Help diagnosing a suspension clonk

[jonno1]

Has to be on its wheels. I aim for a small pothole and the moment the wheel goes over it - "clonk". The garage didn't even need to drive it on the road....they just drove it across their yard. You can fairly easily isolate it to that front passenger side wheel. Its maddening as there is nothing loose, no play, rack is tight, bearings, bushes etc etc....so maybe its the new B6 not doing its job but frankly I am skeptical that its that....

[gridgway]

so maybe its the new B6 not doing its job but frankly I am skeptical that its that....

If you've eliminated everything else...

[jonno1]

New one being fitted next week so will see if it sorts it. Hope so!

[Lightweight_911]

.

Why not just swap the front shock absorbers round & see if the noise moves to the other side ?

.

[jonno1]

I suggested this, but as it involves a fair amount of work, and given the one side is currently noise-less it was decided to go this route.

[911hillclimber]

Bit of a tangent, so forgive me:
Wife has a Skoda Citigo, 4 years/9K miles old shopping car. sudden OSR creaking at low speed esp over rough surfaces. Known issue, Skoda not interested.

Removed the damper on that side, noise totally gone, silent as a dead mouse. Replaced the damper: creaking. Thus, MUST be the damper (Boge)
Bought 2 new dampers (£60), changed both on rear. Creak still there, same location possibly worse!

I have a plan to try to narrow the creaking down to try when weather is cooler, maybe Sunday.

I think it might be the dirt shield tube rubbing on the body of the damper slowly. Noise goes when about above 3 mph.
The plastic tube is a close fit to the damper body.
I've greased all the rubber 'top-mount' rubber bushes, but I will remove the tube as an experiment and see what results.

This will not help you but it shows even modern cars succumb to these things and replacing parts for new does not always work.

Good luck!

[Mick Cliff]

The knock in my case was totally unconnected to the trailing arm bushes. The failed bushes were only found during a routine check.
It was only after renewing the bushes and the subsequent knock-free drive that I realised the connection!
It was the metal tube in the bushes rattling/banging on the mounting bolt with the sound being transmitted through the shell.
HTH

[911hillclimber]

You have just rung a bell in my distant memories!

I had a low level knocking noise about 25 years back in mine, (Polybushes everywhere) and the MoT guy said one of the radius arm (banana arm) bolts was loose, OSR iirc and he did it up tight and did the other which was almost tight. He noticed it as he gently pry-bared all the suspension joints for play. He still does it today, he has personally MoT'd my 911 30 times.

Noise free after.

[jonno1]

Wasnt the damper
Fitted the new one
Still does it
Isnt the torsion bars
Fitted the old ones back on
Still does it
Found a slightly warped wheel bearing cage
But that wont be it
At a loss. And so is the garage!

[jonno1]

Annnnd....its not the bearing.

Garage is at a loss and now only option is full strip down which is so bloody annoying

[hot66]

are these bilstein inserts inside bilstein struts ? or Bilstein inside boge ?

[911hillclimber]

I think I would fully remove and dis-assemble everything on that corner, check, and start again.

Look for elongated bolt holes in the chassis too.

[jonno1]

are these bilstein inserts inside bilstein struts ? or Bilstein inside boge ?

Remind me how you tell the difference?

Pretty sure they are boge as remember that when Fenn Lane had the car they said the old inserts were Boge. I could be wrong.

[hot66]

Bilstein struts usually are green ... but also have a roll pin just above the ball joint bolt which locates the insert

Boge would usually be black ..a pic would identify them to us

Reason I ask is it is known for inserts to knock within the strut body even if the insert is new

[jonno1]

Thanks - here it is - think it was reinforced for rallying.

Untitled by CARMANWAITINGINTHESKY, on Flickr

Untitled by CARMANWAITINGINTHESKY, on Flickr


It has later cross member :

Untitled by CARMANWAITINGINTHESKY, on Flickr