Xantia - terrible clunk

[Jaf]

5 mins from the airport doing 120kph Fred started a terrible clunk at the front on shoddy bits of road, bad enough to shake the car. Completely smooth on decent bits of road. Got to the airport, parked up. Braking at parking speed felt like rusty brakes binding on. Arrrgh. Didn't have time to do anything other than shake the car, nothing fell off! Get back to the airport at 10pm Friday. Can't get the recovery people to take us home, it's 220kms. Best they would do is take us to a garage, which is no use. So plan to take the driver side front wheel off and have a look. I did hear/ feel something like driving over some debris, so that's a possibility. Of course if I find something I won't have tools or spares so I'm somewhat screwed.

Really I could do with ideas of what to look for and completely unfairly any idea of how dangerous said faults could be. If say a drop link has gone?

I'll check the tyre and bearing, but I'm pretty much discounting them. Suspension top hasn't gone through the bonnet. Wheel hasn't been off for about a month, when I replaced brake discs and pads.

Thanks in advance for any help.

[white exec]

Very close to the work on discs and pads.
Think you are right to first remove wheel, and check out hub (rock wheel while still attached), pads and disc.
Could be a pad adrift/loose/damaged, or a seized/loose caliper.
Inspection should shed some light.

[KennyW]

Check all nuts are tight a anything slightly loose on the suspension will give a clunk or a rattle type sound, drop links when they start to go give a clunk sound.The rough road would be enough to cause the drop link to start to fail.

On a return trip from France one year driving through Paris I hit a pothole which snapped a droplink. I still was able to drive all the way home !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kenny

[Jaf]

Thank for your thoughts. I will let you know what I find.

When I bought the car the brake retaining pin was missing, it gave a very slight rattle. I drove a car once when the front wheel feel off, it felt a bit odd so I started turning into a petrol station when the wheel overtook me! I have also driven a van when the front wheel bearing collapsed. Didn't feel like that either. It felt like something hideously loose, so hopefully it will be obvious. A loose wheel bolt would be fab...though I would never live that down!

[RichardW]

Happened to me a long way down a single track road. Crashed through a pothole, and was then greeted with a terrible clunking / knocking noise. Convinced I had broken something major, I was wondering how I was going to get it picked up, when I had a sudden thought it might be wheel nuts, and sure enough all 4 were loose on one side at the front. Noise stopped after I tightened them up!

[Jaf]

Ooh that would be lovely. I remember a story about a woman driving down the motorway, she lost her wheel but didn't notice for miles. Not sure how she stopped.

If Fred is a good girl I have a smashing new Bosch fuel pump for her. And some lovely Beru glow plugs.

[Jaf]

Ok well it's not the wheel bolts. Only had a basic scissor jack, jacked her up and had a look round but nothing obviously snapped. So got the recovery people (included by law in car insurance). They turned up, didn't even look at the car and stuck her on the truck. Mum and me were put in a taxi 220kms home, paid for by the recovery people, and Fred will come home next week. Couldn't convince them to bring us home on the truck, something about different types of recovery.

If I nudge the front end of the car sideways it goes clunk, clunk. Smooth and quiet on a good bit of road, so don't think it's bearings, cv joint, engine mounts.

The new old stock pump has arrived. Shiny! Got a few days to get the armour off it.

[Jaf]

#%#% #%*#% #%#^#

Caliper lost a bolt, other one hanging off. I am very ashamed. But glad I didn't kill my mum, me and anyone else on the road.

[wurlycorner]

Pleased that it's something so simple though

[ekjdm14]

glad everyone is OK and nothing more major happened. Hopefully no other damage and just a couple of bolts (and a torque wrench!) to see her right?

[CitroJim]

Gosh, a lucky escape there Jaf! I too am pleased all is good and nobody was hurt...

[Jaf]

I'm really shaken by this, I have always gone round any bolts at least twice. I thought I was paranoid. Not as paranoid as I will be from now. I do have a torque wrench, but have never used it apart from head bolts. I'll be using it on everything from now.

The recovery people would only deliver to a garage so as I was busy yesterday/ today I asked them to fix her. They are changing the drop links too. The calliper hasn't done any damage. They phoned up and said "who did your brakes, who tried to kill you?" My new mantra for tightening bolts up!