Knocking on Xantia not picked up on MOT

deian · Post by **deian** » 02 Jul 2006, 20:09

So you're trying to mimmick what happens to the suspension as the car is in motion by using one hand to shake the wheel as hard as u can and the other hand to feel the parts moving? how big are you AndersDK?

OR.... my technical idea... use a small camera/transmitter cable-tied to somewhere that doesn't move safely so you can see all the parts moving as you are driving, of course you would need a dvd screen with video in and a suitable battery operated camera for the job, i have such a device! You have planted a seed in my head!

davethewheel · Post by **davethewheel** » 02 Jul 2006, 20:12

i think i'll have a look at mine, i've had a nocking noise on mine from when i bought the car...4 years ago, checked droplinks and ball joints ages ago and all seemed ok, the engine jumps about a bit if i'm not steady on the gas

LeeDJC · Post by **LeeDJC** » 02 Jul 2006, 20:23

deian wrote:So you're trying to mimmick what happens to the suspension as the car is in motion by using one hand to shake the wheel as hard as u can and the other hand to feel the parts moving? how big are you AndersDK?

OR.... my technical idea... use a small camera/transmitter cable-tied to somewhere that doesn't move safely so you can see all the parts moving as you are driving, of course you would need a dvd screen with video in and a suitable battery operated camera for the job, i have such a device! You have planted a seed in my head!

I could get it rocking and knocking (lol) by myself with no problems, it was just rocking and feeling together which was difficult, and I'm 6'2" with 90kg behind me!

It was easier to get someone else to rock while I went on the hunt......anf guess what....I found it! It's a loose bolt on the bottom of the drop link! Now who changed those a while ago? ho hum...lol

I though it sounded like the drop links but heavier....now I can see why!

Cheers Anders....another job well done. Now to just pop out and tighten that bad boy.

LeeDJC · Post by **LeeDJC** » 02 Jul 2006, 20:24

davethewheel wrote:i think i'll have a look at mine, i've had a nocking noise on mine from when i bought the car...4 years ago, checked droplinks and ball joints ages ago and all seemed ok, the engine jumps about a bit if i'm not steady on the gas

Sounds to me like a rear engine mount....

deian · Post by **deian** » 02 Jul 2006, 20:31

two man job for me then, i'm 5ft6 and 64kg's damn, thankfully car mechanics is about techniques more than strength (as are other things in life

)!

LeeDJC · Post by **LeeDJC** » 02 Jul 2006, 21:56

LeeDJC wrote:
deian wrote:So you're trying to mimmick what happens to the suspension as the car is in motion by using one hand to shake the wheel as hard as u can and the other hand to feel the parts moving? how big are you AndersDK?

OR.... my technical idea... use a small camera/transmitter cable-tied to somewhere that doesn't move safely so you can see all the parts moving as you are driving, of course you would need a dvd screen with video in and a suitable battery operated camera for the job, i have such a device! You have planted a seed in my head!
I could get it rocking and knocking (lol) by myself with no problems, it was just rocking and feeling together which was difficult, and I'm 6'2" with 90kg behind me!

It was easier to get someone else to rock while I went on the hunt......anf guess what....I found it! It's a loose bolt on the bottom of the drop link! Now who changed those a while ago? ho hum...lol

I though it sounded like the drop links but heavier....now I can see why!

Cheers Anders....another job well done. Now to just pop out and tighten that bad boy.

Aaargh! Kill me now!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've tightened up the drop links on both sides. They were both not fully tightened.

However.....the drivers side is *still* knocking despite my best efforts at tightening it up. I'm sure that superman and he-man put together couldn't have tightened it any more! So...perhaps it's a knackered drop link? Would that sound feesable...even though it's only a couple of months old? The knocking coming from it is similar to the one that was there with the old knackered droplink..just sounds "heavier".

AndersDK · Post by **AndersDK** » 02 Jul 2006, 22:31

I know of at least one instance where an XM owner replaced a droplink - and had it replaced once again shortly after - before he got rid of the knocking problem.
He submitted the story on this forum.
We had a discussion once on the quality of new droplinks - as quite a few were disappointed after replacement.
So you may certainly have a point.

I always advice owners to give new droplinks a dose of grease - using a syringe penetrating the small rubber bellows on the balljoints. For some obscure reason the manufacturers dont bother grease the joints well.
A dry balljoint can make a noise exactly like a worn balljoint with play in the joint.
This is because the joint constantly seizes for a short while and then suddenly releases. Makes a knocking sound amplified through the bodyshell.
Much like rubbing foam over glass.

Try that syringe trick - may save you a new droplink - at least defo increase the life expectancy of the droplink.