[deetee]

when i gave my '96 M800 to service last saturday, the service guy confirmed that the stone-in-a-plastic-can sound am noticing ONLY while accelerating from LH side is LHS drive shaft sound and i need to replace it. He found that the LHS drive shaft boot has been cut and said the shaft has developed some play and thats why it is making sounds when accelerating(not during braking).
Also no sound is noticeable when some one sits in front passenger seat(because of additional wait). I can only notice it when no additional weight is put on LHS side.Also the full round turns (to test CV joint) does NOT make any kind of 'khat-khat' sounds- all other boots are fine.

I had been suspecting it to be from drive shaft but thought i could do away with minor repair like bearing/boot replacement etc.,. but did not expect that entire drive shaft MUST be replaced. That's why neglected it when i first heard it(drove with the sound for some 250Km) waiting to rectify it at the next service due.

So, as the service guy said the shaft has to be replaced as there is no other way to eliminate sound, i thought there is no harm in replacing the boot alone and see if that can 'cure' the shaft. But , the sound is still there -though to a lesser extent- when i accelerate.

Now my question is: how long can the shaft survive in this situation- CVjoints are fine, shaft has got a new boot now(it still screams inside it)? I am planning for a moderate distance trip of about 1000km to and fro and will replace the shaft at my next service which is after another 7K kms(may be early).
Will the shaft survive that long or should I get it replaced asap?

EDIT: rider60 has already warned me to get a new set of drive shaft boots a week ahead of my service date- but i neglected waiting for the service day , driven the car for about 100kms in the mean time, which caused the boot to tear off badly.

[humyum]

Well the 1000s km trip with this drive shaft is fine.As u have already replaced the boot there wont be such a rapid wear and tear.But i dont think waiting 7 thousand km for replacing it is a good idea.After your 1000 trip is done get it replaced.

[snaronikar]

THis is an important functional part. What will happen if the drive shaft fails during your 1000 kms trip? Do not blunder atleast on the functional parts. Get this replaced asap.

[humyum]

Originally Posted by snaronikar

THis is an important functional part. What will happen if the drive shaft fails during your 1000 kms trip? Do not blunder atleast on the functional parts. Get this replaced asap.

Yeah totally but itna jaldi fail nahi hota.The sound will gradually increase and then turning pe the sound will come and thats when its in its last legs.His drive shaft has just left the startin point.Had happened to me in my 800 for both the left as well as the right one ofcourse at differnet times.
Anyway as snaronikar said no harm in getting it replaced asap

[deetee]

Originally Posted by humyum

Well the 1000s km trip .
.
.
After your 1000 trip is done get it replaced.

Well, am confident that i can make it -because as of now the sounds have not increased and i believe replaced boot will protect it from deterioration.

Originally Posted by snaronikar

THis is an important functional part. What will happen if the drive shaft fails during your 1000 kms trip? Do not blunder atleast on the functional parts. Get this replaced asap.

Yes it is an important functional part,but as of now is it not able enough to service for some more time-- well, are there any particular symptoms that we can notice before drive shaft packing up?? I think(pardon my ignorance) this sound while accelerating just indicates that drive shaft has aged but surely not that it is going to die, am i right?

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my 100th post.

[deetee]

Originally Posted by humyum

then turning pe the sound will come and thats when its in its last legs.

Thanks for the info humyum- then i believe the drive shaft is still good; i still can make full tight turns without any sounds. But the khat-khat sound that comes in tight turns is it not because of C-V joint wear out?? Also, one of the local mechanics suggested that because sound has just started, it can be repaired by replacing the drive shaft bearing- does drive shaft has any such replaceable parts beside itself?

Originally Posted by humyum

Had happened to me in my 800 for both the left as well as the right one ofcourse at differnet times.
Anyway as snaronikar said no harm in getting it replaced asap

So, at how many KM ( if info available) did you find that problem and how long(apprx figure) did they last?

[humyum]

Originally Posted by deetee

Thanks for the info humyum- then i believe the drive shaft is still good; i still can make full tight turns without any sounds. But the khat-khat sound that comes in tight turns is it not because of C-V joint wear out?? Also, one of the local mechanics suggested that because sound has just started, it can be repaired by replacing the drive shaft bearing- does drive shaft has any such replaceable parts beside itself?


So, at how many KM ( if info available) did you find that problem and how long(apprx figure) did they last?

Stay away from the bearing replacement thingy.It wont last more than 6 months and the same problem will crop up again.My friend went ahead with a bearing replacement and i got the entire drive shaft replaced.I m a happy man today where as he had to replace the drive shaft after 5 months due to the same problem
Also i dont think its safe even to let a local mechanic open a drive shaft and fix it back.Get u new one and be trouble free
The sound on my left side drive shaft started way before 52000 km.I heard it at 52000 km when i came back from bangalore permanently.It was a taktaktak sound while turning.I drove the car for many long trips till 58000 km and replaced it then.Not a wise thing to do
I was more careful with the right one.It started making a noise the same noise you are getting in your car right now.It was at around 60000 km and i replaced it 1000 km later.

[deetee]

Originally Posted by humyum

I was more careful with the right one.It started making a noise the same noise you are getting in your car right now.It was at around 60000 km and i replaced it 1000 km later.

Yup, then i will try to make the my planned trip and if in meanwhile the sound grows any louder i will get it replaced earlier- but what is the cause of this stone-in-a-can sound? is it a worn out shaft/bearing whatsoever or something like the backlash the service guy pronounced?? Would it have been avoided had i spotted the cut boot early enough and replaced it immediately?

[humyum]

Originally Posted by deetee

Yup, then i will try to make the my planned trip and if in meanwhile the sound grows any louder i will get it replaced earlier- but what is the cause of this stone-in-a-can sound? is it a worn out shaft/bearing whatsoever or something like the backlash the service guy pronounced?? Would it have been avoided had i spotted the cut boot early enough and replaced it immediately?

Well i dont remember the exact technical term.Wearing of t he drive shaft happens due to the lack of greese and since your drive shaft had been puntured,which i think would have been puntured way before you detected it and hence the wearin process took place.If you would have detected it right sometime after it had puntured the drive shaft would have been saved.
Once a month,make it a point to look at the boots by turning the steering hard left to check the left one and hard right to check the right one.They can be seen from the wheel arches.Also look at the clips accompanying the boot.If they are lose the greese will leak and hence will need to be filled with greese and tightned again.
Also i think after you are done with your 1000 km trip you should get the drive shaft replaced and not wait any longer.