How to Check the Drive Shafts on Toyota Corolla

So, you have basically two metal bars with mechanical ball joints covered with a rubber sleeve at their ends to allow the wheels to turn.

Now, the thing is that, due to friction, intense use or busted rubber sleeves, the mechanical joints will wear and at some point you need to change them. This short tutorial will teach you how to tell if one of your Corolla’s drive shafts is busted. Here’s how to do it:

• Find a big empty space, like a parking lot
• Make sure you have plenty of space on both sides
• Turn the steering wheel to full lock in one direction
• Engage first gear or put the car in D
• Slowly start rolling in a circle and listen carefully for strange sounds or rattling coming from the front of the car
• Do the same for the opposite direction
• If you hear and feel a rattle for one or both of the front wheels, you got a problem
• Go visit a service as soon as you can.