Drivers Side Knocking over bumps

[diggerbycroft]

On the way to work i started to hear a knocking sound when i go over any bump in the road. It sounds to be coming from the drivers side front area, at 1st i thought the door speaker had come loose and was knocking against the door card.

It doesn't matter what gear i'm in or what speed i am going, its still there.

Had a search and could only think it could be front wishbone bushes ?

any other suggestions on what it could be ?

car is a 54plate 1.9 fr tdi
84k on the clocks

thanks

 

[RUM4MO]

If its a solid loud knock, then with a car of that age, I'd expect it to be a cracked ARB end stop - and if that is the root cause, then you need a new ARB and mounting bushes. Reach in and see if you can move the ARB from side to side - you should not be able to do that if the ARB is okay.

 

[diggerbycroft]

i removed the wheel to have a closer look don't know if these pics are of any help :

Nothing was loose that i could see, disc & driveshaft were turning fine. Grabbed the whole disc to try and move vertically/horizontally but was all solid.

any suggestions ?

thanks

 

[RUM4MO]

In the first picture, the droplink is the vertical rod with "ball ends" at each end, if you look at the thickish curved "rod" that connects to the droplink's lower end, this is the ARB with the car on the ground, try reaching in to see if you can move it from side to side. Unfortunately, in these pictures, the "ARB end stop" areas are hidden.

I see that you have Cupra TCA rear bushes fitted - the TCA hexagonal peg is trying to turn within its location in the bush, with the suspension in its normal position, does this peg and bush look any better - if you look at the picture, you can see the hexagonal shape of the TCA peg and the hexagonal shape of the Cupra console bush - and the "space" where the peg is trying to rotate in the bush.

 

[diggerbycroft]

Thanks for that mate, i will check in the morning. So i just need to grab the curved rod to the lower droplink end and see if it will move ?

 

[RUM4MO]

Yes just try to move it "in and out" - ie across the car. If you do get movement, follow that curved end back away from the bottom of the droplink, it curves round and down and then through about 90 degrees and across the car to the other side. It is just after the bend that it gets fixed to the car, at the points where it gets fixed to the car, there is an end stop at each of the two mounting points, on the old style ARBs, its at this point(s) that the end stops crack/break and move away and so allow the ARB to walk across the car and touch the aluminium consoles.

 

[diggerbycroft]

Went out and had a look, the drop link was soild. I couldn't move it in and out.

 

[RUM4MO]

Went out and had a look, the drop link was soild. I couldn't move it in and out.

Yes, but its really the ARB got you are trying to move - I'd reckon that you would only been able to reach the upper end of the droplink which would not reveal any ARB secrets - but I might be wrong!

 

[diggerbycroft]

Sorry mate i'm a newbie on stuff like this, if i'm doing sonething wrong then tell me, should i take the wheel off again and check ?

 

[mymorph]

springs ?

 

[stezo2k]

I had a knocking sound from one side of my car before, turns out one of my springs was about to break

 

[RUM4MO]

Sorry mate i'm a newbie on stuff like this, if i'm doing sonething wrong then tell me, should i take the wheel off again and check ?

The only problem with jacking one side up, is, that the ARB gets distorted - that is okay because its made of steel that will stand that - and that is what happens in normal use, but, for you to do what you need to, its far easier if the ARB is "relaxed" and that means raising the front on 2-off ramps and getting under the car and looking as well as grabbing - not too easy unless you have the ramps to hand.

 

[Matthewd91]

This may be unrelated but i get a noise from front drivers sound too when going over any bumps, sounds like its coming from inside the door card?

 

[diggerbycroft]

This may be unrelated but i get a noise from front drivers sound too when going over any bumps, sounds like its coming from inside the door card?

This is what i thought, but i drove the car with the door card off

 

[rf860]

long shot but maybe your door hinges are loose causing the knock when going over bumps

 

[JamesL]

Would a dodgy wheel bearing not give similar noises?

Or a top mount?

 

[diggerbycroft]

I had a knocking sound from one side of my car before, turns out one of my springs was about to break

You was right, got my mate to have a look this morning and it turns out a piece of the spring is missing. Looks to be about 1 & 1/2 of a coil, also both sides droplinks are knackered. So he's taking it into work and getting them all replaced.

I'm £200 lighter