CV Replacement

I jacked the drivers side up while the car is in park, drinkers side on the floor. Turned wheel back and forth and clunk or "slap" sound is coming from the drive shaft into the transmission. Lifted drinkers side and rotated tires back and forth. Same slap noise. Put the tranny in neutral and slapped wheels back and forth and same noise from tranny/driveshaft. Tried to wiggle wheel back and forth, in and out and there was no slop or cluck sound. Measure wheel slop and its about 1/2".

Is this play normal and the clunk/slap normal?

Looking at drive shaft tests and what the slop is; tranny or front drive shaft. I know the driveshaft is a 2 piece part in that it allows for up and down of the rear end with sliding to compensate for length of the drive shaft in bottom out and fully dropped differential. It's the original drive shaft to my knowledge and I had it "re-furbished" several years ago. From what I read, that really does not do much and its better to replace, but the cost of a drive shaft at the time was a bit much for me back then.

Back with more details.
 
Slap is in tranny, normal? nothing loose in the drive shaft (bolt, clip, etc)
U-joints look good, going to shoot some grease in the zerks, doubt they need it.
 
The other factor to consider is the backlash in the diff itself, the factory spec is somewhere between .008” and .012” and that seemingly small amount at the pinion will multiply to the tire. 1/2” seems pretty normal to me
 
XR7-4.6 said:
The other factor to consider is the backlash in the diff itself, the factory spec is somewhere between .008” and .012” and that seemingly small amount at the pinion will multiply to the tire. 1/2” seems pretty normal to me
Click to expand...
Yep, another item to ponder on about this car. But at least I can't replicate the noise and that could be weight. The diff has always been questionable, but I greased it 50k ago and it looked good.
 
I am calling this post a dead end for now. I may just re-build, replace the CV axles due to nothing more than age and how the front's looked when I replaced them recently.
 
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And the reality is if it’s slop in the diff it’s probably been there since the car was new, as backlash doesn’t generally change unless something’s gone terribly wrong which is definitely not common with 7.5s or 8.8s without other obvious symptoms.

Anecdotally my 3.55s I measured with a right on the edge of spec .012” backlash are notably clunkier than my 4.30s which I set up with a .009” backlash.
 
Talking about the diff...

I think the maintenance guide calls for a fluid change at 100,000 miles (?). I'm at 67,000.

But is age part of the consideration?

(I very much doubt either one of the previous owners changed it.)
 
1997ThunderbirdLXV6 said:
Talking about the diff...

I think the maintenance guide calls for a fluid change at 100,000 miles (?). I'm at 67,000.

But is age part of the consideration?

(I very much doubt either one of the previous owners changed it.)
Click to expand...

In reality it’s a lifetime item, especially if it’s an open. Trac loks have some contaminants with their clutch material floating around but it’s still not something to actually worry about
 
1997ThunderbirdLXV6 said:
Talking about the diff...

I think the maintenance guide calls for a fluid change at 100,000 miles (?). I'm at 67,000.

But is age part of the consideration?

(I very much doubt either one of the previous owners changed it.)
Click to expand...
I was at 100k on both the Town Car and the Cougar. You have a long ways to go, unless your drag racing that car every weekend...
 
XR7-4.6 said:
And the reality is if it’s slop in the diff it’s probably been there since the car was new,
Click to expand...
How did you know? Yes, it has been there since I have had the car, I just notice it more now.
 
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