Starting to p**s me off now!!!

[Gib]

Right Ive had this noise coming from my car for over a year and a half now and its really starting to grate on me! ALOT!!!! I have changed lot of parts but its still there...

The noise started when I got my wishbone bushes changed for polybush versions as the old ones where knackered.

The car is running brand new ST struts with second hand Apex springs, when the struts got changed I got new top mounts fitted at same time (they have only been on the car for around 4-7k miles)

New drop links have been changed, along with ball joints.
I have had it into two garages who have looked over the car - heard the noise but can not located it.

The noise sound like a rotational knock - or a strut top knock but doesn't speed up or slow down when moving - its just the same all the time, you can hear it more when approaching junctions or the road surface changes to that coloured stuff which is slightly raised.
As I said its almost like a strut top knock but even when driving along a bumpy road or a cobbled street it doesn't do it all the time, or you can't hear it as much.

I thought it may have been the cv joints as one did spit some grease out so I replaced both drive shafts.....still there!

There are no crunches from gearbox, clutch is fine -

If any one could point me in a direction or have any info it would be great help, as Im slowly starting to get so annoyed with it I may just end up selling (which I don't want to)

My next step would have been
- Buy new springs
-New top mounts
-Change poly bushes to OEM
-new anti roll bars & bushes
-remove subframe and fit new bolts

Many thanks Rich

 

[Slammedorion]

I've just sorted ours after a few weeks of slowing replacing everything again

I'd Change the top mount bushes for OE and fit OE anti roll bar bushes and brackets

I'm returning our Powerflex top mount bushes to Powerflex for inspection
There noisy and the car doesn't sit level on them - waste of money

 

[Gib]

I've just sorted ours after a few weeks of slowing replacing everything again

I'd Change the top mount bushes for OE and fit OE anti roll bar bushes and brackets

I'm returning our Powerflex top mount bushes to Powerflex for inspection
There noisy and the car doesn't sit level on them - waste of money

The top mount/strut top bushes are OE ones on mine, its just the wishbone bushes and rear sway arms have been polybushed.But as for the antiroll bar - I was going to go down the h&r road or neuspeed ones - replaces both same time

 

[Gops]

wheel bearing knocks. happened to welly once..

 

[Gib]

wheel bearing knocks. happened to welly once..

Really?! Ive had my wheel bearings changed when I first bought the car.., as they were beyond knackered!! dropped to bits apparently when removing them, I'll have to have a look into this!

 

[Gib]

Anymore info on this would be very helpful,

If the diff is going Im presuming Id defiantly hear the noise like a whine.... and if the gear box was going there would be gear crunches when putting into gear?
I hoping it isn't more engine related and more drive chain - prop, wheel bearings, anti-roll bar.......

 

[Gops]

Did you change your top mount bearings? Just change everything haha. That's what I end up doing? Have a good look for wear underneath. I had a knock once drove me mad, found out that it was the DV knocking on the strut brace

 

[Gib]

Did you change your top mount bearings? Just change everything haha. That's what I end up doing? Have a good look for wear underneath. I had a knock once drove me mad, found out that it was the DV knocking on the strut brace

The strut top mounts were changed when the suspension got fitted, and has only done if that 5k miles... I will try and see if I can get a video of the noise - very hard though with road noise from tires and other road users!
Everyone Ive taken out in it can hear it and gives their option to a drop link, strut top knocking or cv joint knocking.... but have had them all checked.

 

[Gib]

Am I right in thinking that iff the diff was on its way out there would be more of whine noise and would increase with speed - same as gearbox/drive chain issues... gears would crunch when selecting a gear, and a constant noise.

Its defiantly something which starts making the noise once its been driven for a few minutes (getting warmed up) also i can feel it slightly through the peddles

 

[Stuart B]

have you considered changing the drive shafts (even if they said the feel okay)? and also I recall others having the prop shaft bolts coming loose and hitting something on the gearbox end.

 

[Gib]

have you considered changing the drive shafts (even if they said the feel okay)? and also I recall others having the prop shaft bolts coming loose and hitting something on the gearbox end.

Yeah have read up somewhere about the prop shaft bolts coming loose, Ive haven't actually looked at these as a tell tail sign is wear marks - but I am going to see if I can get a pinch on these case they have come slightly loose

 

[Stuart B]

My drive shafts needed replacing but even the old ones removed from the car have no obvious movement, offside outer CV was floppy but the original noises were from nearside and that driveshaft cv's felt fine. I replaced using cheap ones from ebay, but I also asked them to check prop shaft bolts.

 

[Gib]

My drive shafts needed replacing but even the old ones removed from the car have no obvious movement, offside outer CV was floppy but the original noises were from nearside and that driveshaft cv's felt fine. I replaced using cheap ones from ebay, but I also asked them to check prop shaft bolts.

Yeah the passenger drive shaft got replace around 8 months ago but the drivers one I have just replaced with a 2nd hand unit to see if the noise stops and it hasn't. I'll take a look at the prop shaft bolts when next in garage - as Ill be removing all the suspension components and refitting to see if anything is loose.

long drawn out process!

 

[Gib]

STOP THE PRESS!!!!!!!

well last week when I was on back shift, I put an order in for new Ball joints, track rod ends, drop links and ARB. A friend on the close I live on has a garage he does MOT's/servicing etc... but doesn't work there full time as its his hobby. Because he was off from his 'normal' job he kindly said he'd fit the new parts and have a look around the car.
I ended up helping him replacing the parts because of my working hrs, and found nothing which would cause the noise I was hearing. The only things we found which needed replacing were both ball joints were very worn and the rubbers on the drop links had split.

Replaced the new parts and took for a test drive........ noise still there!

We both had another good look round until he started pressing the front end down and lifting it up.. 'knock' we both looked at each other and did it again.. finally after nearly a year and a half the noise was located! we jacked the car up and took the strut top off, clamped the strut and tightened the top mount nut, we got at least half a turn more on it, we got a impact gun on it which gave it that little more. Put everything back on and test drove.

NOTHING!!! the car feels a joy to drive again!

thanks to everyones help in there advice or input.

 

[Gib]

Start the press back up again!!!

Noise has been back for a few weeks now, and have kept and eye on top mount nut.... But yesterday I replaced the springs to some new apex ones new LCR top mounts and bearings....... noise is still there?!?!?!?! I'm baffled as to what it can be...... most things have either been changed or looked at closely and checked?!

Any Ideas please! thanks

 

[warren9022]

I had a similar knocking but it was worse when turning left for some reason. I changed the front struts, inner tie rods, track rod ends and drop links all in one hit and it cured it. Made sense to do it all in one hit while I had it stripped down, the only downside is that I don't know which part actually fixed the problem. My suspicion is it was the struts as they were pretty shagged. Hope you get it sorted, I know how frustrating it is (I changed both drive shafts, both complete bottom wishbones, discs & pads, top mounts & bearings, inner tie rods, track rod ends, struts, drop links & anti roll bar bushes before I eventually cured it).

 

[Gib]

Well my struts aren't that old, bought them new around 3 yrs ago, and there no leaking from them.

Only just changed the balljoints, track rods, droplinks, arb bushes, the wishbones are polybushed already (but it did start up after they had been fitted) then just recently had LCR topmounts fitted...... my only way now is to change the bushes back to OE ones and see

 

[SHUk]

Really?! Ive had my wheel bearings changed when I first bought the car.., as they were beyond knackered!! dropped to bits apparently when removing them, I'll have to have a look into this!

Sometime the hubs need to be changed at the same time as the bearings...

 

[Gib]

Sometime the hubs need to be changed at the same time as the bearings...

Thats a first I've heard that,

I really thought I'd fixed it when we heard it coming from the drivers top mount as soon as we tightened the nut down it had stopped but then started back up again a few weeks after.

Could it be the combination of the springs and dampers??

 

[GRELA]

Maybe a rack mount? I mean the bush must be there for some sort of reason...

 

[RobinJI]

I know Prawn spent a long while looking for a knock, only to find that the lower arm bolts are meant to be one use items, and once you've had the arms off once or twice they needed replacing to get them to tighten properly.