Clicking on turns with a Spitfire is about 99.9 % u-joint and it's in the
unloaded condition when it makes the noise. In this case the left (turn)
one. Even replacing it with a new one will still not always rectify the
situation. I've said it before, and I can't emphasize enough that even
replacing it with a new one won't always alleviate the problem. Unless the
replacement is done as the factory recommends (which to no fault of the
installer it is almost impossible to do today) it will invariably click
again. That is because the factory procedure is to determine the correct
thickness of circlip by measuring the installed joint to clip clearance
(that's the rub) of the installed u-joint and use this measurement to
install clips so that there is NO slop in the joint from side to side
inside the bore of the yolk. Now-a days the joint is supplied with only
one set of (thin) clips that will fit everything. Therein lies the rub.
The joint is now allowed to slide back and forth (ever so slightly) inside
the bore and slam against the clips causing the clicking you here. It is
only exasperated by old worn shafts and yolks
This particular joint as used in the Spitfire in this way is a VERY highly
loaded and stressed u-joint, in more ways than in a typical drive shaft or
even axle shaft application. In this particular application it servers as
an axle locating unit and not just a flexible joint. This plus the fact
that it has no force counter acting u-joint creates tremendous side loading
not common with double u-jointed sliding shafts. The ONLY way to correct
or eliminate the noise is to install either the correct clip if available,
or shim the cap between the clip and the end to obtain zero or nearly zero
clearance in the bore. I actually used a soda can to make a pair of shims
on mine (total of .006).
bschwart@pacbell.net (San Diego)
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