SD 197

I had the clunking drivetrain for a while. I'm talking about the occasional "clunk" sound I would hear when at a stop, either shifting from park to drive or reverse.

I was told it was normal, "every S197 does it", "It's from the two-piece driveshaft, that's how they all are".

Well, I can tell you the fix is rather easy, and you don't have to live with it. Turns out my clunk was from the slip joint on the driveshaft being dry. After lubing it, it's a smooth as silk, not a single clunk since then.

If you have the clunk, have your slip-joint inspected to make sure it's lubed correctly.

ilmor

Proving once again that, with enough grease, you can solve most anything!

slipperman

I've needed to do this to my GMC pickup every few years. I've found that the heavy red grease lasts the longest.

07 Stang

hmm...I should inspect my Van/Truck. Great info!

moosestang

Where did you lube the stock drive shaft?



Even properly lubed, the stock drive shaft is going to be more clunky than a 1 piece, but it makes a great vibration damper.

808muscle

I prefer the stocker up on my warehouse shelf tucked away.

SD 197

I actually didn't do it, my dealership did it. My car was in for it's final inspection/service before I was officially out of warranty and one of my complaints was a "clunking" drivetrain when shifting from a stop.

The dealer service receipt states:

"Inspected driveline, found driveshaft slip joint dry. Removed driveshaft and repacked slip joint." Cost was $100 plus $7.78 for XG8 Teflon Lubricant, which my 3rd party warranty covered.

There is absolutely no more clunk sound, you can still feel some play with the two-piece driveshaft, but it's still vastly smoother with no audible sound anymore. Just wished I did it sooner.

petrock

Yeah, if the joint is dry it will wear out pretty quickly. Repacking it will only temporarily fix the problem if they didn’t also fix what causes the stock grease to leave the joint in the first place. Otherwise the new grease will disappear too and the clunk will come back.

While not a mustang driveshaft, here is a video series detailing how to rebuild a driveshaft for anyone who wants to tackle this themselves:


Enjoy...

kingnut

great news to hear. i had this problem in my 13 and its annoying as ****. i thought it was the UCA. in first and 2nd gear at low speeds you get that "CLUNK" when you give it gas. need more info on a fix. anyone with a 1 piece drive shaft have this noise?

2007CalSpec

I just installed a DSS 1-pc driveshaft. No more clunking.