Front Diff Knocking?

[CruiseGTi-R]

I've been running my Quaife from new for about 2k miles now. Recently a knocking noise has started from the front passenger side.

It happens above 50mph or so and the steering wheel shakes badly enough that you can't really drive it.

I've gone through all the front CV's, bushes, ball joints etc and they're all ok.

Bob has looked over the car too and took it out for a spin (that man is our saviour!) and reckoned the Quaife has been built a little too tightly shimmed and the front diff has taken a beating.

Thought I'd check whether anyone else has had similar issues?

I got to make a good case to my garage for stumping up the cost of sorting it (they built the box).

 

[Fast Guy]

Have you checked the tyres aren't deformed or the wheels badly buckled?
Have you checked the anti roll bar mounts are OK?
How did you check the cv joints?
Front diff is in the transfer box so is pretty easy to get to allegedly.
I've had a cv joint affect the steering on an old fwd car, but when the diff went it didn't affect the steering. It just holed the gearcase:doh: when part of the pinion shaft came out of the diff and jammed between the ring gear and the gearcase. The pinion shaft in the diff caused a knock everytime you took up drive from a standstill. The outer CV joint suddenly made the steering start jerking to the left on a straight road. It just fell to bits when I took it off to change it. My fault it had been run dry with a split boot.
I'd be tempted to go with Bob as he knows these cars as well as anyone.

 

[CruiseGTi-R]

I got new tyres as a starter suspecting (hoping) it was that. But no go (waste of money that was!) The rims are the same I've had for years so they're fine. The CV's have both been changed for new. ARB mounts look fine. I also changed the front discs thinking they were warped (they were a bit warped anyway), didn't make a difference.

How do I get a new front diff? Available still or do I need to go 2nd hand?

 

[Fast Guy]

You should be able to go either way. It's an open diff as standard but lsds are an option, so it depends what you want.

 

[Gaz gtiR]

i may have the same problem :/ as mine is doing the same thing! how big of a job is it to change the front diff?? :?

 

[STU666V]

Front diff,

Remove drive shaft.

Remove the cover, about 10 X bolts and 2 nuts, also remove the bracket from tranny to engine.

And you should see the diff?

 

[PobodY]

i may have the same problem :/ as mine is doing the same thing! how big of a job is it to change the front diff?? :?

Before you start on that, check that your hub nuts are done up tight. - That's a far more common problem, and more likely if you haven't got a rebuilt gearbox or uprated diff installed.

 

[Gaz gtiR]

oh is it easy as that!!! sweet :-D hub nuts are tight! checked ball joints, strut tops, drop links, bottom arms. there all fine. so must be front diff!

 

[stumo]

Check the inner balljoints on the steering rack.

 

[CruiseGTi-R]

Update on this. The gearbox is now apart and its apparently the bearings, all of them.

The garage is trying to remember whether the bearings were replaced with new, but in any case I need to replace them.

Has anyone got part numbers/prices etc for whats needed?

Lastly, they'll probably be a bit of an arguement with the place that did the gearbox as to whether the bearing failure is due to their overshimming of the Quaife gearset. Any advice on that?

 

[pulsarboby]

I've been running my Quaife from new for about 2k miles now. Recently a knocking noise has started from the front passenger side.

It happens above 50mph or so and the steering wheel shakes badly enough that you can't really drive it.

I've gone through all the front CV's, bushes, ball joints etc and they're all ok.

Bob has looked over the car too and took it out for a spin (that man is our saviour!) and reckoned the Quaife has been built a little too tightly shimmed and the front diff has taken a beating.

Thought I'd check whether anyone else has had similar issues?

I got to make a good case to my garage for stumping up the cost of sorting it (they built the box).

hi toby
i never realised it was you that came down you should have said fella.

as for all the other comments......its nothing on suspension, steering or anything else as we checked it over for him and all was fine, it deffo sounded like a diff knock in box when coming on and off the loud pedal.

as for the garage that built it, well for the measly amot of mileage youve done it shouldnt have any probs and to me it sounded like there was too much preload on the gearset which would cause premature bearing failiure (although im no gearbox expert by any means)

pm sent re-bearings

btw ive sent your sump pan out yesterday, sorry for delay toby but what with the move and all i forgot to send it if im honest with you lol

 

[stumo]

part numbers for the gearbox bearings are

32203-03E00
32223-79E62
32273-79E00
32203-03E13

they are on the two shafts

 

[CruiseGTi-R]

All those parts have turned up in good time Bob, no worries at all.

Cheers for the pm too.

The gearbox place are idiots if they didn't think to use new bearings, but we'll see where the argument takes us.