After a rather quick launch lasts week I have managed to successfully break my off-side drive shaft. Had it stripped today and confirmed that it is wanked - Mike R, was right in his phone diagnosis - only problem is I can't just change the spider because the damage is worse than that! so with my Ford employee discount the shaft is going to cost me about £150!! Just what I need before christmas.... I suppose it could have been worse.

I have been told that this off-side shaft often goes once the car has done over 60k (mine is just over 80k now)

My question is:- Once fixed is it "safe" for me to do the odd launch now and again? Is there anything else that could go bang??? (my car had a new ford gearbox and clutch on about 70k so that should be OK?? - I hope!)

Also over christmas I am going to fit my koni's / ahmed springs and full set of powerflex bushes (see separate thread) - This lot should help with keeping it all "tight" yeah????

 

its usually that sid e due to the engine mounts going soft and the engine twisting and making the gap that trhe shaft has to fill even longer, this is compounded quite alot if the car has been lowered.

 

exactlt the same happened on mine it was a shagged engine mount as said above now i have lowered it on coilovers you can hear the new one clickin when you hammer it round a sharp laft tun think i'm gonna have to buy some xr4i shafts...
I got my new shaft from a local motor factors for £65 exchange

 

This sounds like the same problem i'm having with the off side shaft.My car is also lowered on coilovers and 19's which isnt helping the problem. I'm planning on uprating the mounts and fitting atleast the offside xr4x4 shaft.

 

Recently happened to myself aswell.

very hard launch into a nice power slide when the offside inner CV joint let go on me.

it didnt just give up tho, the CV exploded and took a large lump out of the crossmember and as the shaft was still spinning it got tangled into the brake lines amd chewed thru those aswell.

ive now fitted xr4x4 driveshafts, they appeared to be mildly longer than the standard items.

id been told by several people not to fit these but as my car is pretty damn low at the front i was getting a nasty angle on my shafts so obviously point to point if further and i took the chance and fitted the longer shafts.

ive had no problems with them since fitting.


But other than that, if you intend on doing the odd hard launches then you are going to slowly find the weak points in your transmission, front diff and gearbox maybe next on the destruction list!

Kelv.

 

My escos has now been back on the road for a few days with the new drive shaft but I have noticed that I still have a "clonk" coming from the off-side when I turn slowly or on full-lock - reversing etc... Any ideas on what this could be?

 

try checking the top cups and bearings on the front struts, the bearings can wear quite badly, and if theyve been worn for a while then they can start to wear thru the top cups.

just a thought!

 

Cheers Kelv.

 

It seems as if December is a bad month for side shafts.

but i will do you one better, I managed to brake the drivers side rear CV into pieces and , o yes the rear diff too.

took 4 spider gears clean off , time to get those uprated diffs and shafts.

 

you could also check steering rack bushes, I had a similar noise and cured it by replacing these

 

Cheers Damo - I will change these bushes too. - do they have to be pressed out?

 

Yes but can be done in a vice