaybar ends looked good to me. maybe i loosened a wheel weight and it's floping as the wheel goes around. i'll have to give a good look this weekend. this after work stuff is killing my sleep time, lol.

bww3588

iTrader: (49)

its pressfit, you gotta take it to a shop.

circusboy

iTrader: (2)

i think i found the problem. The air tube on the driver side header snaped off and the broken pipe was banging around on the header.


what do you think?

FunkyTownFBody

iTrader: (1)

Most of us have leaky pinion seals to begin with, so the little bit a fluid isn't a huge concern. Is the car drivable right now? I say fix teh pipe and see if it's the problem!

Or even better, get rid of all that AIR and EGR ****

tracetrimble

U joints are fairly easy to change using a big C-clamp and a couple big sockets, but you really shouldn't need them on a passenger car more than every 100K or so. they get worked a LOT more in a truck, especially if it's lifted. if they feel tight, the cups rotate smoothly, and the seals look OK, they're fine. look elsewhere for your problem.

my Impala SS had a pretty severe exhaust noise coming from a failed AIR check valve which cooked one of the exhaust hoses, but it wasn't related to coasting / decel. just poppy/noisy all the time.

pinion seal leakage is indeed very common on these cars, so as long as the diff has fluid, that ain't it either...

good luck.