Clickety clack Driveshafts/CV change on a 106 PITA??

[Nic Jones]

My wonderful heap of Frenchness has developed a rather interesting clickety clackety clunk noise when going mainly around right hand bends (doesn't do it on the straights).

I've deduced this is either a CV joint or a driveshaft contemplating giving up the ghost.

As far as I can tell using my lugholes for help it is on the left hand side only.

My question is... how much of a pain is it to change and what magical tools will I need?

Any advice welcome thanks

[Simes205]

You can change them reasonably easy - I've swapped the LH side on my car in under an hour.

Drain gearbox oil out first or just place a container below the diff ready to catch the smelly stuff.

The only 'special' tool you'll need is a 33-36mm Socket to remove driveshaft nut, sorry I don't know the exact size for a 106 - needless to say it won't be available in a normal socket set.
Best to replace the diff seal before fitting the new shaft.

[megamaniac]

30mm socket ,definitely change diff seal when you fit the new shaft

[Nic Jones]

Ok thanks, i'm a bit less worried about it now, thought it might be a bastid of a job!

Another silly question, but how do you check the level/topup the gearbox oil level? I can't find anything in the Haynes manual.

Thanks

[number2301]

If its anything like the cars I've done a driveshaft on it should have a top up/level plug on the side somewhere, you take it out and it oil doesn't come out there's not enough in. Just top it up through the hole until it starts coming out.

106 driveshaft should be fairly easy.

[busta]

Got one to do on mine this weekend too

Drive shaft nut is 32mm. Slacken it off while the car is on the ground. Jack it up, whip off the wheel and pop the lower control arm out of the bottom of the strut.

If you haven't already drained the oil put a tray under the diff end of the shaft. Pull the strut outwards then pull the shaft out. Pop new one in and slot everything back together.

Level plug is on the side of the box but to refill it pull the breather off the top of the box- it's down beside battery tray, and fill it through there. Filling through the level hole, as haynes reccomend, is a right PITA!

[RT106]

I've seen the driver's side shaft (which is the tricky one) on my old 106 Rallye changed in seven minutes. That was by someone who spends their working days fixing World Rally Cars, but it's not too hard a job...

The likely stumbling block (in my opinion) is getting the balljoint out of the hub carrier. Can be tricky if it hasn't been apart for a while.

[sniff petrol]

RT106 said:

The likely stumbling block (in my opinion) is getting the balljoint out of the hub carrier. Can be tricky if it hasn't been apart for a while.

Yep, soak it in WD40 24 hours in advance and have a new balljoint nut and bolt ready to put it back together with.

[Nic Jones]

I helped do one a few years ago on a Renault Clio Williams Rally car where a group of us lifted up the car to about 45 degrees and held it at the balancing point while the old shaft came out and the new one went in without spilling much gearbox oil at all. It was highly amusing and only took a couple of minutes.

Unfortunately I didn't actually get to watch how it happened as we were too busy trying not to tip the damned thing over!