Hello

Would you buy an aftermarket driveshaft (brand new) off eBay? £50 including driveshaft nut. If not, where would you buy? Skoda won't sell whole lot and last time I contacted them the nylon boot was obsolete part. I'd prefer fully assembled driveshaft rather than wrestling Cv joints, grease, clips etc.

2 yr warranty, UK supplier and apparently manufacturer. 

 

Garage split CV boot when jacking up engine to do a timing belt and had car in out of garage to sort it (ECP nylon boot for outer CV joint was not a good fit). Rubber one proved good fit but I think the water, dirt that got in has done some damage. 

 

When car is reversed and on full lock I've got a clunk noise from that area. No clicking noise (yet). Apparently, a bad CV joint will reveal itself on reverse and full lock when it most under stress. 

 

I tried repeating and I couldn't replicate per journey.

It does it after commute when backing up onto driveway though at least first time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 28 January, 20251 yr by bmbmdmb

Depends on the aftermarket make. Some cheap ones the cv boots don't last. Try https://www.partsinmotion.co.uk/ I have been using them for a while now and find their prices and service are pretty good.

Depending on what front calipers you have it may be them. I get a clunk from mine when I reverse. They are ATE and have an external spring.

Alasdair

Hi Alasdair1

 

Is GSP a good brand?

 

Car chunked again. Full right lock on steering, in reverse, no braking. 

I've ruled out brakes now. I can hear clunk go through gearbox, so not a sticky brake caliper (on its 2nd set).

 

I now see a little grease near inner CV boot. This was also changed by garage and looked like a good job 2yr ago 

 

Tried Parts in motion. Just sell CV joint boots, no driveshafts.

 

 

 

 

 

I got Apec driveshafts for my Fabia last year, they seem to be decent and we're reasonably priced. I got them from my local motor factor so they should be readily available somewhere near you.

14 hours ago, bmbmdmb said:

Hi Alasdair1

 

Is GSP a good brand?

 

Car chunked again. Full right lock on steering, in reverse, no braking. 

I've ruled out brakes now. I can hear clunk go through gearbox, so not a sticky brake caliper (on its 2nd set).

 

I now see a little grease near inner CV boot. This was also changed by garage and looked like a good job 2yr ago 

 

Tried Parts in motion. Just sell CV joint boots, no driveshafts.

 

 

 

 

 

I hadent heard of GSP but have seen them mentioned on some other sites as not lasting very long. I fit Febi/blueprint. I find them a decent intermediate brand. Have heard good reports about Apec as well. Have had a couple of bearings on now for two years plus discs. Parts in motion do sell drive shafts but just noticed yours is the VRS so may be different. I tried checking Febi parts finder for fabia 1.9tdi vrs but couldn't find VRS. Apec catalogue lists the following ADS1309L left side and ADS1310R right side. They are listed under !.9TDI RS 130BHP 2003-2008 but not sure if its the same as VRS or the age of yours or engine. If there the correct ones for your car then parts in motion stock them for around £80-00 for  complete shaft. https://apecautomotive.co.uk/catalogue/ 

 

7 hours ago, Alasdair1 said:

ADS1309L

I searched and found one at £135 at Opie. Matches my car. 3yr warranty 36k mikes.

 

The eBay one is J R driveshafts and they have a huge amount of 1 star reviews. Entertaining read of the reviews. 

 

GSP - 2 yr warranty GSF. Reviews seem ok. 

 

Shafttec, Borg Beck offered at local motor factors 1yr warranty. Want old driveshaft back and £138 or £12 surcharge. Little info on them. If course local seller says they good, but they said that about struts on another car that last 15k.

 

BJ driveshaft £130 - never heard of at another place. 

 

I think the Apec one if I can get locally. 

 

Thanks for useful info. 👍

 

MOT - CV joint - fail if tears in rubber. Will it fail for any other CV joint reason?  Got MOT round corner...Otherwise I'll wait till I got time to fit in a few weeks.

5 minutes ago, bmbmdmb said:

 

 

The Apec one if you can get it should be ok. The others maybe not. I hadnt heard of GSP so checked and they are I think now Chinese with varying feed back especially failure of cv shafts. 

For a short term fix If the  tear/split is small then try cleaning with brake cleaner so you have no grease on the split surface and you can get gator rubber adhesive but I have heard superlglue works quite well for a short term fix. You can get split gators that glue together to save you removing shaft but never had much faith in them. Think their good for a quick fix.

Unless the CV joint is clicking/rumbling when they check the wheel bearings etc I think you should be ok. Make sure you clean up all the black grease etc before the mot. Unless its leaking I can't see them failing  you on it.

 

Alasdair

Don't buy the J and R ones. They don't last and they don't give a **** when you want to warranty them. 

1 hour ago, StevesTruck said:

Don't buy the J and R ones.

Yes, indeed. I dodged the bullet there! Pays to do a bit of research before buying.

On 29/01/2025 at 09:38, Alasdair1 said:

Try https://www.partsinmotion.co.uk

I checked them out and other sites. 

Napa and Apec are one and the same. 

The Napa is slightly cheaper and partsinmotion found a compatible item, which it was not. Returned driveshaft they confirmed as a fit. 

At least 2 other vendors also think it fits the MK1 fabia vrs so be warned. It is about an inch too short. 

Nds1309l does not fit. 

 

Plan B - the GSD driveshaft from GSF - website says it in stock and compatible. I roll up to the store and guess what, it ain't a match. Too long and has open end and o ring plus CV boot grease in packages. Gsf then looked on in store computer to find a compatible product but it is a 30mile round trip again. 

 

Tip ring gsf up in person to avoid disappointment. Their database is really bad.

 

Plan C - Shaftec - anyone heard of them?

Did some research and reviews are not great. Better than J and R driveshafts though. But someone on Ford ST forum says they might be linked to J and R. Both based in Birmingham, but different postcodes. 

 

GSD and Shaftec both got 1 year warranty. 

Shaftec £142 Vs £165 GSD.

 

The inner CV boot has slight gap, indent on outside of the CV boot clip. Letting a little grease out. No splits though. 

 

Found both front tie rod ends split. I bought Borg and Beck 6 years , 30k miles ago. Problem is local supplier just stocks cheapo brands and tie rods were an after thought when I bought front suspension parts. I was going to do the whole lot again , but only 30k miles on front. The rear shocks, springs lasted 35k (shocks were from dealer) and they were dead on both sides. Not a lot of A or Mways but not bad B or C roads. 

 

Bought Lemforder and new ball joints whilst I'm in there (3rd set now) at 107k miles. 

 

There are stress lines in the rubber.cv boots after 1 year so I'm not really impressed. 

 

I'd pay more but no one sells quality driveshafts it seems. 

 

The nylon CV boots Euro Car Parts, particularly the outer CV boot did not fit properly (slightly too large). Garage fitted these and outer kept popping off. 

 

2 years on my I'm in this position. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 21 February, 20251 yr by bmbmdmb