Other S80 Problem: Are my Drive shafts shot?

[daveseavista]

I have a 1999 S80 auto 2.9. The last few days there has been an intermittent knocking coming from the drivers side front. The noise would stop if I accelerated or slowed up. I jacked up the front of the car and there looks to be a lot of play when rotating the front wheel forward and back. If I rotate the CV joint nearest the gear box by hand it makes an unpleasant rattling noise. I am assuming I need to replace both drive shafts and inner and outer couplings? Does this sound like the case or are there bearings in the gearbox that could be gone?

Do you need any special tools to change them? the Haynes manual mentions pressing off a shaft in a machine shop but I assume this is if you are dismantling one of the CV joints? Is it straightforward to change the whole drive shaft and couplings? A link to a how to would be great

Dave

[oragex]

To check the axle, the CV joints should have no axial play at the wheel, and no radial play at the transmission. I think one wheel off ground will rotate a bit until the transmission locks it.

Hopefully it's not something inside the transmission.

To remove the axles, just remove the lower strut bolts, remove the ABS sensor to be safe, then pry between the CV joint and the transmission to pop it out. Many had troubles with the last step as the securing circlip gets stuck inside the transmission. I use the handle of the wheel lug key provided with the spare tire for this, it has a flat end. On driver's side there is also a carrier bearing that may get slightly stuck.

Better not play with the CV joints, complete axles are available for not much used.