i need help fast!!

[knotters]

me and a friend went out in the snow and decided to drive the crap out of my parents ford focus wagon(manual) and now it clunks when i hit bumps, it clunks when i turn corners at slow speeds, it is easier to shift(too easy) and it takes higher revs to get up to speed. please help they come home tomorrow and i need to know how bad it really is!! thanks!

[curtis73]

Describe the clunks when you turn. Is it just a random clunk once, or a clunk, clunk, clunk as you're turning. If its the latter, you have destroyed CV joints. They were probably close to dying anyway if they went that easily, but one of those times when you had it sideways and were steering to correct while your foot was on the gas probably did the trick. CV joints are designed with the car's handling in mind. They are under the most stress while turned sideways, but a normally operating car only ever sees slow speeds when turning. If you turn the wheel and give it gas in the snow, the wheel might be at full lock while the tires are spinning at 65 mph. Not good.

Not sure about the higher revs and easier shifts... The only thing that could really cause easier shifts is an internal change to the transmission which shouldn't have happened. Maybe a better description of the problem will help.

[knotters]

thanks a lot..i guess maybe the transmission thing is all in my head because i was scared. Thanks again now i have a better understanding of what not to do ..how much do you think this will cost me, and can i do it myself? and should i be able to see the problem? what do i look for?

[curtis73]

You can't really see the CV joints themselves. They are the joints on the front axles that allow articulation for suspension travel and steering and they're covered by rubber boots. The only way to inspect them is to remove them, disassemble, clean them and look for wear, but at that point there is no reason to reassemble old axles to put in. If they're making a grinding kinda popping noise when you drive in a turn, they're bad and need to be replaced.

Look on the 'net or phonebook for a axle service place. They can supply you with rebuilt axles which you can put in, or have a shop put them in for you. Its something that can be done at home, but it requires a complete disassembly of the entire front suspension and some specific assembly requirements. Head to a book store or parts store and see if they have a Haynes or Chilton's manual for your car.

Most places do free estimates, so they'll be able to tell you in the first 100 yards of driving it if its CV joints or not. That's a free way of diagnosing the problem.

cost for axles varies greatly by vehicle. I was able to get complete rebuilt axles with new joints and boots for $80 each for a VW, but I've heard horror stories of $300 or more per side before. Shop around.

[silveradoseaver]

The noises could easily be the cv joints. Just thinking that the higher revs could be a sign of a broken cv joint, Depending on the traction control of the vehicle. If it operates like an open diff, or limited slip, one side can spin while the other doesnt. If the joint is broken, the broken side could be trying to spin while the limited slip is transfering power to the other side. just guessing. I would definately get the opinion of a pro who could drive it and see first hand. Replacing cv joints is usually not too easy. I have done this on several vehicles and find it to be quite frustrating. If you are not mechanically inclined I would not attempt this repair. Plus it could get expensive to start throwing parts at it. JMO