NSF HEAVY suspension clonk/knock

[Piggy]

Ok, I am waving the white flag.


I heard the beginnings of a knock from the NSF some time ago now. 

But I got on it ASAP, like I do with most things like that, but couldn't find ANYTHING. Had it on a MOT bay, levers in at all angles, nothing.


The brake calliper had a bit of movement, so I whipped that off, packed in grease in the sliders... less play now but no lack of noise.


After a few other things I have tried, adjusting strut brace, checking every nut, bolt, link, connection, replaced the drive shaft etc etc... it just gets louder and heavier...

So I got a Febi/Bilstein top mount and bearing and replaced those in a "I've checked everything else, what else can it be" last ditch attempt.


Annnnnd,..... its still there.  


It is a HEAVY knock/clunk as you pull away or come to a firm stop. Both at low speeds.

No knocks/noises once moving.




ANY IDEAS peeps?! Honestly, open to any suggestions now!   

[Toms306]

Sure it's NS, not engine mount cradle?

[Paul_13]

Checked all your engine mounts?

Strut bolts on hubs?

Lower ball joint bolts?

Ball joint bolts on wishbone?

Subframe bolts?

[Piggy]

Sure it's NS, not engine mount cradle?

Nope, NS for sure. Engine is rock solid. Cradle is all good, checked not long ago with replacement engine mount.

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Checked all your engine mounts?

Strut bolts on hubs?

Lower ball joint bolts?

Ball joint bolts on wishbone?

Subframe bolts?

Yup x5

[Niall]

Ive got exactly the same as this and haven't worked it out. Also get it on harsh acceleration.

[Seb_Ryan]

Drive shaft? Maybe even play in the diff from all the torques?

Or even gearbox mount itself?

[Paul_13]

Gearbox bolts all present and tight?

Is there a collar on the gearbox spike on your gear box? I know some models differ, some need it some don't

[Piggy]

Ive got exactly the same as this and haven't worked it out. Also get it on harsh acceleration.

Yeah, nail it and CLONK

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Drive shaft? Maybe even play in the diff from all the torques?

Or even gearbox mount itself?

No play in the mount. No play in shafts, both under 5k old too

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Gearbox bolts all present and tight?

Is there a collar on the gearbox spike on your gear box? I know some models differ, some need it some don't

Yup
And
Duno quite what you mean...

But mount not been touched in over a year and its a recent noise

[Paul_13]

I'll try and get some pics hang on

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Thats the one with the collar

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One with collar "built in"

I'm just thinking you may have the stud with the collar, without the collar if you know what I mean.
Only a thought

[Piggy]

Ah ok...thanks for pics
Goodness knows.
Would have thought its fine considering how long its been fitted and only recent noise BUT i'll have a nose when I can next

[Paul_13]

What about your lower fork bushe?

[Piggy]

What about your lower fork bushe?

Nah thats fine. No real movement from engine/box. 

And its NSF for sure

[HDi--Power]

If the engine mount is damaged it wont move until its under heavy pressure, try upping the handbrake and dumping the clutch to make the noise happen when stationary (an assistant would be of benefit). Most unusual nosies like that are the top engine mount

[Redordead89]

For the price of a p bush and front round wishbone bush it's got to be worth ruling them out with new parts, there may only be play under heavy load.

[Piggy]

For the price of a p bush and front round wishbone bush it's got to be worth ruling them out with new parts, there may only be play under heavy load.

They are Powerflex polybushed. I'm not downgrading

Seriously not movement in the wishbone, had some serious lever bars on it.

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If the engine mount is damaged it wont move until its under heavy pressure, try upping the handbrake and dumping the clutch to make the noise happen when stationary (an assistant would be of benefit). Most unusual nosies like that are the top engine mount

I'll lift the engine off the mounts to check to be 100% sure but as I said... Its pretty clear to me that its NS

[Redordead89]

Not suggesting downgrade but worth checking as usually good parts aren't always good parts and under abuse will show weakness at the drop of a hat! Such Is the crappy cheap parts market we buy from today!
I would much rather have an OEM 19 year old OEM cambelt kit than a modern Gates equivalent!

[Poodle]

Not suggesting downgrade but worth checking as usually good parts aren't always good parts and under abuse will show weakness at the drop of a hat! Such Is the crappy cheap parts market we buy from today!
I would much rather have an OEM 19 year old OEM cambelt kit than a modern Gates equivalent!

If you can't get movement with a lever bar it won't be moving under driving conditions lol, you have some very strange ideas about car maintenance.

How are your arb bushes, Piggy?

[Jonny81191]

Have you checked the subframe bolts?

[Weemangti]

I know I sounds stupid but check your brake pads fit in the carrier and there not able to move up and down had this on a few cars now

[Paul_13]

A 19 YO OE cambelt would probably snap in a few miles from the material in the cambelt degrading/breaking up!

[tigerstyle]

I have a similar noise, I think it's my top engine mount, it looked fine, but the captive bolt had snapped off the underside off it, not fully off, but just slightly loose in the mount, haven't had the engine running since the fix to test though, it was an ecp 18 month old mount.

[Piggy]

Not suggesting downgrade but worth checking as usually good parts aren't always good parts and under abuse will show weakness at the drop of a hat! Such Is the crappy cheap parts market we buy from today!
I would much rather have an OEM 19 year old OEM cambelt kit than a modern Gates equivalent!

Are you serious!?! 

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Have you checked the subframe bolts?

Yeah, solid as a rock

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I know I sounds stupid but check your brake pads fit in the carrier and there not able to move up and down had this on a few cars now

Aye, they are spot on

[highwayman306]

Have you tried putting on full lock and going round in circles Piggy? Both directions, adjusting the steering to make a wider circle and back to a tighter circle?

[dr_jekyll]

Had this exact problem myself a while ago. replaced a gone pbush and was still there and coildnt figure it out. Turned out to be my engine moving under load. Was on solid mounts and couldnt move it with a bar in there yet when i booted it 'BANG'. turned out to be a mix of the craddle had collapsed underneath and lower fork was moving on the actually fork bush (lower mount was powerflex). Think this movment was just swing the box about under load creating the noise

[Redordead89]

Not suggesting downgrade but worth checking as usually good parts aren't always good parts and under abuse will show weakness at the drop of a hat! Such Is the crappy cheap parts market we buy from today!
I would much rather have an OEM 19 year old OEM cambelt kit than a modern Gates equivalent!

If you can't get movement with a lever bar it won't be moving under driving conditions lol, you have some very strange ideas about car maintenance.
Hey poodle, I just had 2 gates kits fitted on my 307 due to water pump failure on the first kit so would rather have an new old stock Oem pump than a pattern part but yes on the belt obvs a new belt would have to be fitted,
I was a little bit inebriated with Stella last night so give me a break mate!
How are your arb bushes, Piggy?

Not suggesting downgrade but worth checking as usually good parts aren't always good parts and under abuse will show weakness at the drop of a hat! Such Is the crappy cheap parts market we buy from today!
I would much rather have an OEM 19 year old OEM cambelt kit than a modern Gates equivalent!

Are you serious!?! 
I was serious.....ly drunk and yes I know the belt would be crap but the pump would be good and not cost me another hundred to have fixed like the gates kit just did on my 307 this month!

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Have you checked the subframe bolts?

Yeah, solid as a rock

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I know I sounds stupid but check your brake pads fit in the carrier and there not able to move up and down had this on a few cars now

Aye, they are spot on

[RetroPug]

Could the hole in the hub for the balljoint possibly be ovalled slightly? This could cause it to knock despite it being a new balljoint and tightened to torque etc.

[Redordead89]

A 19 YO OE cambelt would probably snap in a few miles from the material in the cambelt degrading/breaking up!

Yeah I know Paul, not a very well explained reply but I was a bit stella'd so just didn't think it through before hitting post! At least you didn't call me an idiot bud huh?cheers

[Piggy]

ARB busbes tight
Checked for lower joing ovalling, thats fine.
Shafts are fine afaik, its not a cv knock tbh, different sound

I will have closer look at engine mounts though I think

[welshpug]

just because its powerflex doesn't mean they don't wear out/fail, IME they fail far quicker than o.e stuff and have MORE movement.

[Rippthrough]

^^That, if they aren't fitted perfectly and greased regularly, then it's probably those.
Other than that I'd suggest as the others, it's either an engine mount shifting (could be a bolt burred up and not quite clamping right if the bushes are all good), or possibly the subframe shifting, my 406 has this exact same thing at the minute but it's because the subframe bushes have sheared - slack the bolts and retorque.