Author Topic: Knocking noise from rear axlev area -guess what !  (Read 2642 times)

Ben

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Knocking noise from rear axlev area -guess what !
« on: November 24, 2005, 11:26:28 »
Okay so I knew I had some issues with the rear axle. I've never done any maintenace on it in the last 4 years, save for change the diff oil and ensure it is topped off. I had some squeaks and the odd knocking sound but I kept putting it all off !

I read the various topics over the last few months nut this week I started to get a loud thumping knocking sound on hard right turns only. It got a bit louder and despite a casual glance I didn't spot anything save for a few tired looking bushes. The bushing in the trunk looked very new and I had dismissed this as a cause years ago !

So today I did a few sharp turns in the parking lot to see what I could hear. The noise was very bad and I could feel it through the body of the car, with each bang ! Pushing up and down revealed nothing much except shocks and springs that seemd fine, pushing sideways revealed a lot more movement than I deemed normal so I figured I would order some bushes, but my fear was that there was something very sinister going on inside the back axle. I reckoned something was broken.............I had no doubt !

Then a search on the sight revealed that maybe one of the axle bearing locknuts may have come loose. I decided to investigate and once I took off the wheel I spotted a rub mark on the inside of the wheel well. The balance weight was contacting part of the inner arch, but why now ?? Again I reckoned bush wear had produced a large amount of lateral axle movement !

I decided to check the fresh looking mounting in the trunk before ordering the rest and duly jacked up the diff gently and pulled the copver off inside the trunk. To my amazement the centre large nut was loose, showing about 20mm of thread.........only hand tight !!

Some wally had replaced the mounting and never tightenened the nut. I dismissed it 'cos it looked so fresh !!  So I tightened it and went for a drive !

The car is more quiet than ever before !!

Now was that lucky or what !  I'm delighted.........and the other noise is gone too !  I'll still rebush the rest but at least I can drive it !

So the lesson is ..........no matter how good things look, check them anyway !!

Regards,
Ben in Ireland.
'64 230SL 4sp.

TheEngineer

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  • '69 280SL,Signal Red,
Re: Knocking noise from rear axlev area -guess what !
« Reply #1 on: November 24, 2005, 11:54:30 »
Ben: I had a lot of issues like that with my car. The previous owner, a contractor, bought the car as a present for his wife. The car really looked immaculate: The owner before that only drove it about 300 miles in ten years and had it always garaged. When he went to a show, he transported it in a closed trailer. Our contractor's wife was delighted. She would drive it to the golf course and show off. But the car leaked oil. It was so bad that the caretaker at the club asked her to clean up, or get the leak fixed, or not bring the car any more. You can't say, she was not given choices! They brought the car to two different shops where seals etc. were replaced. The car still leaked. I have the receipts for the work. The last Mercedes Shop wrote on the invoice:"Leaks unrepairable". I have that invoice also. I found bolts not tightened, seals missing, Permatex smeared into cracks instead of removing the tach drive and replacing the O-ring, wrong P/N front seal, studs screwed into the block and the threads not sealed and many other items like this. It took me two years to find all the leaks. Now it leaks about two drops when the car is standing for a few days. It looks like a lot of people screw around with these cars without taking the time to educating themselves and maybe do the job right, even if that means to do it over. I'm still not educated enough. Good luck!
'69 280SL,Signal Red, 09 cam, License BB-59U
'67 230SL, 113042-10-017463 (sld)
'50 Jaguar Roadster XK120, #670.318 (sld)
tired engineer, West-Seattle,WA

Ben

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Re: Knocking noise from rear axlev area -guess what !
« Reply #2 on: November 25, 2005, 02:44:16 »
Mmmmm yeah and leaks are another issue I need to deal with !

I'm waiting until my new garage is completed (it hasn't started yet) and I plan to go through all my leaks. I have engine oil, transmission fluid and diff oil all making their respective bids for freedom !!

Still at the moment its only a drop or two so I can live with it for a while longer !

Regards,
Ben in Ireland.
'64 230SL 4sp.