Oh No. I have had a clunking sound coming from my right front end. It got worse after changing all three motor/trans mounts. The shop said it was the axle CV joint due to the angle of the motor from the bad mounts. They just called and told me that the input to the transmission looks loose.

Is this expensive to fix? Safe to drive like this? Help!! My poor little car is 2006 and just hit 100,000 miles I do not want to junk it. I love it. Plus I have new tires, new brakes, new front suspension, new rear shocks.

Thanks for any advice.

 

A. I don't know what "input to the transmission looks loose" means. Sounds like nonsense.
B. Why ask us the price? The shop that diagnosed it should give an estimate.

 

Hi Don, Been a while since we spoke. What I was referring to is the splined opening in the right side of the transmission where the axle goes in. My shop changed the axle because the CV joints were a little loose, but they said when they slid it back in there was play and that was causing the clunking noise I was getting. We are all assuming it was due to excessive wear from the sharp angle caused by the bad engine and transmission mounts.

Price wise, I was wondering if anyone else had a similar problem with the transmission needing a new part for the drive shaft to go into. I have no idea if it can be removed without disassembling the transmission

Thanks for any help you can provide

When I searched, he had a similar problem. I PMed him
06-14-2019, 09:23 AM
#8
SwaintaN
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: 04-28-2013
Location: Ohio
Posts: 348

That just leaves the clunk noise now, inside transmission where the CV axle goes in, still on passenger side.

 

That sounds like the shop has never replaced CVs before. That sounds ridiculous.
I'm not sure what the description means. Which side?
If you mean a clunk when you put it into gear there is a TSB that says to put a washer on the end of the axle under the nut, because the shaft is a bit too long.
The passenger side has a stub that needs to be transferred from the old to the new and sometimes needs rebuilding.

 

This is the passange side. . I know the mechanic and I generally watch him but today I went home and when I got my car he had left early for doctor appointment so I heard from the owner. But, he told me he has replaced dozens of HHR axles. They called me and told me that there was something a little loose where the axle goes into it. Tomorrow morning I will go and speak with the mechanic in person and find out.

 

But the noise sounds like a broken shock. A clunk when I drive over bumps. We changed the springs and shocks and bushings and front motor mount. . When the noise continued they thought the new shock was defective and were going to replace it when they noticed the trans mounts were totally busted and the engine was tilting when accelerating. They changed them and told me that the passenger axle was bad and they hoped it did not do any damage to the tranny. I guess it did.

 

Could just be the stub shaft , and coupler or just the coupler.
I didn’t have any issues when I changed either CV axles in Oldblue .
a bum strut , but they haven’t changed it to eliminate it for the list of usual suspects?

 

I do get a slight clunk when I start and stop plus there is also an occasional creaking sound , all from the passenger right front corner.

I also noticed a slight knocking sound when I hit the right front wheel (and no sound on left front wheel) There is no sound when I bang on that wheel when the car is on a lift, indicating that the axle has to be straight to get that noise.

We checked the control arm and bushings are fine. And we have had the car up on lift 5 times,banging everything and checking all the components for tightness and all is solid.

 

All of those noises you describe don't sound at all like axles. More like end links or LCA bushings. It is difficult to see the LCA bushings. Test by putting the car in park then try to roll the front tires; if the tires move and the body doesn't they are bad.
That banging on wheel noise could be a bearing.
We had one instance where a mechanic installed new axles and left the stub out.

Anyway, presuming damage to the trans from bad motor mounts is ridiculous unless there was no rubber left for a long time; and then pretty strange.

 

Here’s a thought, if you replaced the upper engine mount was it

A torqued correctly?

B damaged from the transmission mounts being so bad and allowing the engine and transmission to sag ?

C it’s an offshore part and the mount bushing has allowed the tang to hit the outer cage?