gabebauman

But why would it only make the noise when I'm turning and on the gas? The intermediate shaft doesn't move or anything.

Pretty certain that's all fine. It was at a local shop for two weeks and they went over it with a fine tooth comb.

gabebauman

I think what I'm gonna try next is to get the front up on jack-stands, then load the driverside suspension buy jacking the lower control arm up with my hydraulic jack just like I do when I tighten down the lower shock bushings. Turn the car on and gas it. It's pretty much the only way I'm gonna be able to tell what's going on down there.

gabebauman

So I propped the front end up on jack stands, loaded the driver side suspension so that it came up off the jack stand, started the car, had my wife turn the wheel both ways and push on the gas, no knocking sounds. Of course...that would be to easy. Axle is not hitting/rubbing the lower wishbone shock fork or popping out of the hub or intermediate shaft. I'm really at a loss.

TurboTron

usually KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK is your axle......If you have a sway bar check to make sure it's end links are TIGHT....I had this same problem...rebuilt the front right corner and still knocked...finally checked my sway arm link....loose! fixed it.....quiet now

gabebauman

It's a Cx hatch. No front sway bar.

pityocamptes

I was going to say the same thing. Its probably the knuckle bearing in the half shaft.

gabebauman

The CV Shaft/Axle? or the Intermediate Shaft?

I replaced the driverside axle less than a month ago.

pityocamptes

CV shaft. Bearing assembly... I've had issues with aftermarket parts out of the box.

gabebauman

Hmm...I might try a different brand of CV shaft. I've replaced the driverside two times and they're both Autozone Duralast...I just didn't expect to get two bad ones in a row. My passenger side is NAPA. This noise developed after I installed the first Autozone shaft back in October 2009. I thought it might be my passenger side since I hadn't replaced it yet. Replaced the passenger side shaft from NAPA, still made the knocking noise. Last month, (yes...it was a long, cold winter so I didn't get around to it for a few months) I replaced the driverside shaft thinking that it may be a faulty driver side shaft, same noise.

Thanks for your help pityocamptes

prydeless

Same thing happened to me turns out it was the upper ball joint was bad and clicking when i turned. Thought it was the cv but just recently replaced it. Check for play by pushing up and down on the top and bottom of the tire really quick.

gabebauman

I was just under there on Saturday and the upper control arm ball joints are good. I've had bad uca ball joints before and they're more of a random clunk.

My noise/knock is controlled by the speed of the car while on the gas turning left or right, (more-so turning left)...like knock, knock, knock, knock, knock. Faster I'm going the closer the knocks are together.

pityocamptes

Have you had your wife or friend do circles in a parking lot really slow while you walk next to it and listen? If its a click, click, click, click, sound its the cv joint. Anyway to upload some audio?


Also, are you absolutely sure its coming from the front? I bent a rear rim - bead side, didn't know it, and when I had the tires rotated and balanced the bent one got rotated to the rear. Well ONLY on left turns the tire/suspension would shift and you would hear a knock sound. Thought it was coming from the front. Went back to the tire shop and after looking at it for a few minutes it was determined that the rear bead of the rim was barely hitting the rear shock mount. So perhaps the noise is traveling? Just a thought.

gabebauman

Hmmm...I never thought about being outside the car and listening for it. I'll try and get some audio up this week.

The noise is consistent with two different sets of wheels/tires. My summer mode 15x6.5 +40 offset wheels with 205/50/15 Hankook RS2 tires and with my winter mode 14x6 wheels with 185/60/14 snow tires.

I've setup an appointment at another local shop on Wednesday morning to have them ride along in the car to see if they may have a diagnosis. They specialize in swapped Honda/Acuras and are they're actually the shop that originally swapped this motor/trans into the car for the previous owner two years ago.

Would an automatic vs. manual intermediate shaft make a difference?

BryanM.

iTrader: (1)

Just throwing it out there...

It really seems like the alxe would do this, if the diff is not to blame.

LSD or open diif in this car?


.

gabebauman

Yeah...I need an admin/moderator to remove "It's not the axle." from the thread title...because when I started this thread...it was after I switched the axles out. Now I'm back to the axle's maybe being the problem.

LSD diff was just installed in trans last week. Same noise now...as before with the open diff.

ZuperDave

I'm having the same problem with my 97 Accord,...Why they ever pressed the wheel bearing on the rotor I'll never know,........Anyway.

This thread has been very helpful, I'm currently dealing with he same problem, Had new CV-Shafts installed and the popping continues when turning and accelerating.

The wheel bearing checks out okay, under normal wheel bearing test, but I'm at a loss.

ZuperDave

Well my problem was a motor mount.

gabebauman

So last night my friend Court came over to lend me a hand on the hatch dilemma.
I pulled the intermediate shaft and cv shaft off the car.
We studied both new and old intermediate shafts side by side and could not find any differences in the two, (again...thanks for letting me borrow one Sean).

I marked the loaner shaft with blue tape so there was no way to mix them up.


At first glance, they look identical.


So I proceeded to install it onto the engine/transmission. The shaft slid into the diff fine but when I rotated the bracket end up to mount up to the block...it wouldn't go all the way up against the block. OH GREAT! Now I'm like...hmmm...ok...pull it back out and Court and I proceed to examine the two intermediate shafts a little bit closer this time.

Well what'll-ya-know...they are indeed different. (check out the bracket)


Loaner shaft on the left, shaft that came off my car on the right.


5spd intermediate shaft = Part # 44500-SR3-J01


Automatic intermediate shaft = Part# 44500-SR3-J81


So now that we have that fancy intermediate shaft info out of the way. Let's move on to the real issue at hand. Obviously...this leads us back to the axles.

Exhibit A - (AutoZone Duralast Driverside 94-01 Integra GSR CV Shaft)


Inside the female end...it was infact locking in properly with the c-clip on the intermediate shaft and there were no signs of destruction.


Court and I begin to lazer-vision the two axles.


The two outer CV joints are the same length...they have a bit different shape on the ends...but we inserted them into both into the back of the hub and the spline shaft stuck out the exact same distance so that was fine.


Next we move over to the outer CV joints..."Look at this!" Court exclaims. Maybe this is your problem.


You see it?


Well...let's just check this for accuracy. Original axle on the bottom.


Close...but no cigar. AutoZone GSR axle on the top.


Ok...I'm kind of excited at this point...this just may be it. Since you're here Court. Want to help me throw these Ex knuckles/brakes back on my car so I can throw these poor excuses for stopping of Cx front brakes in the gutter? Sure...let's do this.

Now it's Thursday morning. After an amazing time at my 8am dentist appointment, (6th month cleaning - no cavities - yay!) I zip over to the local Napa Auto Parts store on Douglas to see if they have an axle that will work for me. Two days prior...I had Dustin pull a 94-01 Integra LS driver side CV shaft off the shelf and set aside for me just in case it indeed was the axle that was the problem. Sure enough...both of my mismatched length axles in hand...I examine the LS CV shaft and compare it to mine. We have a match!

AutoZone 94-01 GSR top and AutoZone 94-01 LS bottom.


Look closely. Remember how my old axle was shorter than the AutoZone axle? Looks like this Napa one may be a winner!


So, if you managed to read/skim thru the above babble...you'll see that I may have come to a conclusion with this five month ordeal. Of course...I'm still at the office and haven't had time to actually install the Napa axle yet...but I will definitely update you all when I do get around to it later tonight.

I can't believe that I never caught this. Neither did Cottman.

Thank You & God Bless.

BryanM.

iTrader: (1)

That's really awsome that you figured it out. I wasn't sure if AT half shafts were different than MT shafts. Great pics too.


.

gabebauman

Ok...I give up. :explode:

denracho

did you figure out what wrong dude?

gabebauman

Nope. Makes the same knocking noise with the new CV shaft from Napa.

gabebauman

Ok...so the only thing I haven't changed is the intermediate shaft. So if anybody has a manual/5spd, (now you know how to check by looking at the number on the bracket)...let me know. If I could borrow it first that is a plus...but if you wish to sell it to me...that will work too.

SR3-J0 stamped

gabebauman

I found this: http://www.garage411.com/AxleShaftsDc2 :scroll down to intermediate shaft. It's possible to take apart and replace the bearing and stuff...but after seeing it blown apart in that diagram. It's confusing as to how any of them parts could be making this knocking sound.

American.Graffiti

iTrader: (7)

I actually read the entire thread and as usual you amaze me with the amount of detailed information you've provided, so allow me to say thank you for that. But on to the matter at hand, the one discussion about the differential confirms my initial thought about it being your differential. I'm sure the axle and intermediate shaft does play a significant difference but i feel that you would have the same problem turning right as you would turning left. I cannot imagine that the drive train load would differentiate based upon the direction you turn (although the weight on the driver side is heavier than than on the passenger side due to the engine block being on one side and the transmission being on the left). And even after reading over this post I can't imagine the problem being anything other than the differential.

I'll look for an intermediate shaft and tell a few other squad members. PM me if you have any thoughts on my suggestion.