Clicking in the rear end - CV axle?
 

After a 20 minute drive at highway speeds or sometimes cold up an incline I am starting to hear a clicking noise. It seems to change sound and loudness in turns also. It sounds like a rear CV axle to me but I would not call my ear well trained.

I have read mixed reviews on replacement axles and that if you address the problem soon enough after the intermittent clicking starts you can save it.

So perhaps they are just dry? The boots look to be in fine shape. How to I inspect them for dryness, possibly replace the boots and re-oil or grease as needed?

Definitely think it is the Axle clicking. The boots look pretty good. From my reading on the forum it feels like I should pull both axles, drain the oil and replace with new oil(gear oil?) and swap them and re-install.

Sound right?

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4694/...b3f12e40_b.jpgUntitled by ttownthomas, on Flickr
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4792/...ddae1410_b.jpgUntitled by ttownthomas, on Flickr
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4605/...5b1c30a8_b.jpgUntitled by ttownthomas, on Flickr
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4702/...b96a4653_b.jpgUntitled by ttownthomas, on Flickr

Does anyone know what grade of gear oil to use in place of the spider joint oil?

Not sure between Mobil 1 75W-90 or 75W-140

I decided on the 75-90. Unfortunately upon inspecting the axles I learned that someone had put grease in there and it was pretty flung out of the joint. We then scooped out as much out as possible and filled with oil. Perhaps it should have been re packed it with moly but since I was expecting oil I did not have any grease.

I flipp-flopped the axles and so far they have been quiet.

The big problem is that they were very obviously worn. They were very notchy and stiff. I'm not confident they will last much longer

I have a line on 2 new factory new MB axles but they are $495 each. Or should/could the axles be rebuilt?

CVJ Axles in Denver CO are apparently the best for re-build's with a core exchange. I have a bad knocking from somewhere in the back that comes and goes. I know I'll have to replace mine eventually and they are likely the route I'll go.

- Peter.

What car is this?

Where are these spider joints that should have oil instead of grease? The constant velocity joints take a specific grease. The differential which has spider gears takes gear oil. LSD diffs take specific kinds of gear oil. I can’t think of anything else back there that needs lubrication.

If budget matters, consider good used axles. They can last the life of the car without touching.

Sixto
98 E320s sedan and wagon

W126. Oil gets poured into the can around the spider joint on both ends of the cv axle. There is even a picture in the fsm of oil getting poured in.

I don’t suppose you have a picture, link or reference to that section on the FSM.

Maybe point out the spider joints in these pictures:

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/PAMAA...ggZ/s-l300.jpg

http://rs1239.pbsrc.com/albums/ff511...h=480&fit=clip

Sixto
98 E320s sedan and wagon

Not sure if your calling BS or if you are curious :-). Ill bite.

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/819/4...85a67732_b.jpgCV Diagram by ttownthomas, on Flickr

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/784/4...9fc31a6e_b.jpgFilling with oil by ttownthomas, on Flickr

Outwardly curious motivated by suspicion :)

What I know is spider gears are in the diff which takes gear oil. The axles have a CV joint at each end which take grease that wouldn’t flow out of a can at room temp. I’ve never seen that section of the FSM nor heard of spider joints in the axles. Is there a spec for the lubricant?

Sixto
98 E320s sedan and wagon

Apparently the W126 chassis axles were some of the last ones that Mercedes specified oil in the boots. Apparently it was similar to gear oil. The oil, from what I’ve read, was like a bath and due to the quantity was not able to fling out of the joint like grease and kept the joint constantly lubricated. I presume that since a tear in the boot meant all fluid leaked out that failures, also, were catastrophic with the oil. Perhaps that, along with improvements in lubrication technology which improved sometime in the mid or early 1990s, caused the switch to a Moly grease.