Xantia suspension gremlins

Joe Pineapples · Post by **Joe Pineapples** » 31 May 2005, 20:30

Hi all,
I have a '97 Xantia Temptation TD which is now on 110000 miles and (hopefully) will be with me for another 100000. My problem is this: The car has recently started making a horrible clattery knocking noise from the front passenger side suspension over bumps & potholes. I have replaced both stabiliser bars on the anti-roll bar to no effect, and on close inspection the anti-roll bar bushes look to be in very good nick. Any suggestions would be a great help, thanks.
P.S. Thinking that the source of the noise would be spotted during the MOT, I had the car tested as is, but it sailed through. Go figure!

oilyspanner · Post by **oilyspanner** » 31 May 2005, 20:37

I have heard of replacement drop links failing prematurely and they will pass an MOT with play in them.
Stewart

Joe Pineapples · Post by **Joe Pineapples** » 31 May 2005, 20:45

The drop-links were 5 days old, lol.

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » 01 Jun 2005, 01:59

Have a really good look around that area - for things like inner wing mud shields, bumpers, strut top mounts, steering rack joints (inner and outer,) the ball joint at the bottom of the hub carrier, lower wishbone inner bushes, subframe mount bolts and rubbers if you have any, bits of other mechanism in the general area and see if you can see some other problem.
jeremy

AndersDK · Post by **AndersDK** » 01 Jun 2005, 02:19

I had a BX with one dry front strut making this strange noise. "Clattering" as you call it - that's the word I could not think of - but spot on.
Set car in high and put safety jacks under. Then pull up the strut gaiter and smear a thin layer of any standard ball bearing grease all over the shiny rod. Do both sides while you have hands dirty anyway [:D]
If this does not remove the noise it will for sure make for a new soft front ride - like you never felt it before. Sorry to agree with Stewart : new droplinks may simply be bad quality.
Get a syringe then and fill in some grease into the droplink joint protective rubber. May do the trick.

citronut · Post by **citronut** » 01 Jun 2005, 02:30

probably lower swivels,as arm bushes dont tend to clonck,unless they have completly brocken up,usuly all that happens they allow wheels to go out of track regards malcolm

Joe Pineapples · Post by **Joe Pineapples** » 01 Jun 2005, 21:02

Ok, thanks everybody. You've all given me plenty of places to look over.
Many thanks.

Post by **c.morewood** » 02 Jun 2005, 01:53

Hi Joe, is it a clattering or a tinny sound? I had the latter..which had me really worried .. you could only hear the noise whilst driving. It turns out theres a light metal right angled piece of metal .. possibly aluminium on my '99 Xantia's steering assembly near the wheel, which acts as a dirt guard i guess, rattling away as the air was passing over it.. easily solved by bending it slightly to remove any play.
hope this helps,
Chris

activamike · Post by **activamike** » 02 Jun 2005, 03:08

i had a 96 xantia 2.0 16v and i had a similar problem but i found that it was the brake pads rattling on the passenger side as the retaining spring had been lost, easy to check though the rattling would go away under light braking