Clunking and clanking from the front.

[Hudson]

I have a ibiza mk4 tdi fr 06 plate, and noticed a few months back a lunk on breaking or when going over speed bumps. Took it to seat and they said oh its the brakes moving in the hangers its nothing to worry about.

Now I noticed whilst out driving this morning (i normally have the radio on so didnt notice until now) that this clunk is alot louder and happens when i have full lock, when i break when i pull onto or reverse off the drive.

the noise is infornt of me, sometimes to the drivers side front aswell. Can anyone suggest what this may be? Things i should look at or check before i go back to seat - who in my opinion are a waste of spce - so i can say to them well i looked at x y z and these things are worn/broken/loose.

Thanks in advance.

H

 

[RUM4MO]

I would think that you now need to find a proper Seat garage if you are still under warranty and get them to check - the TCA rear bushes (to see if they are torn) + ARB mounting bushes (to see if they are worn) + ARB drop-links (to see if they are worn). If its been hammered you might also want to get them to check the condition of the engine and gearbox mountings. I'll reckon its the famous TCA rear voided bushes myself - any like for like replacement will only last another couple of years maximum - getting Seat or an independant VAG specialist to fit Cupra solid bushes fixes this for life (?) and improves the "feel" of the front. Also torn TCA rear bushes can allow the front tyres to wear their inside edges even more quickly than normal!

 

[orca]

this sounds like it could be my problem. should it have been found on the mot?

 

[RUM4MO]

this sounds like it could be my problem. should it have been found on the mot?

Humm, conveniently for VAG this might not be the case until it is totally wrecked, I believe - and yes I find that amazing!

As well as a rubber on rubber noise going over speed bumps, does the car make this noise when going onto and coming off throttle? The final straw for me was when crossing a slightly raised bit of kerbing - maybe a 1/2">3/4" level slowly, one side passed over the kerbing okay - the other side sort of waiting as the TCA was pushed fully back then jumped over and made noises. You could always try the old "park on level ground, handbrake on, car out of gear, steering straight ahead" then try to move rock) each front wheel backwards and forwards - if these voided bushes are weak or torn then the wheels will move quite a bit and you should hear the rubber on rubber noises. These bushes are meant to help locate the wheels while still allowing a slight temporary movement and they should "kill" road noise - the voided ones do this 100% but are weak and weaken very quickly as they get torn.

As for the ARB mounting bushes and drop links, you really need to get under the car while its suspension is still loaded - ie not jacked up or maybe jacked up on both sides as jacking it up will cause the ARB to twist and hide any wear in both the mounting bushes and the drop links - clanking should really be drop links - and Seat should have found that out it is a known early life failure item.

Both of your cars are probably too new to have the early ARB fitted (I/you hope!) - as that is another famous source of clanking!

 

[Hudson]

Car doesnt need a mot for another 12 months. I had a quick look this morning and there does seem to be quite a bit of play on the front bushes (not sure whats considered normal).

I'm stumped for a "proper" seat dealer as the only one i know is Seat Barlow Wolverhampton.

Would skoda/audi/VW touch it as theyre "vag".

I'm not too sure of somewhere local i could use.

 

[Black_FR]

These are same symptoms I had on my FR. It was found to be a cracked front ARB.

It needed a new front ARB, bushes and drop links. The parts together from Seat were about £100 but the labour was about another £180 on top of that. Then I had to pay for a 4wheel alignment as the work knocks the tracking and steering wheel out completely.

I was told that the side to side movement of the failed ARB is not an MOT failure ( I think he said only if it moves up and down there was a potential failure) but it depends on how fussy the tester is. However the noise from the clanking each time I went over a pot hole or speed hump was enough for me to get it changed.

 

[orca]

so, to summerise, if these are worn is it best to fit cupra rears...what about the arb..see people use a performance part of some kind is that best? my car is a 54 plate btw

 

[jilly]

Clunking

Hi ,

I think we have got the same problem- I have a mk 4 tdi..... mine was first doing this reversing or driving in to my drive - then it was happening when I was driving , especially around corners roundabouts etc, but not all the time.

Took it to a garage , they said C V joint, so replaced that, still not fixed , they then replaced my drive shaft saying it was bent ! I picked it up yesterday from the garage drove home and still got the clanking !!!!! grrrrrrrr
Called the garage this morning to tell them it is the same , taking it back on Monday... if any of you guys have any ideas on what i can tell them to look at ? I would appricate it.... cos I miss my car, and fed up with hitch hiking to work!

 

[orca]

had the void bushes changed to cupra ones ( they are 11p dearer) modified arb and bushes plus new drop links... what a difference!!! so much better on steering. Only one problem...the built in safety feature of drifting to left has gone ha ha ha

 

[RUM4MO]

had the void bushes changed to cupra ones ( they are 11p dearer) modified arb and bushes plus new drop links... what a difference!!! so much better on steering. Only one problem...the built in safety feature of drifting to left has gone ha ha ha

Good news! 11p dearer, that must be to cover extra rubber and the aluminium outer sleeve - which is fair enough, at least you will save lots of money by never needing to do this again - and your tyres would last longer if you didn't use the extra confidence that this mod gives you!

I've just re-read your last posting, so you did end up having the old style ARB - at least you will have saved money by getting all this done at the same time - only road springs to break now - I'd check them for rusting and touch them up to avoid the corrosion letting them break - I didn't and they failed just after getting the ARB replaced and I mean JUST after - like 30 miles later!!