Hanger bearing advice

Hi guys and gals

Looking for advice on my Mazda three. It's a 2008 with a manual and a 2.3. I noticed a banging last year coming from somewhere in the front end that seemed to get worse at higher speeds. Car has now been parked since the beginning of winter as I've been worried about doing damage to the trans running with a possible did hanger bearing. When I grab the CV axle where it enters the hanger there is some slop on the spline but no worse then the driver side. I can how ever move the hanger shaft back and forth in and out of the transaxle . Is this the culprit or normal?
 
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