Prop Shaft play - how much?

[Corkheader]

Car is a 1600 VX with a 5 speed Ford gearbox and an Ital axle. I have a noise at the rear particularly noticeable when changing up from 1st to 2nd, it’s a metallic clunk. I have changed the A frame bush, checked for bearing / half shaft float - which is virtually non existent. The only ‘slack’ I can identify is in the prop shaft which has approximately half inch of rotational slack if rotated backwards and forwards. I have greased the uj’s until fresh grease is coming out of the joints. Is this amount of slack normal or is it the diff that’s worn?

 

Cheers John

 

[John Ryan]

It was last year since I did this, but me car has the same gearbox / axle set, and I don't recall any play at all (or very minor) when the car was in gear with the back wheels on the floor.

 

If it's completely free play, that just sounds wrong! Could it be that the prop UJ's are very worn? If you take the tunnel top off, or look underneath from the back, is the initial slack being taken up in the joints?

[RobW]

The driveshafts maybe moving left and right causing a clunk - this can be fixed by shimming the diff internally which any 7 workshop should be able to do.

 

Might be that ?

[Corkheader]

The slack is evident with the wheels off the ground and in neutral. I can rotate the prop by hand backwards and forwards before the wheels start to move, cant see any slack in the UJ's

 

I am not sure if this is normal, I am pretty sure its this slack thats causing the noise when I take up the drive.

 

Thanks

 

John