C5 X7 Tourer 2008 Front suspension noise at 240K miles

[bigblackfalco]

I know nobody will be able to give me a definitive answer, but I'm interested to hear what the consensus is:

I have knocking noise from front nearside wheel. It's been progressively getting worse over the past year.

It's one of those knocking noises that occurs over uneven road surfaces. I'd say more of an up and down movement noise rather than side to side!

So far I've replaced 3 parts: Outer Track rod end, Sway bar link, and lower control arm bush.

These 3 items were all on their way. But It has not stopped the main noise.

Sway bar rubbers have been changed within the last 2 years.

I have found a small amount of play in the inner track rod, so have ordered one of these.

Also strut top rubber is failing so will also replace that.

If I try and replicate the noise by bouncing car up and down I can't get any noise!.

If I use a pry bar in various locations I can't find any play, even with wheel unloaded on jack.

For a long time the car had an annoying suspension chatter/squeak from the same corner. But this has stopped for a while.
I would say this could've been the upper strut pivot bushes!? I sprayed all the joints liberally with GT85. Heard nothing since.

I'm wondering about the main upper ball joint and lower 'frogs leg' pivot but am surprised I can't see any play around these areas.

What's the most common hard to identify noise in this location?

[Lenny]

My money is on the rear bush of the lower wishbone. They don't seem to last long (although your 240k mileage would seem to suggest otherwise).
I changed the same bushes on mine for polyurethane earlier this year and I'm hoping they'll last longer.

[bigblackfalco]

My money is on the rear bush of the lower wishbone. They don't seem to last long (although your 240k mileage would seem to suggest otherwise).
I changed the same bushes on mine for polyurethane earlier this year and I'm hoping they'll last longer.

I can hear slight slight slop on the other side of the car when accelerating from standstill. I'm guessing this would be a mixture of the 2 bushes on this lower wishbone.

As far as I'm aware, the car has never had any front suspension work other than an O/S replacement damper last year (tech said it had slight misting on rod) and the sway bar rubbers.

I think that says a lot for the OE components!

I will have another pry bar session in that area.

Cheers.

[bigblackfalco]

The play I thought was the inner track rod turned out to be the frogs leg thingy (although the inner track rod is not tight like it should be so will put the new one on).

The upper ball joint was fairly worn too although there was no play as such. It was a bugger getting the lock nut off. Broke a Torx bit in half; resorted to Mr Angle Grinder.

Checked that rear rubber bush again. It looks as new tbh. Zero play and clean as you like.

I've owned the car over 100K miles so not quite sure whats gone on there?!

Also replaced the top strut mount..

[Stickyfinger]

Ahhh, the wonderful FRIP joint.....

[Sloppysod]

I've found listening or looking for play in a joint is okay in most cases, but sometimes I hold the suspected joint in my hand while working the pry bar. By hold, i mean wrapping my hand so both components that are joined by the joint are held tightly in my fist/palm.

[bigblackfalco]

Well this has turned into travesty after travesty.
Couldn't get the upper ball joint to budge by any method!
Ended up giving it to my local engineering place.
2 guys hanging on a very long bar attached to stilsons eventually broke it free but it damaged the thread in the process.
So I bought a complete NSF suspension assembly from the fleabay.
The sellers didn't package it very well and the damper rod on the strut got very bent in transit! (no drama really as the shock would've only been a spare).
So now I am ready to put it back together but am struggling to get the lower shock mounting to line up with the upper strut housing.
What's the trick here please?
cheers.