A member in another forum suggested I send VSTECH a message about my inquiry for rebuilding rear axles on my '85 300D. I sent him a PM and got a prompt reply but I think he wants me to start a thread and get others' opinions.

While changing rear brake pads last month I noticed a clunking sound when I rotated the rotor especially when I changed the direction of rotation or when the rotor was turning and I stopped it. The best I could determine, the sound was coming from the outboard axle boot.

Upon inspection of the boost I noticed them being kind of dry rotted but there were no tears so I'm comfortably sure that the lubricant is still intact. This is what made me begin to research axles as far as remanufactured, after-market, etc. and whether it was a DIY project I could perform. It was in this process that I end up at VSTECH's doorstep, so to speak thinking that my problem was the axles.

VSTECH has raised a couple of queries about my situation and some other possible explanations for the clunking sound which I only seem to notice while driving slow or when the car is slowing to a stop and makes the final downshift. It's not loud; it doesn't jolt the car but there is that clunk sound and I can feel it through the car.

Other than axles what could this be? I can't really inspect the differential bushing but was going to change it out with the axle job. Flex joint looks good upon inspection with no obvious issues noted. The transmission shifts smoothly on acceleration even at full throttle and there is no noise while traveling down the road unless I just can't hear it because of the sounds of going down the road but I also don't feel the clunk either. All the noise comes from the rear.

I'm all ears!