Jeff,
While you may have replaced them, or they may have been replaced, if you
didn't check the end float it may still be your u-joints. If you have
disregard the latter.
These joints, especially the axle ones take one hell of a load, and if not
properly installed, will slide back and forth in their bores creating this
characteristic clicking sound. It's most noticeable when braking or
negotiating a bend at slow speed. Jack the rear up and place the wheels up
on something to maintain the height when you lower it back down on the
wheels so you can get under it. Driving up on those ramps will suffice,
but I don't recommend those. I damaged the front of my Spitfire with those
d**m things I have, and vowed never to use them on my Spits again. The
idea is to have the wheels in their static (joints unloaded) position.
Grab or lever the axle near the joint and if you see movement, that is the
center of the joint is sliding inside the flange, then you'll need to shim
the u-joints. I used soda cans (about .003 thk) cut to the diameter of the
cups to do mine. The main objective it to remove almost all of the free
play while still containing the cups. The original factory method (stated
in the service manual) was to use different thickness circlips to take up
this end play, but almost all u-joints nowadays only come with the
narrowest one leaving plenty of room for the cups to slide under load.
When I looked at Ken C's joints (complaining of the click, actually his was
a tad louder because of the amount of slop) his were way out - probably
will take .02-.04 thou of shims to alleviate his back and forth movement.
Fairly common ailment with the Spitfire's rear suspension given the u-joint
kits of today and while it won't really hurt anything, it can be quite
annoying and most likely will increase wear in the yolks because of this
sliding of the cups in their bores.
Barry Schwartz (San Diego) bschwart@pacbell.net
72 PI, V6 Spitfire (daily driver)
70 GT6+ (when I don't drive the Spit)
70 Spitfire (long term project)
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