"THAT" Knock....FFS

[Rob]

Ok, so confusion has now been overtaken by flat out anger.

The car has BRAND NEW top mounts and is on FK coilovers, (the topmounts dont seem to fit overly well) See picture below.

I am getting an insane amount of knocking now...

When pulling away, it knocks, and the steering wheel jolts.
When braking, it knocks.
When I go over a bump, it knocks.
When I turn a corner, sometimes, it knocks.

Now it's not just a little knock, it's quite a serious, hard, knock, that you can really feel in the car/through the pedals or floor or whatever.

Poor fitting top mount:

It's going to go to a garage ASAP (when I get a chance) to see if they can diagnose it, but I could really do with some CS genius help.

The only thing non suspension related I thought it could be was mullered gearbox mounts? So that's knocking on something, hard?

 

[JCC]

Surely that top mount is nowhere near tight enough? If it's only one side like that then it must be incorrectly fitted somewhere surely?

 

[penaul]

Know how you feel mate i got the same problem ( knocking)

 

[Bluebeard]

start thecar up, sit in it and get the handbrake on good and tight, put it in first gear and let the clutch out just to biting point, will it do it then?

Don't let it all the way out so thecar stalls, but just enough to get the engine to jolt. If it does it then, get someone to do it for you while you wander round thecar/engine bay to see whats what.

If it doesn't do it, you know its suspension related.

 

[JCC]

How did you fit those topmounts btw? Did you wind the coilover right down as low as possible, build it all up then put it on the car and raise it up again?

 

[fearless]

Are these brand new, and with the bits you were missing installed?

 

[Rob]

Surely that top mount is nowhere near tight enough? If it's only one side like that then it must be incorrectly fitted somewhere surely?

If you look at my top mont thread you'll see, the thread on the FK's doesn't seem that long, (no where near as long as standard) so that's as tight as it can go. The metal on the bottom of the "top hat" hits the metal spacer below.

Know how you feel mate i got the same problem ( knocking)

What have you changed/tried?

start thecar up, sit in it and get the handbrake on good and tight, put it in first gear and let the clutch out just to biting point, will it do it then?

Don't let it all the way out so thecar stalls, but just enough to get the engine to jolt. If it does it then, get someone to do it for you while you wander round thecar/engine bay to see whats what.

If it doesn't do it, you know its suspension related.

I'm quite sure it will do it then mate, but I'll go out and check in a minute and report back.

How did you fit those topmounts btw? Did you wind the coilover right down as low as possible, build it all up then put it on the car and raise it up again?

I fitted them like you'd fit any top mount, take the strut out the car, assemble, put back on the car, do up the top hat.

Whywould you have to wind anything down?? (My car is quite low anyways)

 

[Rob]

Are these brand new, and with the bits you were missing installed?

Top mounts have done 300 miles tops, the metal spacers I was missing are now installed, if you look at my top mount thread here: you'll see how they're fitted...

 

[Rob]

Update:

It does it even when the handbrake is on, you have to take it quite far, so it almost stalls, but then it does it.

Up and coming video...



You can see the steering wheel kicking as I pull off, admittedly not by a lot, the video under exadurates.

 

[JCC]

I fitted them like you'd fit any top mount, take the strut out the car, assemble, put back on the car, do up the top hat.

Whywould you have to wind anything down?? (My car is quite low anyways)

Well obviously at the top of the coilover there are edges and lips and stuff below the thread to stop the top mounts going down any further than they should. When I fitted V-Maxx coilovers with standard top mounts I had to wind them right down (off the car obviously) put the top mounts on until they wouldn't go any further down the strut, build it up, put it back on the car and tighten up the top nut, then wind up the coilovers again.

Apologies if this is blatantly obvious to you, but some people would miss a simple thing like this and wonder why it's went wrong, so worth mentioning.

 

[Bluebeard]

pmsl @ hello cliosport and daniel! lol.

I think thats a wishbone.

 

[Sumner]

I have a similar problem and has been diagnosed as a faulty shock (H&R), so I am getting the front shocks rebuilt. How old are the FK's?

 

[adam172]

looking at the vid i would say an engine/gearbox mount has gone?


- oh and i wanted to ask you, know when you put ur new system on did you keep ur decat on or have u taken it off and put a cat back on ?

 

[Rob]

Well obviously at the top of the coilover there are edges and lips and stuff below the thread to stop the top mounts going down any further than they should. When I fitted V-Maxx coilovers with standard top mounts I had to wind them right down (off the car obviously) put the top mounts on until they wouldn't go any further down the strut, build it up, put it back on the car and tighten up the top nut, then wind up the coilovers again.

Apologies if this is blatantly obvious to you, but some people would miss a simple thing like this and wonder why it's went wrong, so worth mentioning.

Cheers for trying to help mate, I didn't mean to come off as arsey if I did.

The coilovers are so low that you can see all of the thread and the lip whilst everything is in it's current place, no need to move them, so it's definately not that mate.

pmsl @ hello cliosport and daniel! lol.

I think thats a wishbone.

Well I had to say hello sweetie

Replace the wishbone then? Or just go for new powerflex bushes?

I have a similar problem and has been diagnosed as a faulty shock (H&R), so I am getting the front shocks rebuilt. How old are the FK's?

A faulty shock, interesting.... I haven't considered that, but they did feel good and healthy when I fitted the top mounts, so I'm not so sure it's them...

As for how old? Daniel? lol!

looking at the vid i would say an engine/gearbox mount has gone?


- oh and i wanted to ask you, know when you put ur new system on did you keep ur decat on or have u taken it off and put a cat back on ?

I'm really not sure mate, got bushes on their way for the dogbone, and got a new top gearbox mount sitting on my dining room table, so they'll be done as soon as Kam racing pull their finger out their ass.

I kept my current decat and fitted my system, I've got a REALLY loud long life system for sale if you're interested Ad?

 

[adam172]

just want a decat tbh mate, hope you get this knock sorted out mate which garage you gunna take it to? - might be worth taking up to two techs as they will test drive it and see if they can spot anything?

 

[penaul]

Not changed anything yet Rob but will be getting new coilovers on in the next week so hope that will solve the problem

 

[Rob]

just want a decat tbh mate, hope you get this knock sorted out mate which garage you gunna take it to? - might be worth taking up to two techs as they will test drive it and see if they can spot anything?

Gonna check out the wishbones tmrw, would do it now but I'm feeling lazy.

It'll go to two tech's in the week one night when I can get away from work a bit early.

 

[Gaz_]

Broken engine mount? One under the battery tray is quite common to shearing off!

 

[MikeB]

i think on of the mounts!

 

[Rob]

Broken engine mount? One under the battery tray is quite common to shearing off!

Last time I checked it, the rod was fine, I couldn't undo it to replace it though, so it's still sitting on my dining room table... lol!

Hopefully in the next week I can replace the dogbone and that.

i think on of the mounts!

Engine or bushes on the wishbone etc?

 

[MikeB]

Does it knock under hard acceleration?

 

[Rob]

Nope, it's 1 single knock, not something bouncing off something, i'm quite certain it's something shifting under the weight of the car.

It knocks when you pull off, pretty much every time, and sometimes when braking.

 

[Dan@SJM]

check the balljoint bolts on the wishbone. if its had aftermarked ones fited with the 2 smaller bolts that'll cause that.

 

[iimushroomzii]

Take it to a garage... seriously man! How many times.... lol!

 

[Rob]

check the balljoint bolts on the wishbone. if its had aftermarked ones fited with the 2 smaller bolts that'll cause that.

I changed the ball joint on one side because it was quite clearly worn, made sure I used the 12mm bolts though, there was no play in the otherside, so I didn't think to check the bolt sizes, but I will, cheers.

Take it to a garage... seriously man! How many times.... lol!

I'm skint at the moment, serious reducing of student overdraft/bank troubles, so it's really something I need to sort myself! lol! (To make matters worse, I'm a stubborn b*****d)

 

[mat-nos]

my guess is engine.g box mounts, i would take each one off to inspect them before dicounting it.
next would be wishbone/arb bushes and steerinhg consumables, again take them off and refit to discount them.

then the only other option is it is the top mounts/wrongly fitted fks or exhaust knocking because of worn engine/g box mounts!!

ive seen a few times people fit coiovers with the carriage nut rather than the flat standard nut from the top of the standard dampers......

 

[Brett]

I had a similar one in my 172. Pull away knock, slow down knock.

Engine mounts in 1*2's are nightmares. I really wish they lasted like they do on 90% of normal cars.

 

[Rob]

my guess is engine.g box mounts, i would take each one off to inspect them before dicounting it.
next would be wishbone/arb bushes and steerinhg consumables, again take them off and refit to discount them.

then the only other option is it is the top mounts/wrongly fitted fks or exhaust knocking because of worn engine/g box mounts!!

ive seen a few times people fit coiovers with the carriage nut rather than the flat standard nut from the top of the standard dampers......

I'm waiting on Kam racing to send me some bushes for my dog bone mount, then I'll get both GB mounts changed. (hopefully this week)

Only thing is, why would the gearbox mounts make the steering wheel jump?

I had a similar one in my 172. Pull away knock, slow down knock.

Engine mounts in 1*2's are nightmares. I really wish they lasted like they do on 90% of normal cars.

What did it turn out to be mate?

 

[Da]

Why did you do only one ball joint? I know you said there was no play in it but they're less than £10 each and as with all suspension components should really be changed in pairs surely?
That'd be my first thing anyway.

Does the car drive straight with no hands on the wheel?

 

[Rob]

Car drives straight yeah, but since doing the balljoint the wheel is off centre, (just needs tracking, but need to fix this knock before I get that done)

As for why I only changed one, I'd change bigger parts in pairs, but something like a balljoint I didn't think it was at all essential to do a pair?

It's a pretty big knock, and there is no play in that other wheel, so I'm quite sure its not the balljoint, but if I exhaust my other choices, maybe I'll change them as a pair again...

 

[Da]

Which side joint did you change?

For the sake of £10 I think I'd change the other side just to eliminate it really.

 

[Rob]

I changed the passenger side, they're very easy to check though, i.e its quite obvious if one has gone, and tbh this certainly doesn't feel like a balljoint.

I think I might just take it to a mechanic for a diagnosis, what I do about it from there is up to me I suppose.

 

[sideways danny]

that top mount definitely isn't right, I'd make an educated guess that it's not going down over the top of the low profile nut

 

[Brett]

What did it turn out to be mate?

Not sure mate, the new owner has sorted it I think. I think it was engine mount related though as I had it before I had the mounts changed and it went away. It came back when it snowed going over icey ruts in the road. I think an engine mount had worked its way loose.

 

[Rob]

that top mount definitely isn't right, I'd make an educated guess that it's not going down over the top of the low profile nut

It definately is Dan, as it goes to the same level without that nut on there (I took it off and screwed the top down to check)

 

[Rob]

WOOOOOOOOO

So tonight when I got home I finally decided I'd had enough, got home from work and took apart the whole front end of the car, took out he front shocks and set up the top mounts (which were already correct, FFS) then I went about checking everything else....

After a quick inspection I noticed the front drivers side ball joint was the 10mm version (incorrect). I thought I'd check the bolts just to be safe... Loose. As. f**k!!!

Done it up seriously tight, and checked everything else (which was good) took the car out for a test, perfect!!!!

Can't believe it was that, I'll change it out for the 12 mm version soon.

Thank f**k

 

[Da]

Sounded ball joint related

Glad it's sorted though mate :approve:

 

[Rob]

I had checked for play in the balljoint itself, but hadn't thought to check the bolts connecting it to the wishbone, the one I chnaged was all good, but that side, no no no!!

Cheers to everyone for all the help/suggestions

 

[Silent_Scone]

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