Problem with diff/driveshaft

[paulbellchambers]

My car is a Chimaera 450 - registered in 97.

I appear to have a problem with the drive shaft or the diff. When I pull away in first or use reverse there is a loud knocking noise from underneath the car in the diff region.
I have had someone look at it and they think the problem is in the diff as the nearside rear wheel has some play in the half shaft. He cant do the work as he is not experienced on limited slip diffs plus he doesnt have the tools. I believe it is a BTR diff.

Questions
=========
1. Who would folks recommend to do the work?
2. Any guestimates on costs? I know it wont be small!

Sadly this is just as summer is getting underway.

Oh well!

Thanks in advance.

Paul

[GreenV8s]

quote:My car is a Chimaera 450 - registered in 97.

I appear to have a problem with the drive shaft or the diff. When I pull away in first or use reverse there is a loud knocking noise from underneath the car in the diff region.
I have had someone look at it and they think the problem is in the diff as the nearside rear wheel has some play in the half shaft. He cant do the work as he is not experienced on limited slip diffs plus he doesnt have the tools. I believe it is a BTR diff.

Questions
=========
1. Who would folks recommend to do the work?
2. Any guestimates on costs? I know it wont be small!

Sadly this is just as summer is getting underway.

Oh well!

Thanks in advance.

Paul

Sounds like you need to get it looked at by a specialist, but my guess would be sheared half shaft (they go at the end of the spline, inside the CV gator) or catastrophic diff failure.

Half shaft plus CVs would be around a couple of hundred quid. Diff would be more like six hundred plus labour if it can be reconditioned, add another couple of hundred if it is too far gone.

Hope this helps,
Peter Humphries (and a green V8S on its fourth set of half shafts and fourth diff)

[paulbellchambers]

Thanks for the info, just need to decide who to take it to.

Thanks again.

Paul

[IPAddis]

I presume you have ruled out the diff bush and the diff bolt (which comes loose).

I had the same noise on mine and it turned out to be a loose diff bolt.

[ninja_eli]

Thanks to Peter Humphries for giving me the number for the TVR centre that do his Diff. I am taking my car to "Bernie" who reckons he might be able to fix it. I hope he is right!! I trust whoever Peter Humphries trusts, so I have faith in Bernie. Anyway, the company is called Competition Transmissions or something like that, they are near Luton (Whipsnade I think). Seems like he does this kind of thing day in day out.

Good Luck

[shpub]

Just bear in mind that in Pete's case, Bernie ended up using two rare metals called Unobtanium and Expencivium...

Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk

[paulbellchambers]

Still investigating possible causes, but first opinion was a problem with the diff. What I dont want to do is to put it into somewhere and get two rare metals Steve H mentioned.
I would prefer to get someone who knows what they are talking about and can do the job properly - not someone who looks at it as a cash generating opportunity.

Which TVR centre did Peter use?

Thanks for your help folks.

[shpub]

quote:
Still investigating possible causes, but first opinion was a problem with the diff. What I dont want to do is to put it into somewhere and get two rare metals Steve H mentioned.
I would prefer to get someone who knows what they are talking about and can do the job properly - not someone who looks at it as a cash generating opportunity.

Don't get me wrong... the only reason they used those metals was that the red kryptonite had run out...

Pete is an animal with diffs and halfshafts and has gone through all the normal and less expensive options that would keep lesser mortals happier. Tower View have experienced all the Pete "I've broken my diff/drive shaft chasing a white Astra Van" Humphries trials and tribulations and for normal cars it may be as simple as a loose bolt or duff mounting.

Makes a change from my "Broken the spoiler/cracked the front disc again/I need more power" stories...

Steve

[paulbellchambers]

Had a friend look at the car last weekend. He couldn't pin the noise down to something specifically in the diff but his view is there may be a worn pinion bearing or possibly a loose bolt inside the diff working lose.

Thanks for the ideas folks. Keep you posted.