18th July, 2000 - Recently my '87 lux 8v started to make a very slight coffee grinder esque noise at low speeds (with or without the clutch engaged). On my way home tonight there was a sizeable clunk as I accelerated from standstill and now it produces a loud clunking whenever the vehicle is moved. As I was concerned I called the AA who arranged for a transporter to trailer it home.
Does anyone have any idea what the problem may be? It drives but makes a lot of noise whether in gear or not (clutch engaged or disengaged). I cannot see anything obvious (although it's raining cats and dogs at the moment) but guess it might be a half shaft failure. Does this sound likely? Peter E

18th July, 2000 - Some time ago I had similar sounds suddenly develop on my 85Lux. Fortunately for me it turned out to be one of the lower rear disc guard plates which had for some reason moved or been knocked over and was touching the disc. This sounded terminal when ever the car was moved. I manually pulled the guard away from the disc and the problem was solved. Worth a look-see anyway. I hope it is as simple as this for you. Best of luck. Barry A

18th July, 2001 - Peter, it's one of 3 things I think, 1. The drive shaft as you mentioned. 2. Could also be the wheel bearing 3. Could also be something simple like the disc guards catching on the discs. If the car drives OK (apart from the noise) with good power and stable acceleration it is unlikely to be the drive shaft. Does the noise increase as the wheel speed increases? I would jack the car up regardless of the weather and then check for wheel bearing play and fouling disc guards Nik M

19th July, 2001 - i Peter, If you are getting a rhythmic knocking noise from the rear of the car on one side, it is almost certainly the drive (half) shaft. A wheel bearing will make a whining noise when getting tired and will eventually turn to a rumbling noise. The most common failure on the rear half shaft is the inner CV joint nearest the exhaust. The rubber boot cracks with the heat and then the grease comes out. It's fairly easy to see which shaft is the problem (if you are not sure) with the weight of the car off the rear wheels You can replace the CV joint or the whole half shaft. Getting a 2nd user shaft from Simon Butterworth is probably relatively risk free - depends on how much he wants for one. I had the same symptoms on my 951 in April after a track day. 185,000 miles on one drive shaft I thought was quite reasonable given the abuse my car gets! Regards, Andrew S

19th July, 2001 - I had the same symptoms on each of the rear half shafts. The solution was to replace all the CV joints. At £50 a joint (£100 per side), they're not cheap, but it certainly stops the scary noises (very disturbing when you are on the motorway and it sounds like a large and important part of your car is about to fall off). A quick check is to reach under the car while the wheels are still on the ground, grab hold of the shaft and try to move in and out. If the Joints are sound, there won't be much movement. If it goes in and out like a telescope, you have certainly got dodgy joints. Compare with the other side of the car to be sure (the left rear is the more prone to failure). Neil M