[Steering & Suspension] [Solved] Yet another suspension noise thread [drop links]

[GraemeT]

Hi all

As it says in the title - noise from the front end.

Symptoms - difficult to reproduce but can be found sometimes if (a) accelerate hard up a moderate hill in 2nd gear then take foot off throttle abruptly (b) on a wide/shallow speed hump approached square on sometimes as the front end drops on the down side of it

Noise - a single, gentle click/clunk - as if you gently rapped a knuckle once on a bare floorboard. No feedback via steering.

Side - left hand  feels as if towards lower end of the suspension system but we all know these things can be elusive.

So far - checked all the left hand side bolts/joints/track rods/drop links etc etc - most were replaced this year - everything is tight and looks good. No play in the wheel. Caliper and carrier rock solid. Steering rack firmly bolted in, all tie rods are 100%. Springs correctly fitted to cups/mountings. Sub frame bolts all OK. Battery not loose. ECU not loose. Driveshaft feels OK - no free play in knuckle or at gearbox end. Wheel nuts all tight. Anti Roll bar bushes all good.

The only thing I have left to double check is the top suspension mounting - that was replaced in January but when I get a minute I'll pull the ECU and recheck it. No sign of free play though when car jacked up and using pry bar to move suspension units around.

This is intermittent, fairly quiet but is bugging the heck out of me. 

Can anybody shed some light? I've been through the forums but cannot find any thread that mentions anything other than the things I have tried already.

Thanks

Graeme

[cancunia]

Only thing that comes to mind is the strut pistons or maybe the stops at the top of the struts.

[jj9]

Gearbox mount?

.

[V6BOY]

When where the drop links last changed have come across numerous with absolutely minimal to no play to cause no end of noise from the suspension.

[GraemeT]

Hi everybody - thanks for the suggestions - gearbox mounting is OK, struts and top bearings OK - drop links?

Replaced those in January with Delphi branded ones - however I'd also come across these as prime suspects after some serious Googling so I have ordered a different branded pair and and we'll see what results we get

[GraemeT]

Hello all - 

I tightened up the nuts on the original drop links as far as possible and that (initially) reduced the noise but, over a few days, back it came.

Binned those drop links and fitted new ones from GSF and bingo - all good. 
Happy bunny.

[cancunia]

Good news, glad you found it!
I had a similar problem last year with the drop links, took me weeks to find the really small amount of play on one of them.

[V6BOY]

Great result you got to the bottom of it good stuff.

[GraemeT]

Thanks guys - even though it was a small click/clunk my wife drives the car a lot and I didn't like the idea of something 'not right'. Bit disappointed at having to bin the drop links from January but the new ones were not that expensive - buy cheap, buy twice my wife often reminds me :-)