[MattStroud]

Hi All,

I am a very recent i30 owner, and as such, very new to this forum.

I already love my i30, but it has one issue im trying to resolve. Under acceleration, between 40 and 50 mph there is quite a pronounced wobble in the car. Feels like it's wobbling side to side. I dont feel it through the steering wheel really, more like just the car is wobbling side to side slightly.

Been doing lots of reading up on it and based on that I am coming to the conclusion that it might be a worn inner CV joint on a drive shaft. I have been under the car and recorded a video of me manipulating the OSF inner CV joint side of the drive shaft, there is very slight play with an audible click sound when moving it back and forwards.

There is are signs of old oil all around that area, like the CV boot has split in the past and not been cleaned off. I wonder if the boot was replaced but the worn joint left, or it was OK initially, but has worn over time since then?

I'll try and link the video of me moving the shaft/joint, does it sound like this is worn to you? The truth is I really dont know what it should or shouldn't sound like.

I can't add a video, so I have uploaded it to YouTube here http://youtu.be/XURfEcIaBfE?si=xjuoc5ltG-XNhv7I

Oh and also, sorry for the terrible job of recording it,  it was very crampt under the car!

Thanks for any advice!

[BrendanP]

When I get a chance I'll try and wiggle the shaft on my car. I'm not sure if that would contribute to the car wobbling about as I don't think the driveshaft acts to anchor the wheel in position, I think it can move in and out to accommodate the suspension travel and steering movement. Have you checked things like the track rods ends and ball-joints for slack movement? Also whether the tracking is correct.

[MattStroud]

Thank you, @BrendanP, that will be very much appreciated. I have read that there should be absolutely no play laterally (up/down or side to side) but in and out of the joint shoukld have movement. I've also read that a worn inner CV causes vibration/wobbling whilst a worn outer CV causes clicking sounds. Which is what has directed men to a possibly worn inner joint.

I've had the wheels balanced, which didn't change anything, but haven't had tracking checked yet. Suspension bushes and linkages all seem OK.

[BrendanP]

I had a look under my car today. Turned the steering full lock with the car in gear so I could reach in and grab hold of the drive shaft. I tried turning it to and fro to see if there was any play. I made a video but there's no point posting it because there's nothing to see. No play or slop, no knocking or clicking. It was the same on both sides. My car is 2015 and done 110,000 miles. based on what your video shows, it sounds like the CV joint is worn.

[MattStroud]

Thank you so much for spending the time to check that out, I really appreciate you doing that. And it does strengthen my belief that my CV joint is worn and could well be causing my problem. I'll change it hopefully soon and report back.

[langa]

I have this exact same problem, only in metric  , our car does it from ~60-80km/h.
Did you end up resolving the issue? Our mechanic could not find any issues with the suspension, and ended up replacing two of the four engine mounts, as they were completely worn. This did not fix the problem. Our car has done ~240,000kms
As you mention, one can't feel it in the steering, but the car shakes from side to side, but only under load, and only between certain speeds.