Knocking from under the shifter. Please, any input.

[83Mike944]

Today on my way to work I was shifting from 4th to 5th at about 3000 RPM but when I pressed the clutch as shifting normal, half way to the floor I heard this very loud grinding sound come from under the center consol or under the shifter (in that general area) (this is before actually shifting or even moving the shifter itself). Immediately I put it in neutral and pulled off the road to see if anything was obviously wrong. Everything looked fine, no leaking, nothing looked out of place so I proceeded to work which is only 7 miles away and on a back road. Well right off the bat, taking off I heard a loud knocking sound from under the shifter or consol, and I also felt it in the shifter. The knock got faster as I accelerated. It didnt interfere with driving or shifting, it all felt just as it did before. I got to work and on break I took it for a spin around the store to see if I could find what could be causing the knock. I tried putting it in neutral at 30 MPH and stopping at a stop sign and as I did this I heard the knock and it slowed as the car slowed and this is (without pressing in the clutch). I let it idle and did not hear the knock, I let it idle and pressed in the clutch and did not hear the knock. Could this be the center bearing, or the coupling, could I need a new drive shaft, or drive shaft universal joints? This car is my daily driver to work, I really need to figure out what is wrong.

[Moppie]

Welcome to AF


Based on your description it does sound like either the torque tube (center drive shaft), one of the axles, or the trans axle is the problem.
That would be why the noise only occurs when the car is moving.

You can norrow it down further.
Put the car in neutral, and with your foot off the clutch, rev the engine.
The center drive shaft will turn at engine speed, and if it's carrier bearing has failed, you will hear the noise and feel the vibration.

If everything sounds and feels normal, but you still the get the noise and vibration when the car is driving, the problem is related to one of the drive shafts, or the trans axle.

It could be a bad wheel bearing, or trans axle bearing, but is most likely a CV joint on an drive shaft.

Hopefully it is the latter, as it's much easier to fix a drive shaft than it is to work on the torque tube.