Another (bloody) knocking noise thread.

[John Gordon]

Hey,

I have a new knocking noise. Its more of a deep metallic clunk/click. This Thud like knock is different to my previous as it moves from left to right within the engine bay.

Now, when on motorway if I accelerate hard the car will steer off to the right, then when I decelerate the car will drift off to the left.

If I go over a speed bump at an angle the clunk will come from a different side depending which angle I hit the speed bump.

Its not wishbones, they are new, ALL suspension (trackrods, steering rack bushes, everything..) is new except for some older Ktec solid topmounts (old gold ones)

The clunk will also happen on mild acceleration from a stand still with no (little) suspension movement.

I am thinking its either engine mounts (which are all less than a year old) or could my subframe be loose?

 

[MG cup]

You have just described knackered wishbone bushes mate or even slack wishbones and the holes have been elongated.

I know you say they're new but how new as that's the only on a Clio that will cause going one direction under acceleration and another under braking.

 

[John Gordon]

You have just described knackered wishbone bushes mate or even slack wishbones and the holes have been elongated.

I know you say they're new but how new as that's the only on a Clio that will cause going one direction under acceleration and another under braking.

When I say new, I mean less than a year and well under 10k Miles. I think they were replaced in Aug last year from memory. The car has Just been through its APK (MOT) and there was no play reported. I have just replaced the anti roll bar bushes.

I'm lost, understand that the wandering under power points to wishbones, hence coming here for help. I am stuck. I know Pure do a subframe repair kit... But I am sick of throwing money at this car and it not being the problem.

 

[MG cup]

I would check them out tbh, get the car jacked up and remove all the nuts and pull the bolts out 10mm or so to check for ovaling.

My old cup came with a bent wishbone and elongated hole in the O/S/F rear wishbone hole, its honestly the most dangerous car I have driven and I am a mechanic to trade, I couldn't go above 60 safely as it would change lane instantly over bumps.

 

[John Gordon]

Cheers for your help matey. Guess I have my weekend plans sorted now!

 

[DaveDreads]

Have you checked the engine for movement?

I had all kinds of knocking from the engine and exhaust manifold on old standard mounts,
as soon as I polybushed the dog bone and changed the engine mounts for K-Tec/Vibratechnics mounts,
it all stopped.

 

[John Gordon]

There is some movement in the mounts. the engine bounces around a little on tick-over.

 

[DaveDreads]

Then i'd say your engine and gearbox mounts need replacing/upgrading,
everything you've described sounds exactly like the problems I had.

 

[John Gordon]

I wonder if the engine twisting in the shell could account for the veering off under acceleration/deceleration?

 

[DaveDreads]

I'd say veering under acceleration could be tie rods, track rod ends or ball joints,
the braking issues could be sticking callipers, or the whole lot could just be down to tracking/alignment.

If your engine and box was twisting under acceleration it'd bend your driveshafts,
and trust me you would know about it.

 

[John Gordon]

Again, balljoints, inner/outer trackrods were done within the last 12 months. All genuine Renault.

Will investigate the subframe wishbone mounting points for wear on the weekend. Have just ordered a Pure strutbrace and mounts and will get the full set of engine mounts from Ktec including the dogbone in the next month.

Once all this is done I will get it re tracked.

 

[DaveDreads]

That doesn't mean they're not f*cked again mate.

One thing I will say, I polybushed my arb bushes as they were knackered,
i'm now going through a set of ball joints a year, the polybushes just transferred the stress to the weakest point,
which turned out to be the ball joints. :dapprove:

 

[John Gordon]

You do raise a fair point. My car is tracked a lot. Its done a fair few laps of the ring and zandvoort.

 

[DaveDreads]

Sounds like you've got two separate issues, worn mounts causing engine/manifold knocking even on slight corners,
and worn ball joints/tie rods/track rod ends causing wayward handling.

At least they're not expensive fixes.

Trackdays are hard on a car, I went on one and my exhaust hangers melted,
and the almost entirely clockwise circuit knackered a wheel bearing.