CV-Joints/Half-Axles: Snap-crunch noises...

[ajbremer]

I bought my third running Festiva the other day.

I just finished putting in a clutch and replaced the transmission in one of my other Festivas so I now know a little bit about the noises, snapping, crackling, and popping that bad trannys and bad joints can make.

This new Festiva addition of mine, the clutch doesn't slip at all and all gears seem to shift fine but when ever there's torque applied (step on the gas initially), there's snapping and popping noises.

My first guess is that it needs new half-axles. Could be a tranny problem but I refuse to think about that right now.

You know how everyone says to just turn the wheel all the way one way and if there's snapping/popping noises then it's the joints. But, bad half-axles can make bad noises even when their going straight, right?

[batstiva]

Crawl under the car and look at the boots on the half shafts. I'd bet a couple of paychecks they are torn/shredded, and the joints are dried out.

[JPT]

I had a bad axle once that would make a very faint clicking noise when going straight. As soon as you turned a corner though, it would make a terrible racket.

[WmWatt]

You can carefully pry up the bands which hold the boot on and push the boot up the shaft to look at the condition of the bearings. You can clean out the old grease and pack with new. I did it last April and they've been quiet since. It's described in the Haynes manual.

[mechanicaldj]

is this the same problem as in this post:

http://www.fordfestiva.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32973

??????????????????

[denguy]

Mine pop a lot when turning a corner. Got new rebuilt ones standing by to put in.