What are the symptoms of a broken axle shaft?

[DelKatherine]

Symptoms of a broken axle shaft include: 1. Metal friction sounds or hard metal collision noises; 2. Abnormal noises when turning the steering wheel fully to the left or right; 3. Severe shaking when driving at high speeds; 4. Body swaying during driving; 5. Uneven tire wear. The function of the axle shaft is to transmit the power from the differential to the drive wheels. The axle shaft transmits a large torque and is usually made as a solid shaft. If the axle shaft breaks, the car cannot start or move. The axle shaft, also known as the drive shaft, is the shaft that transmits torque from the gearbox reducer to the drive wheels. It has a universal joint at each end, connected to the reducer gear and the hub bearing inner ring via splines on the universal joint.

[DiJulian]

Last time when my car's driveshaft had issues, the first thing I noticed was a clunking sound from the chassis during turns, like a screw rolling around in a metal can. Above 60 km/h, there was also a buzzing vibration noise that got louder with speed. The steering wheel became unresponsive too, constantly pulling slightly to one side during straight-line driving, and the chassis made loud clanging noises over speed bumps. The mechanic said these were classic symptoms of CV joint wear causing driveshaft imbalance, requiring prompt replacement. When the driveshaft fails, metal friction generates lots of iron filings, so it's best to check if the transmission oil has turned black.

[ColemanLee]

A faulty driveshaft can make driving extremely uncomfortable, especially during sharp turns or U-turns, when the chassis produces metallic clanking sounds. During acceleration, you'll distinctly feel the car body tremble, similar to the vibration caused by a bulging tire—the harder you press the accelerator, the more intense the shaking becomes. Once, my car skidded during a turn on a rainy day, and later inspection revealed that the driveshaft boot had ruptured, allowing water to seep in and wash away the lubricant in the CV joint, leading to direct metal-on-metal friction. Don't ignore such issues—get your car checked at a repair shop as soon as possible, since a broken driveshaft can cause sudden loss of power, which is quite dangerous.

[JesseFitz]

The most typical symptoms of a damaged driveshaft are abnormal noises and vibrations. When starting off, it feels like something is tugging at the car body, and there's a rattling sound from the chassis during sharp turns. At highway speeds, the shaking is so severe that even the rearview mirror vibrates, and the steering wheel feels like it has a vibrator installed. Last time my car had this issue, I discovered a hole in the driveshaft boot, allowing sand and dirt to enter the CV joint and wear out the universal joint. It's advisable to check the boot if you hear metal grinding noises - replacing a $10 rubber boot can prevent spending thousands on a complete assembly replacement.