minute amount of play in rear drive shaft

[A Sucked Orange]

There is a minute amount of play in the rear drive shaft of my iX. I noticed it by pushing up on the drive shaft. It only moves about 1mm or less but I can feel it knock, and whats strange is its like it's inside it some how.

I have never taken an e30 DS out so I am not sure how they are built or if this is normal.

I had a bit of a thud shifting gears and that is why I am looking. I can however rotate the shaft a bit while wheels are locked, so I imagine the sound could be a worn out t-case too?

[jlevie]

If the motion is in the u-joints, the drive shaft needs to be replaced.

[LJ851]

If the ix driveshaft is similar to a regular e30 shaft it is two pieces connected by a splined section. The play you are feeling is the clearance between the 2 splines , it is not a big deal. There is a plastic compression ring underneath the pressed steel nut on the end of the female spline that is prob shot. You can replace that and put some heavy grease on the splines to minimize the sound.


Rotational play can be anything inbetween what you are twisting and what is fixed( parking brake) That leaves: DS splines, u joint, differential, L and R halfshafts, and splines on wheel hubs.