another day another knock

Charlot said:

Left side knocking and sometimes it feels like front end is loose can feel it trough the floor.
Subframe is tight in place. Ird bracket too. Engine tie rod polybushed lower and upper.

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I have the same knock on small sharp bumps. I put it down to the shock its self. However if you've replaced your shocks, it discounts them.

i bet it is the wishbone you say there is no movement but you can only put a small bit of pressure on it when the whole of the engine ,gearbox and body is on it that is a different matter.

Nodge68 said:

I have the same knock on small sharp bumps. I put it down to the shock its self. However if you've replaced your shocks, it discounts them.

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I think I'll wait for the bush kit and replace all bushes including to ones on the wish bones. could it be the bushes are worn and causing the knock? could be the old shocks where absorbing the sound but new ones may be stiffer and enhancing the knock. may sound stupid but out of ideas at the moment. will also be replacing the hub ball joint as the one on the left hasn't been changed although looks fine.

also any ideas about the vibration, knock trough the driverside footwell? its over bumps and feels like the subframe is loose but again everything is tight in place.

The exact same thing happened to me. New shocks/replaced the bush kit inside the shock/top mounts/springs/wish bones/drop links/engine mount bushes still with the clunks/rattles/bangs that moves about when you drive. One day it sounds like it’s coming from the foot wells on the driver’s side, the next day on the passenger side. Then it sounds like it comes from the top of the dash. I took it all off and put it all back on again still the same. I thought I can’t find this on my own so found some body to listen and watch while I got under the car after I jacked it up and lowered the wheels onto wood blocks (Not Axle stands as the suspension is… well in suspension which I thing is key here) Got underneath and grabbing the Anti-roll bar and proceeded to do bench presses with it whilst my beautiful assistant listen and looked at the top of the car. Low and behold not only could he hear the noise (A faint click or tap sound as I moved the suspension with all my might) but he could see the centre shock nut and metal washer (See photos), moving up and down as i did the bench press. Before I took the suspension off to fix it, I did manage to tighten the nuts up on both sides by having a heavy assistant put his weight on the front of the car and nip it up with a spanner and Allen key. The three mounting nuts are not the issue here but the centre shock nut and metal washer (See photos). Suffice to say I chucked the crappy old style spring compressors (design for use with a Hillman Imp) and bought a proper hydraulic job from Machine mart. I compressed the spring properly and tighten the nut up with spanner and Allen key. Put them back on the car and problem has gone away.

Photo1.
Nut and washer which when not tight enough make the horrid sounds due to spring not being compressed enough when you are installing the nut



Photo2 In the compressor - The springs need more compression in order to get the nut and washer on all the way down the shaft (Old parts used for the photo)

@Madmustang I did suspect in them but tightened them again whils installed and no improvement. But will take them out and compress the spring propperly and tighten the nut as much as I can. this driving me crazy after all the work and mone put in the car.
Thanks for your input will update this thread.

Have you tried turning up the volume on the radio, I found this seems to cure about 80% of all mechanical faults

Col

Colthebrummie said:

Have you tried turning up the volume on the radio, I found this seems to cure about 80% of all mechanical faults

Col

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That's my temp solution. Works great.

Charlot said:

@Madmustang I did suspect in them but tightened them again whils installed and no improvement. But will take them out and compress the spring propperly and tighten the nut as much as I can. this driving me crazy after all the work and mone put in the car.
Thanks for your input will update this thread.

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Yes I did that at first but it won’t work as you need to compress the spring way past the lowest part the nut can screw down to in order to get the nut snug down its threads so it can properly clamp down on the washer. Most people don’t compress the spring enough because those old style compressors cannot compress a modern car spring to the right tolerance for the job. Hence why you need a hydraulic compressor or take the lot to a garage and have them build up the shocks for you, which is what I was going to do until they told me how much it would cost and decided I would rather buy my own hydraulic compressor as it would be cheaper and I would still have saved money as I am doing the rears next year

Found the culprit of the horrible knocking. Lip on top mount bearing is slightly higher than the origional ones (aprox 1.5mm) nd washer between the bumpstop and topmount was knocking on the bearing lip. Found marks on washer and metal dust inside bearing. A smaller washer sorted out the problem.

well done nice of you to let us know

Glad it's sorted.

@teddywood1 thanks. That's the point of a forum after all. Hate it when you see a post and some suggestions for a problem and then nothing. No feedback.

Hope this can help someone next time.

Glad it’s sorted, Goes a long way to finding strange sounds on a Freelander this. Could it be moved to the technical section or a sticky in the suspension section maybe? Or should I just sit down?

Not a bad idea @Madmustang. Btw both topmounts I used are new from same make 'Monroe' but came in different boxes. From same local supplier. Could be a different batch. In fact used old washer on driver side just like the left side but without any probs or knocking.
Don't know if this may apply to other makes if anyone had similar prob to mine. Worth checking out.

And also the thump in the steering was a damaged arb link. Failed after a couple of months and they were Bearmarch.

I'm convinced that my knock is the shock moving in the top mount. I'm going to investigate mine, when I get to the bottom of my gearbox issue.

Nodge68 said:

I'm convinced that my knock is the shock moving in the top mount. I'm going to investigate mine, when I get to the bottom of my gearbox issue.

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Let us know when you find both problems

And what's the issue on the gearbox @Nodge68 ?

Charlot said:

And what's the issue on the gearbox @Nodge68 ?

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He's broken it so he has an excuse to buy a Rangie

Charlot said:

And what's the issue on the gearbox @Nodge68 ?

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I'm getting a shudder when the torque converter clutch locks in. It started after I towed a ton of concrete making materials home.

davidsmith1307 said:

He's broken it so he has an excuse to buy a Rangie

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If only.

I'm potentially having second thoughts on the RR though. The wife has decided the bathroom needs a refit. So that will come before a replacement vehicle.