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Stopped at a red light about 4am. Nobody around so I dropped the clutch at about 3k to 4k. The tires were spinning and then I heard something under the hood. After that there was no power going to the wheels. I haven't had any clutch symptoms leading up to this. I still have good pedal. I can move the shifter into any gear. In 3 through 6 I hear a slight sound under the hood and the speedo begins to move as if the wheels are turning... but they aren't turning obviously. Also I can push the slave cylinder rod in by hand. I haven't check the axles yet but breaking cv axles ate 3 to 4k seems unlikely. Broken fork?
Hope so. That's much better than a clutch replacement Am I the only one here who has ever dropped the clutch at 3 or 4 grand? Not something I do often... just get the urge once in a while.
Actually it wasn't a dead drop... I always slip/feather it a bit. You're right tho... this car wasn't made for that kind of thing. Something you'd expect from a Mustang driver lol
I'm surprised both would break tho and neither would flop around. It is an LSD right? Both axles getting power normally unless one loses traction?
Also why is the slave rod so easy to push in?
PS how do you know???
lol cuz i dropped my clutch many a times.
new summer tires? gotta test drive.
new clutch? gotta test drive!!!
lmao
I havent broken axles yet but your symptom of cant drive in gear pinpoints to them EXACTLY
you can also test LSD by jacking up front end and manually spinning one wheel. i forgot what the opposite side is supposed to do, the other side should spiN?? i forgot
it's your axles for sure. I never drop the clutch that high because all you'll get is violent wheel spin and hop and you won't actually go anywhere. I try not to launch this car hard because I know what will happen. I'll do like 2k launch but gradually get on it.
Thanks Justin but I just watched a Brian the other car guy vid... Transaxle right? You lose one and neither will work or so he says so that would explain that. I just happen to have two brand new axles. They're Cardone but they'll have to do. I saw that HeelToe.com sells 500hp units for $166 per side. On the bright side (and I'm looking really hard for a bright side) if an axle broke the clutch must be really healthy Still wondering about that slave cylinder thing. It shouldn't be that easy to push in unless you're the Hulk. Maybe that's the damper thingy
Oh... a member here asked me if the car would make it to Cali. I told him I wouldn't hesitate to take off to Cali in this car. Just goes to show... you never know what's in the future even if it's your own car
BTW I'm appreciating the support!
it's your axles for sure. I never drop the clutch that high because all you'll get is violent wheel spin and hop and you won't actually go anywhere. I try not to launch this car hard because I know what will happen. I'll do like 2k launch but gradually get on it.
Originally Posted by justnspace
a "Proper launch"
I also feather the clutch at 2k until I catch traction, then roll on the hammer.
if i hop and jump and skip, i KNOW i'll break something
Yeah... I'd done that before once or twice but that was before the new tires. There was some feathering but I'm not making excuses. What happened happened.
Okay axles require some huge socket right? I'll have to see if my old buddy the former Matco tool guy has one. I think he kept one of everything when he quit.
If you're not worried about breaking anything else you might think about those 500hp Insane axles from https://www.heeltoeauto.com/axles/
The hardest part of this job was the spindle nuts. I broke my breaker bar, an old cheap 200ftlb torque wrench and Harbor Freight's "best" breaker bar on the first one. I'd just decided I might have to get really creative/destructive when a buddy dropped by and said he had an IR Thundergun with him. The impact had both nuts off in seconds with my little California Air Tools 1hp compressor. I know what I want for Christmas
Just wanted to add a couple of things... one for grins and one for future reference. I don't know if this is relevant only to 03 CLS six speeds or just my car. For anyone who didn't recognize the oil filter in that pic, that was the passenger side. The driver side was also broken but it was broken internally at the joint on the wheel.
I had to use a ball joint tool to get the ball joints out. Normally I use the hammer trick but that didn't work.
The passenger side lower ball joint had a circlip. The driver side didn't. I don't know if it had been replaced and the ball joint was a new style or someone just forgot to put the clip on. Both new ones came with clips.
Also I had to lower the sway bar to get the lower control arms to drop enough to get the old axles out and the new ones in.
I have broke both axles in my CL 6 speed.. my passenger side split right at the damper just like yours.. it's a common thing.. be careful when purchasing aftermarket axles.. I got a axle form Autozone and it made my ABS light come on.. to get the lower ball joint off loosing the nut to the ball joint until it is flush with the bolt head.. take a jack and put it under the nut and jack the front arm up.. then take a hammer and hit the arm right where the ball joint screw slides thru the arm.. you should use a sledge hammer.. it gets it done quicker.. I have changed axles in this car in 30 min flat..