Any help is appreciated.

Background... I have a 2006 S I purchased with a blown engine. I just completed an engine swap and am about ready to put the wheels on. I have new bushings, bearings, brakes, rotors, clutch, fly, etc... I pretty much just replaced everything. I DID NOT change the axles though.

I have not put the wheels on as I just found out the bearings I ordered have M12 lug holes and I have M14 lug nuts (MINI changed the size in mid 2006... nice of them). Instead of exchanging the bearings, I just ordered M12 lugs, but they are not in yet.

Now the question. I test ran the car IN GEAR (but wheels off). There is a jack hammer like sound coming from the driver's wheel well. I can leave it in gear at idle and examine the car. The wheels are spinning, but the engine is visibly moving around with the axle pivoting. I am 99% there is nothing going on with the new bearings or brakes. The only thing it could be (I think) is the driver's side CV.

Now... If I apply the brakes a little (or at all) the sound goes away and everything goes back to normal (engine stops moving around). Does this just sound like I need to put the wheels on as the axle is not designed to run without any resistance? Or should I just replace the axle? ... or perhaps something else?

Thanks

 

Without wheels on it the car is sitting on a lift or jackstands. That being said, the CVs are hanging in full droop and are not at their 'normal' position. Since the joints are in an awkward position they are going through a non-normal range of motion and thus the noise. Try jacking the control arm to the ' normal' ride height and try your experiment again. I bet your noise will be gone.

It is possible that the CVs are bad but most likely it is just due to the droop angle that they are sitting at.

 

2006 base hardtop R50 with 156,000 miles. Original clutch, wheel bearings and other driveteain components. I just replaced both axles on mine, $160 from Parts Geek total for both, made by DSS. Also replaced all of the cooling hoses, ignition wires and spark plugs (2nd time for plugs) in an effort to keep it on the road a few more years. Easy way to check axles, accelerate hard while making a sharp turn, if they are bad you will feel low frequency shutter or vibration. If you wait for them to fail, it likely will result in engine failure as well, since typically they throw chunks of shrapnel all through the engine bay when they explode under load.

After 274 miles between Long Beach and Las Vegas, the best mileage the car has ever had. 41.2 MPG! It pays to replace the parts that are worn out, the change in performance can be breathtaking.

 

Thanks for the suggestions. I have it on the ground now and drove it for the first time since the engine swap. It drove smooth, but there is a definite clicking noise coming from the drivers wheel well. It sounds like the axle is gone (has 101k miles in it). I am going to change it out.