Drive shafts

[Azazello]

It seems I have to change my drive shafts... One was clanking yet during the travel to Thenay, now the noise is more frequent and boring, and a little one comes even from the other wheel...
I found out this:
http://www.leboncoin.fr/equipement_auto/191551090.htm?ca=5_s
Is it the right model for my car? Good price, it seems...
Do I need some specific tool to change them? Do they come easily from the gearbox (I know yet i need a 24 spanner to detach them from the wheel)?
Merci.

 

[Steve Hennessey]

No, these will not fit your car. They are for the very early models. The procedure for driveshaft removal and replacement is in the Haynes manual with the GTL supplement - I strongly suggest that you buy one.

I would also suggest that you make absolutely sure that it is the driveshafts making the knocking noise and nothing else.

 

[DavidN]

I had the clanking as well.
Occured under change of load (e.G. when releasing the pedal after accellerating).

I bought some good graphite grease. Then on every rubber sleeve (?) I opened one of the clamps holding the rubber to the drive shaft. Using a grease gun I filled (pumped) a good amount of graphite grease into each rubber sleeve and replaced the clamp.

Since then (~2k Miles) there is no more clanking!

Cheaper and much more easy then changing a whole drive shaft.

To get the grease in between the rubber and the drive shaft without damaging the rubber I used a piece of brake line to make an extension for the grease gun.

Cheers,

David

 

[Azazello]

I have the Haynes manual, but it says that I need a special tool to extract the ds from the gearbox, while other people told me that it comes very easily, I would like to know more... And what I have to look for to see if the ds is good for my model? I found 2 different one on a site (both for late TL/GTL model):
http://www.mister-auto.it/it/semiasse/renault-4-112-1-0-34ch_v8601_g13.html
They have a big difference in price, is it justified by a similar quality difference?

The car is noisy at low rpm, expecially during curves or rising... or both. The mechanic changed one cap and greased all of them, the noise disappeared for a while than came back.
I fear it was too late to solve with grease... but when I heard the noise at the beginning, just sometimes on curves, every time I took the mechanic for a drive the noise stopped... I think some kind of Murphy's law is involved.
I changed the steering box and the ball joints BT (Before Thenay).
Now I would like to substitute the anti soll bar's silent blocks...

 

[Steve Hennessey]

You don't need to use the tool at all. Your mechanic should be able to replace the shaft without any problems. It's one of the easiest jobs to do on a R4.

The shafts usually wear out if the gaiters split and water / grit gets into the joint. If this hasn't happened to your shafts then they may be okay. The shafts are very hard wearing as a rule. The link you sent does not tell me much but any good motor factor will be able to supply the correct shafts.

 

[Azazello]

The link you sent does not tell me much but any good motor factor will be able to supply the correct shafts.

It was just to show you the price difference of two driveshafts for the same model of r4... I was wondering what make this difference, even because when I ask for a piece in a shop there are no chioices, so I do not know if I am buying a good piece or a bad one...

So you are suggesting the noise is coming from somewhere else?

 

[Steve Hennessey]

In this life you get what you pay for and SKF is a well known brand.

Front end noises: Shock absorber, wheel bearings, anti-roll bar bushes and fixings, wishbone bushes, top and bottom ball joints, drive shafts, loose wheel nuts, seized or partially seized brake calipers, tightness of fixing bolts, broken engine mountings, broken exhaust mountings, exhaust front pipe fouling the inner wing, tightness of drive shaft securing nut, drive shaft splines rusted in hub flange.

I think I have covered everything unless anybody else has any more suggestions.

 

[Geoff in the Gully]

Steering arms