Bilstein: knocking noise from the front suspension

by **Dropz** » Wed Aug 03, 2011 10:37 pm

Have you tried to replicate the noise by bouncing the car at home? If you can replicate the noise then you can get someone underneath to look at it.

Check your LCA bolts are all tight and your balljoints aren't loose or have excessive play, make sure the balljoint boots aren't split.

Check the steering rack is bolted up tight and no movement through that.

Is there a whirring sort of noise at cruising speeds also? If so check your wheel bearings by jacking up the car and grab the wheel top and bottom and see if you can wobble it at all, try grabbing it on the sides and wobbling it that way too. If there is any play they need replacing, which are the bearings you were quoted on, and no they are not part of the strut assembly.

by **dilmah22** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 9:28 am

Very interesting points! I'll try to have a look tomorrow or Saturday under the car again. My neighbors must think I'm crazy lol, always under the car!

It's difficult to replicate the sound at home with the car stationary because the noise seems to happen mainly with large shifts in load around sweeping corners at lower speeds.

The LCA bolts should be ok as they were recently removed to fit the Whiteline ALK, which means those bushings should be ok too, but I'll double check.
I'll check the steering rack too.
There's no whirring noise that I can notice at any speed, but I didn't realise the bearings they were talking about were not part of the strut. I dont know where I got that misunderstanding from actually... Hmm. I'll definitely go back and revisit all that over the next few days.

I also noticed a bit of gunk around the passenger side CV joint (I think). One of those rubber boot things in any case, the boot looked in decent condition but I'll check again for leaks & get the tyre shop to check when I go in to get new tyres fitted in the next week or two.
It'll be good to get some closure on this finally!

Thanks again & let me know if there's anything else you think of that it could possibly be.

by **Gambit** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 9:41 am

I have just noticed a similar sound with slow speed turning up parking ramps?? Will check it out shortly.

by **Dropz** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 10:40 am

If the boot isn't split and it's leaking grease it can come from the clamps being too loose, maybe get them tightened.

by **dilmah22** » Sat Aug 13, 2011 11:57 am

So I checked today for any movement on the wheel bearings as per a video I found on youtube describing (visually) how to check for it, and no movement or sound whatsoever on either side on the front wheels.

The drive shaft boot looks in good condition, still flexible and not cracked or anything that I can see, the greenish mud like fluid coming out from under one of the clamps, but no way to tighten it, seems you need a special tool, so I'll get it checked next week at the tire shop.

I can't see any play in any part of the suspension except the springs move a little bit inside the shocks, but that was the same even with the standard springs and shocks. Maybe that's all it has been the whole time? Not sure how I would go about rectifying that though.

by **nitemare_liberty** » Sun Sep 18, 2011 8:26 pm

Did anyone find out the cause of this or come to some conclusion?
I'm having a similar problem.

by **dilmah22** » Sun Sep 18, 2011 9:17 pm

Still an ongoing issue for me.
Still need to get the wheel bearings checked professionally, as it could be the source of my slight vibration under brakes as well (discs have been machined already).
It's definitely nothing to do with the swaybar, and got the place that installed my springs to insert the rubber protective thing between the spring and the base of the strut (to prevent the spring making direct metal-on-metal contact with the strut and moving a bit), knocking noise still there though.

Pedders suspension check is a good start maybe, but I found them to be quite useless. All they check is to make sure your bushings arent worn and all the bolts are tight.

Maybe its time i finally bit the bullet and get someone to check things by taking stuff apart and off the car (costs money though), as so far all the places I've taken it have only done checks on things without taking any bolts off (except to losen & retighten things).

by **Dropz** » Mon Sep 19, 2011 7:38 am

A vibration may be wheels need balancing.

Is the knock from the bilstien struts themselves? Maybe they need a rebuild, or the shocker insert is damaged

by **seanmau5** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 9:38 pm

Installed billies & Teins yesterday & they were ok, went for an hour round trip to test them out & no problems. Had Bob Jane do a wheel alignment today & now I have a knocking noise also from what I think is both the left & right when not under load.. Should I take it back to them tomorrow or they won't really know anything?

by **Dropz** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 9:43 pm

Take it back. Sounds like they left something loose.

by **Gambit** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 5:35 pm

Found out the issue in the end?

by **seanmau5** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 6:23 pm

Well I had the issue that was getting pretty bad. Changed the LCA bushes today as Bob Jane blamed them for the clunking. Just went for a 'spirited' drive and low & behold one clunk & that's it!! Are your bushes worn?

by **Simplyrob_mate** » Wed Oct 19, 2011 9:55 pm

Love this thread. Very informative as I am currently experiencing the same problem in he front right strut.
Thanks guys.

by **dr20t** » Wed Nov 09, 2011 12:01 am

All the symptons described would tell me its a wheel bearing being worn.

Next on the list would be the cv's.

by **elljay** » Thu Dec 08, 2011 1:46 pm

Dammit! I was Hoping I would get to the end of the thread and find a definite answer.

I've just started experiencing this problem in the front right, but it's when I go over a speed pump. Car is at Pedders now having the 28 point check done, although if this thread is anything to go by it'll be useless.

Might have to just buy the replacement billies and swap them myself.