Noise/Vibration on driving

[calamityspice]

I am getting a lot of noise & vibration every time the car goes above 20mph. This gets a lot worse when turning the steering wheel to the right. Car is a 1994 Renault 5 Campus.

My first thought was wheel bearing but I can't feel any play or roughness in it. Google suggested it might be the offside driveshaft. I ordered a replacement from eBay On the first test drive after fitting, the inner CV joint popped apart the first time I turned right on full lock, leaving me with no drive at all and a "clonk bang clonk bang noise".Further research has suggested that earlier driveshafts don't fit late model R5's but before the CV joint exploded, the noise was just as bad as ever meaning (in my mind) that the problem wasn't the driveshaft in the first place.

So my 2 questions are:

What else could be causing the noise & vibration? Could it still be a wheel bearing or driveshaft (given the one I fitted was wrong)?

Where can I source a correct driveshaft? GSF or Eurocarparts don't stock them, most of the eBay descriptions are to vague to risk another random punt

The gearbox is apparently a JB1 (I don't remember the suffix) according to the plate on it. The Haynes manual of lies doesn't even list this as an option on Renault 5s

[stealthstylz]

Jack it up high, drop it onto axle stands under the suspension arms, start engine and leave running in 4th gear, look under car and see what's shaking. A bad vibration at low speed should give obvious movement.

[calamityspice]

Sorry for being dim, suspension arms? Qu'est-ce que c'est suspension arms?

[dodgerover]

Go to a decent motorfactors for the driveshafts even if it costs a £5 more than ebay at least you have their experiance and can physically look at the part - I remember having this with my sisters R5 (and a clio) there are about 3 or 4 different possibilities - if possible take the old one with you to compare and contrast, if not ask if you can buy all of them and return the wrong ones. Oddly sisters didn't make a sound until it had done 50 or 60 motorway miles at which point it sounded like the a wheel bearing or gearbox was about to sieze...
You can usually tell if its a driveshaft by putting on full lock and accelerating (sensibly) in a circle - if it knocks its knackered (car mentioned above didn't do this however)

[shin2chin]

As already said get it on axle stands and spin the wheels, get someone to steer lock to lock. 

[calamityspice]

Cheers, anyone know a decent motor factors in Bristol (doesn't matter where, The last time I went to Kingswood Autopart they wanted £220 for a Renault Extra radiator. Motaman wanted £80 for an exhaust centre section.

[retrowrongun]

Things I would check for

Flat spots in tyres especially if been left flat for a while
Warped front discs but from memory think they have solid discs don't they ??

Wheels are balanced up correctly ,try swapping front to back see if it helps

Check over all the lower arm bushes and also the top mounts as 2mm of play at the top equates to 5mm plus down at the bottom of suspension leg

Also worth checking engine and box mounts too for slop

[retrowrongun]

And euro parts usually good for r5 stuff mate

[calamityspice]

Changed the discs this weekend as they were thinner than a thin thing. But I did notice one strange thing. The left hand disc rubs slightly against the pads through 360 degrees of spin (as I would think normal) The right hand disc is only in contact with the pad for about 270 degrees so something is wonky. The bearing feels smooth & play free so what else could cause the wonk? Cheers

[colnerov]

Hi, sounds like the disc is not square with the hub. Check where the disc mates to the hub that there is not a bit of grit or there is a burr kicked up on the edge of the hub.

Colin

P.S. not that familiar with the Renault, if the disc comes from the front over the studs, check that the hub itself is not distorted from possibly being kerbed at some point.

[retrowrongun]

Also check the caliper lug mounts are clean (caliper may not be sitting flush)
Try swapping discs over failing that from side to side as will help determine we're the problem lies if it does same thing on opposite side

[calamityspice]

OK, the disc is sitting fine now. Changed the driveshaft and still loads of vibration. The bearing feels smoother than a smooth thing, so no joy there. I tried jacking it up but with no load on the wheels there is zero vibration? A bloke in work suggested the steering ball joint? I have a pair on order anyway. Could that be it?

Cheers

[calamityspice]

Changed both bottom ball joints & track rod ends which made it loads better but not perfect. Took it to get the tracking done (which I always do after changing rod ends as I never get it perfect) Fitter reckons one of the wheel bearings is noisy but agrees that there is no play or roughness so I wasn't going mad. Took it somewhere else to get bearings done & the car drives like new now so I'm now a happy bunny. Thanks for the help & patience