XC70 Prop shaft CV joint?

[gelertd]

I have a 2006 XC70 D5 auto (geartronic) that I have owned for 11 years – it still only has 60K on the clock. It’s been pretty reliable – bar the odd electrical gremlin (water ingress into the CEM etc).

However, it’s recently began to make a metallic 'ringing' noise – (which I initially thought was some tools vibrating together in the boot) – which comes and goes, similar to metal on metal vibrating together and seems, from the driver’s seat to come from the centre front of the car. If I reverse I can get a ‘clank’, ‘clank’ noise – a ‘slow’ version of what I hear now and again while driving.

It feels when accelerating gently that something is ‘binding’ up – similar to a failing CV joint where it partially seizes and releases. However, the front drive shafts are fine as are the front/rear wheel bearings. The rear pads and discs are new as are the handbrakes shoes, springs and retainers. When slowing down on overrun I can detect a very small vibration through the steering wheel (and possibly the car). More often than not the noise is apparent when coasting or on overrun.

The AWD system is working – I’ve done the heavy acceleration off wet grass and no front wheel spin - so I’m not immediately concerned regarding the angle gear.

However, today after a lengthy test drive I jacked the car up and grasped the propeller shaft (that takes drive from the gearbox to the rear differential) at the front CV joint (gearbox end) and can move the shaft up and down within the CV joint and when doing so can produce a metallic ringing noise.
I’m assuming the prop shaft should have no side to side play at the point where it enters the front CV joint – and the sensation of the drive train ‘binding up’ mentioned earlier could fit with a failed CV joint on the prop shaft.

The front CV joint on the prop shaft is next to the exhaust/cat and subject to heat which over time, can apparently, bake the grease in the CV joint.
Has anyone else had a similar issue/noise from the front CV joint on the prop shaft on the XC70 – and if so were you able to repair the shaft with a new front joint or was it a new/reconditioned/salvage prop shaft?

Thank you