Club 80-90 Forums

A couple of questions please if anybody could help?

I have just recently (a couple of weeks ago) lowered my Caravelle with -40mm springs and spax adjustable shocks and fitted 16 x7j alloys on 215 x 60 x R16 tyres.

And I don’t know if its just bad luck and coincidence but I have just started getting a loud knocking noise from underneath the van which sound like a CV joint failing! At first i thought it was my wheel nuts but have checked them all and retightened them.

So would putting wider tyres on the back put more stress on the CV joints and cause them to start knocking?

My van is an automatic and the knocking is most noticeable when pulling away and the knocking sound is wheel speed related i.e. Knocks more as I accelerate and then quietens down when I lift of the accelerator?

Does this sound like a CV joint?

That does sound like a CV joint. I dont think the tyres will make much difference, but the change of ride height will have changed the angle of the drive shafts....Though I would have thought it would lessen the angle.
Get underneath and give the shafts a push/pull towards the gearbox. Sometimes moving the grease around will get you a reprieve.
The Autobox has one driveshaft shorter than the other, (cant remember which) The CVs on the shorter shaft tend to wear slightly faster.

Agree. The ball bearings in the joints will now be moving in areas they never have and what you're hearing is them clonking as they move from fresh to worn metal. Regreasing helps a little but the only sure way to cure it is to fit new ones. Do shop around though - you can end up paying far too much for CV joints. Providing they're marked as GKN/Lobro, they will be top quality, and I've picked them up for around £30 a joint in flash sales etc, so do compare. Good joints are 'blued' on the bearing faces. Cheaper (chocolate) ones are not and wear out in as little as six months.

Thanks for the replies, Bought 4x new CV joint kits from Brickwerks (they were GKN) and fitted them the weekend and the clonking has gone, in fact it is so much quieter driving now I can now hear other squeaks and rattles! (which I can live with)

Also whilst i was underneath I took the pan of the auto transmission off and drained some of the old ATF which was black and replaced the pan seal and filter and topped it up with fresh new ATF and the difference in smoothness of gear change is amazing. So pretty chuffed with the way she is driving now, next job is to sort out my really rusty front brake callipers and change the front pads which are very low.

Its amazing how empowering a successful repair is.
Well done.