newgen85brat Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 (edited) Here is my BRAT. I have asked questions from you all for a while. Thanks for your help. She is a 1985. I got it for 800.00. The motor had a broken crank. I put the 83 engine in it, bedlined the bed and lower areas, new seats, new clutch kit, exhaust, front and back mudflaps, silver painted rims with new Delta white letters and more. I got about 2200.00 in it now. It is pretty nice for its age. There are some dents but not bad. The tailgate is the worst. Mostly craigslist and ebay built. I have posted the photos before in another post but thought I would do it again because I got a lot of interest and questions. I still have to switch over the A/C, tighten the shifter and get the bugs out but it is ready for daily driving. I like it so much that I hated to drive it in the dirty gravel. I just took her for her maiden journey with new cv shafts and the problem is that there is a clicking when under load. It seems less when in 4 wheel but still does it. It does not when not pulling. I had originally put one CV shaft on only as it came with the rig in a box but then when it was making the sound I assumed it was the driver's CV. It helped by 75 percent but still has an issue. It is definitely related to the rotation of the axle shafts and maybe on the left side. It has new brakes but I did not pack or check the bearings but it did not seem like a bearing sound. I felt the bearings as I did it but should have kept going and pulled them I know. I fear it is the tranny. The thing has 108,000 original miles. The oil is clean and refilled in the tranny. It was about a pint low (3/8 inch up dipstick) so I added more. I added half a quart and it still seemed low so I added the rest and now it is about 3/8 inch too full. I have not driven it since I added it. Could it have been low and causing some noise? Is it too full for safety now? I figure I will suck out some oil to be safe. Come on guys, you have been here all along, don't let me down now. Oh, yes I did tape the mudflaps and paint them to match the roll bar in the back which is close to the stripe. I also sprayed clearcoat on the paint to freshen the peeling clearcoat and to help and protect it. Don't let anybody tell you it cannot be done because it looks pretty good. I did not have anything to lose. The tires set me back 432.00 bucks. I tried ordering others but they never were in stock. I finally gave up and went to a local guy. It was the only ones he could get. (he thought I was crazy) They look great though. It came with new mud and snows on it but they were 165/13 and looked like crap. Edited March 5, 2012 by newgen85brat More information Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bheinen74 Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 Good nice Iowa BRAT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPGsuperchargedBrumby Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 a little bit too much oil won't hurt things....clicking under load doesn't sound like a gearbox problem, they normally are a grumbling or whining noise if you have issues there without having chipped or collapsed a gear. clicking is normally cv's or DOJ's which is odd cos you have new ones by the sound of it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
O.C.D. Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 I just replaced CV's in my Brother's '81 only to find a bad reman CV. Not fun but after replacing again the clicking went away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKghandi Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 I just replaced both front axles in my 84 hatchie with remans about 400miles ago and they are both clicking now. I should have bought empi axles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
l75eya Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 yeah same here, new remans on the GL and the driver's side has clicked since day 1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newgen85brat Posted March 5, 2012 Author Share Posted March 5, 2012 If it is a bad CV, wouldnt it behave like a bad CV and click while turning? It does not click when turning only when under load and more so when heavy load like climbing. It seems to lessen if the 4x4 is on. With only 108k on it, I doubt it is the tranny. When I bought it, it had a shaft with ripped boots. It came with a new cv in the box so I put it on. Then I assumed it was the other one. The first one I put on the holes for the roll pin did not line up. I had to cut the pin out and it still did not drive in fully when i put the new roll pin in. The other shaft I got from Oreilly's fit great and the pin drove in as easy as the old one came out. Are the pin holes usually a 1/4 off in the passenger side? The shafts only run about 60 bucks. Is there a better quality shaft out there? I only could get rebuilt ones, the new ones were unavailable. Thanks, Walt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fixingrusinc83 Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 the roll pin holes are 180 degrees off if you lookat the stub axle one side the hole is dead center for ridge. and the otherside is valley so if the axle is 180 off hole is 1/2. on clicking noise on acceleration how tight is the axle nut sounds like hub slipping on axle shaft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twitch de la Brat Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 The clicking is most likely the axle. I work for O'Reilly's and we have the same crappy reman brand (A1 Cardone) that everyone else carries. EMPI is better, or MWE over in Colorado. He's on here, or you can contact him through Shawn (Site Admin) as Shawn has his own Suby Shop (Retro-roo). Reman'd axles are infamous for being junk for Subarus. Manual Transmissions typically don't have issues with being overfull, as long as its not excessive (like a full quart+ over). Worst that will probably happen is it'll push some up and out the dipstick if it gets really hot. Twitch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bratman2 Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 A clicking noise while turning under load is a CV joint. Clicking when going straight under load is usually a DOJ. Wouldn't hurt to check your driveshaft U joints also. Bad wheel bearings usually will give you some vibration at speed. If they get really bad you can catch it on a wheel check. When my driver's side was going South it passed the wheel check the first time confusing me, doesn't take much!! I have owned my 87 Brat for 15 years this year. I have purchased at least two bad axles right out of the box. I just installed brand new EMPI axles on my Brat because I was tired of the aggravation of dealing with that same crap and I was replacing DOJ boots about every 10k miles. On the EMPI axles I received the pin holes were drilled 180 degrees off. Didn't catch it on the first axle so I have to eventually go back under there and try to drive the pin back out and rotate the axle 180. On mine the flush hole had to line up with the beveled hole on the stub for the pin to fit. P.S. Nice Brat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bheinen74 Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 "On the EMPI axles I received the pin holes were drilled 180 degrees off" Yes, that is how it should be made. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bratman2 Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Well I told you it doesn't take much to confuse me. Damn shift work, got to blame it on something. I guess with two bikes and a pick up also it has taken me almost three years for the last boot to bust. Must of had a brain fart! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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