Front suspension knocking - height controller?

David Goddard · Post by **David Goddard** » 04 Nov 2003, 02:03

I have a light metallic knock from the front suspension when travelling at up 20mph of rough surfaces. There is no play in any of the suspension ball joints. I changed the anti-roll bar drop links a couple of months ago but no change.
Last week I tightened the two height corrector mounting bolts. That reduced the knocking by 50%, but it's still there.
Is it possible that there can be play in the connection links between the roll bar and the height corrector?
Can the actual height correctors develop a rattle?

AndersDK · Post by **AndersDK** » 04 Nov 2003, 02:16

David - are you talking your Xantia or BX ?
- as these have different mounted HC's at front.
I've never experienced a BX rattling/knocking from the HC or it's linkage.
Could be that the Xantia HC setup may cause light knocking - but I doubt it. It may simply be a matter of giving the ball hook connecting link a solid dap of grease then.
Any moving part pivoting in a dry bush may cause a knocking sound - with no appearent wear - simply because of the binding part suddenly slipping due to suspension movement. This is true for all sorts of balljoints and axles moving in a bush.
The best example is dry balljoints on droplinks - which can give heavy knocking sounds - but no wear or free play can be detected.
A wellknown problem on the BX.

Richard Gallagher · Post by **Richard Gallagher** » 04 Nov 2003, 02:30

My now ex 1994 Xantia had a knocking on the front suspension which was the main reason the previous owner sold it having taken it to numerous dealers and garages and being told "its an old car what do you expect".
When I got underneath it, I found that for some strange reason the anti-roll bar had moved to the offside resulting in the bar colliding with the nearside lower suspension arm.

Having re-positioned it, 5,000 miles later it had started to move over again, despite no kerbing etc. The bar is only clamped in position by the rubber bushes at the back of the lower arm/wishbone.

Diagsys · Post by **Diagsys** » 04 Nov 2003, 04:39

Hi,
if you're talking about your bx (or xantia, tho not seen it yet on them) then it might also be worth checking the plates on the strut top where the strut joins the body, sometimes these perish and develop a knock. I've never heard of the height correctors knocking though.

David Goddard · Post by **David Goddard** » 05 Nov 2003, 03:36

Thanks for the comments guys, it's a Xantia (Hydractive II) by the way. I will check the mountings and lubricate the height corrector mechanism.