The Definitive "CLICKING NOISE FROM FRONT OR REAR AXLE DURING TAKE-OFF/ACCELERATION" list

[BillAinCT]

@KeepTheCoalInTheHole : Yes, this is exactly what mine is doing on both sides with one minor difference. Mine isn't as much of a metallic click as yours. It is just a lower tone clunk. Maybe if if I recorded from outside the car it would be like yours.

I've driven without the radio for days and with the windows down when I can, and I now agree that it must be the axle nut torque. I say this because my left axle clicks consistently at one force and with a little more braking or acceleration the right one then clicks. If I accelerate pretty hard, then both go almost the same time but left is slightly before the right.

To me, one way of thinking of this is to go with much higher torque (unless 133 ft lb is that torque), so it takes a lot of acceleration or braking to overcome the friction and cause the axle to shift causing the click. Another way to think of it is to go with much lower torque (is that the 2013 89 ft lb torque?) so that the axle can easily shift from one edge to the other and then there would be no click because there wouldn't be the axle releasing where it suddenly jumps to the other position.

 

[KeepTheCoalInTheHole]

I’m not sure my issue is what is outlined in the TSB now to be frank.

It could be any number of things making noise.

For example, it could be the noise of brake pads shifting.

Like this:

Or this (time stamp 54 seconds)


When I have a bit more time I will take it all apart again and have another look.

 

[BillAinCT]

I was able to prove the axle click after stopping hard by slowly getting up to 30MPH and then hitting the pedal harder to get the clicking to occur. At 30MPH I have to assume the brakes are not in the equation. Same with stopping. At 50MPH in e-pedal mode if I lift off the gas far enough to get 1/2 the regen bars (which is long before it adds mechanical brakes) I get the clicking. Because it takes different force on each side I can also make just one side click slowing and accelerating without the other side clicking. I was planning on the fix today, but my luck is that it rained and is in the low 40's after what was a beautiful week.

 

[LeafG]

It needs to be greased. Extremely common

 

[sooleaf]

Hey LeafG Do you mean the axles or the break pad clips need to be greased?

 

[BillAinCT]

It needs to be greased. Extremely common

Why would that alone stop the clicking? What part is seizing and being released under force that needs grease?

 

[Wef]

Not enough clue .could be brake pads ,could be lower ball joint come loose.

 

[BillAinCT]

I did this today. I was going to do one side and the other another day but just did them both.

As others mentioned unstaking the nut is the hardest part. I ended up drilling it out parallel with the axle once I got the stake raised as much as I could with the chisel. One came off with a fair bit of force. The second I did better and came off with just slightly more than hand force. It took a lot of effort to initially get them to move.

I had to hold the axle pushed in while painting the grease to allow extra room. The inside bearings were bone dry. The outside showed signs of being greased so I did both bearing sides quite liberally. For the outside I taped the threads so as to not grease them.

The new nuts went back on easily and I torqued to 138 ft lb. Staking was nothing like it looked from the factory. I had trouble getting it quite as deep. They must use an impact tool that surrounds the nut and slams a pin at the key. They're staked enough that I can't see them coming off. Unlike some videos I at least didn't cut the edge of the nut or damage it.

I tested it and it's completely resolved. No clicking or knocking. Full regen and hard acceleration and it's like the car was when new. And it's not the brake pads shifting as I thought it might be.

One thing I saw on a video is the car was in neutral so he could spin the hub to grease from one spot. I didn't see how that can be done without putting a rod on the brake pedal enough to get into neutral (with the car on with 2 starts and NO pedal down). Pushing the axle in fully while greasing allowed enough room to paint from the bottom and top without hitting anything not intended to be.