Guess that knocking noise...

[EDWARD757]

Hi All,
My car has developed a knocking noise. It started after a spell in queuing traffic. Got worse on journey home and started to feel like a loose wheel with a wobble being felt through the steering. Eventually pulled over and had a look. Nothing out of line, I drove on and there were no symtoms at all. Now I can do the odd drive with no symptom or others where I get a knocking noise which increases in speed as road speed increases but ceases if the clutch is dipped. Sometimes a tightish corner will provoke a knock. Sometimes at 60mph one will get a wobble throught the steering.

I have had the car since 162,000miles and she is now at 206,000miles - I do not recall the drop links ever being done and on the last MOT (200,000miles) the advisory made mention of a bit of play in the nearside anti roll bar linkage. Would/could 'a bit of play' deteriorate into a good old irregular knocking over 6,000miles?

I understand these drop links are generally the cause of a knock and at £6 each delivered it may be worth a punt. Has anyone got a link to the ones I need? A 2000 MY w plate 406 hdi 110bhp estate. Seems like an easy enough job...if you can get the bolts off!

Any advce appreciated as to whether you may expect the knock to come and go like it does. The car is driven very gently normally - when my wife drives it the knock is more pronounced apparently!

[grasmere59]

Sounds like it might possibly an outer c.v. joint to me.

[lozz]

Hi.
iwouidnt say it wouid be droplink re-lated if your noticing a wobble at the wheel,
Droplinks normaly give off a Clunk when going over bumps in the road or driving on rough roads,

Get the car on a Empty car park somewhere and get it on full lock left to right, see if you get any feedback from driveshafts c/v's,
hard to guess upon but thats what id be checking,

check for play in the parts ie, ball joints,trackrods bushes etc,

[grasmere59]

I'd check both the c.v. joint gaiters and make sure there not split as with all this rain we've been having one or the other could have thrown the grease out and water could have got in and buggered it.

[EDWARD757]

Thanks Guys,
I have done a car park check in reverse as well as forward. I Had one clunk but apart from that it was fine. If I find a tight bend and apply plenty of power whilst in the turn, the knocking can usually be provoked. Sometimes though the knocking can occur in a straight line - indeed the wheel wobble can be at 50-60mph.
A mechanic has driven the car but sod's law said it would not play up then - he mentioned that he had done a number of differentials on these and if that was the case I would be looking at new gearbox and probably clutch too.
Lets hope it is the CVs...1500miles over next two weeks...that should provoke any gremlins!
Kind regards,
Ed

[Bailes1992]

Could be a worn out diff.

[lozz]

has the the track rod ends, etc been checked,?

get it jacked up and check each part out,

[ianjoh]

My money would be on the front wishbone rubber bush, the one nearest the rear. These fail at high mileage and are most noticeable when rolling backwards and clunks when the brakes are applied. Easy to check by jacking up, removing the wheel and lower the car onto an axle stand placed under the lower ball joint. This will recompress the spring and get the suspension at its normal ride height. Get a jemmy bar just in front of the bush, there will be plenty of movement if it has gone.

[EDWARD757]

took car up to Heathrow today, due there for next two days then oxford for Thursday and Friday so lots of mileage and very chuffed car is playing up. The journey was very interesting with horrendous knocking and wobbles. So despite the sleet and cold I thought I had ought to have a proper look at the front end. Nothing out of place on offside but upon close inspection of nearside, it seems the outer, big end of the cv boot is open to the elements. The metal tie was undone and wedged in near the underneath of the hub. On full lock, the boot came away revealing the joint....this can not have been doing it much good! Looking for a temp fix whilst I find time to get it repaired, I decided to pack as much copper grease as I could get in there. I worked it into the joint and turned the disc by hand. I then double plastic cable tied the boot on. It seemed to cope ok with full lock and rotation.
The drive to and from lhr was frankly precarious at times but the spin twice around the village post greasepacking was quiet and I could not provoke a knock...I know it is just a temp patch up but if it buys me a few miles, great!

[grasmere59]

I used to have an old Escort van years ago with a knocking c.v. joint and when it got bad i used to pull the boot back and pack it with fresh grease,it lasted for thousands of miles doing that and it was still like it when i sold it.

[EDWARD757]

And so it seems that it was the CV joint...another trip to heathrow today and not a knock, wobble or near death experience! I will source some proper CV joint grease for when my patch up expires and also research getting it changed but given grasmere's experience, perhaps i can keep this one going for a while yet? I must have damaged the thing, running a dry joint for a while...

[madmadmax]

have a look hear for a cv joint that are good quality

http://www.jandrcvjoints.co.uk/