# Knocking from front suspension - cured!



## Stan2515 (May 15, 2014)

I've just picked up my car from the garage after having a set of AP shocks and springs fitted to the car with new Lemforder top mounts. The kit was supposed to lower the car 40mm front and 30mm rear. It looks the same or a little higher to me... I am hoping it will settle over the next week or so... Car is an '03 so was only expecting 20mm front and 10mm rear anyway.

However, I have a lot of knocking noises coming from what sounds like the front driver side. It was not knocking before. The garage told me of the issue before I picked the car up and said it might have been caused by the lowering springs and the ARB droplinks - I have heard of shorter drop links but given the car doesn't appear to be any lower I'm not sure how this is causing the issue? They said the re-checked everything and suggested I contact the suspension kit manufacturer to see if they thought I needed shorter drop links to go with the suspension kit. I've left it like that with the garage for now and said I'll take it back if that is not the issue.

Had a quick look and can't see anything else. As an aside I fitted Cookbots and poly bushes last week with new ARB drop links and ball joints and new ARB rubber bushes. The car was tracking slightly to the left before, but is now pulling to the right. I was waiting to get the springs fitted before doing a 4 wheel alignment but I didnt expect the change in the suspension pulling from one side to the other... So far, I was happier with my suspension before I dropped nearly £1K on it... [smiley=bigcry.gif]

Any advice please apart from just take it back??


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## mullum (Sep 16, 2011)

All my front knocking came from the top mounts not being installed correctly. It's amazing, but even people who are supposed to know what they're doing - don't always know what they're doing :-/
Can you describe when/under what specific circumstances the knocking happens ?


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## Stan2515 (May 15, 2014)

Hi Mullum, I've only had a quick drive as I'm back at work but it seems like just a general knocking. It's not linked to steering or acceleration. It's seemingly linked to suspension movement, so it knocks more over bumpy surfaces and less on a flatter surface... Not very helpful but top mounts could be feasible. But they seem to have got one side right.


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## mullum (Sep 16, 2011)

The bloke who fitted mine got one side right too :lol:
My knocking was only under tight turns at slow speed.


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## Rich! (Jun 14, 2013)

I had the same issue as you just last week, and it was loose anti-roll bar links.

Link here viewtopic.php?f=2&t=702273


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## Stan2515 (May 15, 2014)

Thanks Rich, I think I'll jack it up tomorrow after work and have a look as won't be taking the car to work tomorrow so can't get it back to the garage.

Driving it more tonight it's a knock that increases in line with the bumps in the road, i.e. the knocking 'tempo' increases on bumpy roads. It is always the same loudness but there are more knocks the bumpier the surface of the road. Also it disappears completely on right hand corners, i.e. when the side that's knocking is unloaded, and is worse on left hand corners when it is loaded.

Anti roll bar or drop links seem good bets for that type of problem...

Any other thoughts??! So gutted as I was hoping the car would be starting to feel really good by now with all the suspension work I've done...


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## Stan2515 (May 15, 2014)

Seems like it's the top mounts to me. I jacked the car up had a good rummage around, but couldn't see any problems. Spanner checked everything. Then I grabbed the edges of the brake disc and checked for any play, and knock knock knock...! The whole suspension leg has play and the knocking noise seems to be coming from the top mount.

Just to check I jacked up the other side and grabbed the wheel, there is some movement but very little in comparison and no noise.

I've got the old top mounts still and from looking at them I really can't see how this can be fitted incorrectly? Looks like a simple bit of rubber with a bearing that just sits inside.

Either way I can go back to the garage tomorrow and not get fobbed off...


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## mullum (Sep 16, 2011)

Like a lot of things with the TT, seemingly simple straight forward things often require a certain amount of knowledge or experience to get just right.
That's why it helps if you can get "TT aware" mechanic to work on your car.
All too often garages give these jobs to junior staff who may not have that experience.


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## Stan2515 (May 15, 2014)

Well, it seems like I was wrong as well. Garage think it's the inner steering arm... I went back down and looked at it with the mechanic on the ramps, I showed him the knock I was getting when you grab the wheel. He was adamant that it was the steering arm not the top mount, so I agreed to let them replace it but I'll be test driving it myself before I pay!

Can't understand how it wasn't knocking before the suspension change if the steering arm was that worn. They didn't have an answer to that either...


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## Stan2515 (May 15, 2014)

Garage replaced my inner steering arm and tracked the car. The noise is vastly reduced and steering feel much improved but it's still there... The garage noticed that my NSF anti roll bar bush had popped out and was only partially held in. Why they didn't put it back while they were doing the steering arm I don't know, but they thought this could be causing the noise. I fixed it this weekend and still have the noise.

Strangely though, when I jacked the car up, I noticed the NSF suspension now seems to have some play and a knocking noise which was not there before. Is it possible the knock I can hear, which *seems* to be coming from the OSF is being transmitted from the near side and now my OSF inner steering arm has been replaced the NSF is exposed as being worn too...?? :?

Very confused so any help / thoughts appreciated.


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## Flying Carib (Jun 28, 2014)

Spending ~£240, I think I qualify as a fully paid member of the TT "knocking club" at least for this year.

In reaction to a lot of fellow members posted threads - in addition to my own current experiences, I targeted my anti-roll bar, what I found was the connecting bolt from the drop link had worn the hole being much larger diameter, to suck and see I wrapped the thread part of the bolt - near the shouldr end with PTFE tape making the bolt more of an interference fit.

The test drive took me over railway level crossing where the experienced knocking would now either fail or pass&#8230;&#8230;.. STILL THERE !!!! but however much quieter &#8230;no wards and up wards.


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## tommatt90 (Feb 2, 2012)

I have had a knock at the front for about a year now, midland vw couldn't find anything

Feel your pain, so annoying ain't it lol

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Stan2515 (May 15, 2014)

Even more annoying is that until I replaced the shocks, springs and top mounts it was silent... It had been squeaking and creaking, especially first thing in the morning, but doing the wishbone bushes and ARB bushes, cured that. My suspension was silent and the knocking has only happened after doing the shocks and springs.. Logically I feel it must be something to do with when the shocks were changed, but I can't explain the significant difference in the noise from replacing the OSF inner steering arm, as that's nothing to do with the shocks, obviously!

Will be taking it back in again this week on the basis that 'it wasn't there before you fitted the suspension, so fix it'.

I want to get new tyres and a 4 wheel alignment done but not until I sort this issue out. I have el cheapo tyres on fitted by the previous owner at the moment, which are total poo. I can feel them scrabbling around when cornering, they are really crap!


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## L33JSA (Jun 30, 2010)

Were the shocks & springs brand new?

There's also a chance that it's the shock that's causing the knock.

Think I'd be inclined to take it somewhere else for a second opinion.


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## Stan2515 (May 15, 2014)

I'm cured, sir!

Well, it was the poxy top mounts after all... Dropped it back to the garage this morning, think they were pleased to see me again. Said I don't want it back until it's fixed. But, fair do's, they said it was the top mount bearing, they replaced it with a new one apparently, even though the ones I gave them were new. Not sure if it was just incorrectly fitted or what but I'm just happy it's not making a noise any more - it was driving me nuts.

Will get it booked in for a 4 wheel alignment and new tyres to replace the total garbage currently fitted - even though the fronts are only about 4000 miles old...


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## mullum (Sep 16, 2011)

Told ya ;-)


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## Stan2515 (May 15, 2014)

Yeah yeah, I know...!


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