Clunking at deceleration, other driveline issues

[UNCC Grad]

88 325is, while driving in 4th/5th gear if you let off suddenly and coast, theres a clunking noise and bucking feeling. Get on the gas again and it stops. Also while accelerating in 1st/2nd gear you can feel a slight shudder. Just recently I've noticed some squeaking while taking off from a dead stop and at slow speeds in 2nd/3rd. This sounds like it may be a bad u-joint as well...sound plausible?

From reading it sounds like it could be a bad CSB as well as bad driveshaft/u-joints. Anything else I need to look at for possible replacement?

Sorry if these are dumb questions but I'm new to e30s

[jeffnhiscars]

I think you are on the right track however it sounds similar to a symptom I had which turned out to be shot trans mounts.

[Animefrank]

Have similar issues. Instead I get clunking/grinding as soon as I let off the gas in all gears. Does the squeaking start around 3k rpm continues? Any clunking and bucking at neutral? does it at all go away when you push the clutch in?

[UNCC Grad]

Have similar issues. Instead I get clunking/grinding as soon as I let off the gas in all gears. Does the squeaking start around 3k rpm continues? Any clunking and bucking at neutral? does it at all go away when you push the clutch in?

Squeaking is right off idle to 2000 rpm and only in 1st and 2nd. I'll have to test to see if it (bucking) goes away when the clutch is pressed but I do know that it will go away immediately if you get back on the gas. Bucking also only happens on deceleration.

I guess it could be the tranny mounts causing driveline angles to get thrown off as well...have to look at them too.

[Animefrank]

If the tranny mounts turn out needing to be replaced might as well check the Csb too

[Sea Aych]

I have a similar clunking when letting off the gas in 2nd gear, but it seems to be less "loud" than yours. My transmission mounts are pretty much new, so you mayyy be able to rule that out? Hope that helps.

[UNCC Grad]

Its not very loud, just bucking. Similar to the feeling you get with a new driver and a manual transmission :p

[UNCC Grad]

Update

I can rule out the transmission mounts. I replaced them today and I still have the squeak in 1st/2nd and some bucking occasionally. I'm thinking it may be the ujoints or CSB. It will be the weekend before I can pull the heat shields and check the CSB.

If anyone has had the squeaking that I am hearing, let me know what it was

[UNCC Grad]

Found the culprit....

Replaced the CV shafts as one had a torn boot, clunking minimized. Also, the metal outer band for the CSBwas broken which allowed the rubber to tear. Rear ujoint is right and front has very minimal play.

I know that zero play in the ujoints is ideal. I need tires so I really don't have the funds for a rebuilt driveshaft. Bad idea to just replace the CSB for now?

[UNCC Grad]

I replaced the guibo, CSB, CV shafts and driveshaft (used shaft). All the vibration and clunking is gone.

[kbaszak]

My car just started doing the same thing here as op's. So when you replaced the cv, the problem didn't go away? But after you replaced the driveshaft and csb it did?

Also, what driveshaft/csb would people recommend? Driveshafts I've seen so far are around the 4-500 dollar range and then the csb is anywhere from 15-200. Are the non-oem csb good enough to use? If not, would I be better off just buying a driveshaft from the driveshaft shop? Same amount of money and it eliminates the csb