I was unable to get the car to make the noise today even after driving around for 15 miles. The Rear Torsion things are not my noise problem. They are fine. I chacked the flex connectors on the driveshaft and they look smooth and flexable. When I try to move the drive shaft in the center bearing there is a little well-damped play which is probably how it's supposed to work. The exhaust system, though a little rusty outside shows no leakage when firmly blocking the exhaust at the tail-pipe.
The front wheel sounds a little noisy, like caught rocks. Now, the badness. Both half-shafts have their boots in very bad shape. The passenger side is especially bad, the inner boot is fully seperated as is the outer. If the half-shaft were starting to go due to this problem could I get an occasional grinding/rubbing type noise. When the car was making the noise, both my son and wife indicated it seemed to come from under the passenger side seat someplace under the car.
How difficult is half-shaft replacement? Is there a good source for re-built half-shafts or is this something one can do on their own? Can the half-shafts be removed without needing a spring compressor? Even if this isn't the source of the noise, they have to be fixed. Is there a safety problem with driving around with suspect half-shafts, can they just fall out if something gives away? Can bad half-shafts damage the differential?
Sorry for the length of this but I'm sort of desperate.
Thanks.