1979-1993 & 94 Conv [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
Hi folks,
I just had a scare! For a week or two now, I thought my 1984 900S had CV joint noises from the driver's side wheel. (Symptoms: groan/growl/clunk cyclical noise: it made noises more often as vechicle speed increased.)
On a hunch (divine intervention is what I attribute it to), I bought a 32mm socket and checked the axle nut on the driver's side. IT WAS WAY LOOSE, probably less torqued than a spark plug!!! (I didn't try it but might have been able to turn it by hand.)
My torque wrench's maximum setting is 150 ft.-lbs., so I torqued the axle nut to that and then bore down a bit harder after the wrench clicked for good measure--I hope I didn't hurt the wrench...
After tightening the driver's side axle nut, I checked the pass. side, just to be safe. It was tight, though, a welcome relief.
That got me to feeling very, very glad to be alive and that the wheel/axle hadn't separated from the car during some mountain road driving I'd done recently...
I tried to not put any more miles on the car than I absolutely had to while the noise (which I thought was a CV joint) was occuring. Also, there is no noise from the driver's side wheel now.
My questions: Could this loose axle nut damage anything while I drove with it in this condition? Should the wheel bearings be checked/replaced?
Also, I thought these 900 axle nuts had a collar which you have to "stake," or tap with a punch into a little crevice on the axle spindle so it won't come loose. I didn't see this collar on EITHER axle nut. What gives? Do I need to replace the axle nuts with collared-type nuts?
Thanks in advance,
Micah in NC
'84 900S, 237K mi.
posted by 216.77.239...
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