306 creaking rear axle

One of a number of things you could do is to compare the radius arm alignment by looking at the narrow gaps either side of the bearings for tell-tale signs of misalignment due to wear. Wear can also be indicated by rust staining from water which has entered and drained out from the bearings. Having said that if you don't have the facilities it might be better to pay the local garage a few pounds to get it up on a lift and check it out for you.

Thanks, that sounds like a good idea... I jacked the car up and down a few times last night, and I noticed that after doing this - i,e, working the radius arm over a long travel, this morning I could bounce the car with almost no creaking and clunking. In my foolishly optimistic mind I wonder if maybe I have got a bit of lubrication moving in there..

I think the thing will be as you say, to establish if there is currently significant wear to be seen, and if not then deciding on the risk vs reward scenario of either seeing how long it lasts, or doing it now to avert disaster !

Is there no way to just loosen off the radius arm bolts and sneak some grease in there to help things along ? Its a shame that on a car which seems to reject rust (bodywork) and just keep looking like new, that mechanical areas like this are not better protected against the effects of water etc...

Thanks Craig

Sounds like subframe mounts to me.

cornering -

Yes, worth checking that everything is tight under the back end. Normally if the bushes are going, you can see that the rear wheels are not parallel when seen from behind. You could also do worse than squirting some chain grease from an aerosol into the joint where the bearing is. Just get any loose dirt out of the way first. Then bounce the car up and down a bit to get it to penetrate before it solidifies. If only they had put a grease nipple in there to start with. Grease nipple - what's that? Only older people like me remember them.

Thanks for all the advice folks. Im sure its coming from the bearing though - I lay on the ground with my finger in the gap between the radius arm and the torsion beam, and lowered the car slowly with the other hand - I could feel the 'jumpiness' in there on my finger each time it creaked.

I'll certainly try to get some grease in there though...

Hey, believe me - I know about grease nipples... My other car is a 95 mini cooper. Its got em everywhere!!!!

Cheers Craig

Not to mention grease guns. I bet people of a younger age don't even know why tins of grease come with a disk on top with a hole in it. To this day I have one of the pump type grease guns in my garage and a real big bu##er with a side leaver to pump it.

And i bet no one knows about the greese guns we use in the workshop which are airfeed,very safe if you know how to use one,and not play round with it , if found playing around its out the door,

Unfortunately I doubt you'll succed but it's worth a try.

Has it? Good Lord, I thought they stopped using them after the Marinas

That used to apply to air hoses, for blowing up tyres, as well and I assume still does.