Annoying Knock

[Simon W]

Thanks Dave - I'll have a snoop at the drop link and the wishbone bush. Although methinks the wishbone bush rubber is probably difficult to see properly on the car?

Do you reckon the drop links in fleabay advert are genuine MGR? They seem pretty cheap. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ROVER-75-FRONT...1%7C240%3A1318

[Simon W]

Seller says drop links are not MGR but good quality alternatives. What do we think chaps?

[Simon W]

Originally Posted by stocktake

Drop links are a 15 min job. only two bolts but the top one can be a mare.
To check you can lay on your back and simply hold your hand over the top and or bottom joint whilts somebody else lifts up and pushes down on the car to simulate going over the bumps. the click / knock is usually heard/felt on the uppermost position. Alternativley remove the bottom joint and pull and push on the droplink, you will feel any wear. From mx experience it is the top joint that wears.

Dave - car presently on axle stands and n/s bottom drop link joint is undone (released completely from roll-bar). I can't feel any wear at all in top joint - no matter how hard I pull & push it just swivels as it should.

Also, I can't see the wishbone bush properly with it on the car. There's a line on the rubber shoulder - it may be a crack but I don't think so. It doesn't seem to be like these two anyway.

Any ideas??

[Jules]

Evening chaps
We've come across a couple of cases of "Clunk" where it's not any of the above components that are worn, but simply the front springs rubbing on bolt threads protruding through the turret housing.

[stocktake]

Originally Posted by Simon W

Dave - car presently on axle stands and n/s bottom drop link joint is undone (released completely from roll-bar). I can't feel any wear at all in top joint - no matter how hard I pull & push it just swivels as it should.

Also, I can't see the wishbone bush properly with it on the car. There's a line on the rubber shoulder - it may be a crack but I don't think so. It doesn't seem to be like these two anyway.

Any ideas??

If nothing else, your narrowing it down at no material cost so far, what you have described sounds in good / resonable order

Originally Posted by Jules

Evening chaps
We've come across a couple of cases of "Clunk" where it's not any of the above components that are worn, but simply the front springs rubbing on bolt threads protruding through the turret housing.

A picture of that would be useful Jules

[JohnDotCom]

Originally Posted by Simon W

Sorry John - I've cluttered up another thread: http://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/foru...ad.php?t=45210

Can you move everthing from post 5 onwards in above thread to here - and change the name of this one from 'JohnDotCom' to 'Annoying Knock'.


PS. It won't happen again - honest guv

Consider it done.

[Jules]

[QUOTE=stocktake;

A picture of that would be useful Jules [/QUOTE]

Sorry Dave didn't take one a the time but IIRC it was around the 3rd coil down from the top & on the inside. Probably need a mirror & torch to see it

[Simon W]

It doesn't sound right for a spring rubbing against a protruding bolt Jules - I'll have another look tomorrow though.

Assuming it's not a bolt - are the strut bearings the next most likely cause? Can they be tested without taking everything to bits?

[Bernard LPG]

Originally Posted by Simon W

It doesn't sound right for a spring rubbing against a protruding bolt Jules - I'll have another look tomorrow though.

Assuming it's not a bolt - are the strut bearings the next most likely cause? Can they be tested without taking everything to bits?

The strut top bearings only appear to be noisy on turning the steering wheel. From below you can see the spring slightly 'winding up' and then suddenly overcoming the friction as the steering moves further. This sudden unwinding gives the twanging noise.
In mine, the bearing race was pitted where the balls had been sitting in the straight ahead position.
The bearing itself would be better suited to a cheap plastic kid's toy.

[Simon W]

Jules is right - there are two earthing bolts sticking through the n/s turret from the engine bay. Peer down between battery box and inner wing and you can just see them.

With the car on the ground, one bolt thread is only an inch or so away from the 3rd coil up on the spring (n/s only). I can feel gouge marks on the spring so they've definitely been clouting each other.

Not sure if this is causing the clonk we're looking for - it might be, it might not.

NB. Bolt not exactly visible due to strut blocking line of sight - so use your hand to feel for gouge marks on outer edge of spring (engine side not the wheel side).


Bernard - there's no noise on turning steering wheel. Are you sure strut bearings can't cause clonking when car is going straight ahead over bumps?