Peugeot Expeert Tepee Metallic Knocking Noise After Wheel Bearing Change

[hometown47]

I've just replaced the front driver-side wheel bearing, hub, lower control arm, anti-sway bar bushing, and sway bar link (both sides). The droning noise that I previously experienced with the old wheel hub is no longer happening, but I've now got a new noise/issue...

When driving the vehicle, any uneven road surface causes the van to make a clunking noise that sounds like metal on metal. I don't think it's the bushing clunk that you would get from worn bushes (especially as I've just changed them).

From the driving position, it sounds like it is coming from the area of the anti-sway bar and more central rather than the front right wheel area. When I looked under the van, the bar seems to be in the right position and with clearance from the lower control arms etc.

I've jacked up the front of the van and had a thorough look underneath. The only thing that seemed loose was a heat shield with a clamp that goes over the steering and then a small vertical bracket that goes over a lug on another component (not 100% sure what the component is!). I must have knocked this when replacing the anti-sway bar bushings, so I put it back on and in the right position. Unfortunately this made no difference...

My second thought was that an exhaust clamp/bracket was broken and the exhaust was clunking - my son had this on his Peugeot 208 and the sound was very similar to the noise it made. Again, my inspection under the van didn't show this and I tugged and pulled on the exhaust but nothing was moving.

Before I resort to sending the van to a garage to investigate, is there anything that someone might be able to suggest ?

[mickthemaverick]

Probably a way out of line suggestion but some years ago I had a similar metallic knock over bumps after new tyres had been fitted on my Delta HF. That turned out to be the brake disc backplate having been inadvertantly bent back and was tapping on the strut housing when it went down. Just a thought!!

[RichardW]

Not unknown for drop links to knock out the box. Grab it above the front door and rock it side to side, you will hear the drop links if they have play

[hometown47]

UPDATE: Replacing the drop links (even though the 'old' ones were recently installed) but made no difference but....
While double-checking all of the torque settings for bolts etc I happened to be fiddling around the brake caliper and noticed an excessive amount of play when compared to the caliper on the passenger side. I took off the wheel, unbolted the brake caliper pins, re-seated the brake pad retaining clips, and switched over the position of the brake pads (i.e the pad on the front of the caliper was put on the piston side and vice versa). Once bolted up I could feel that the play in the caliper was gone and the test drive showed the clunking to have stopped.
I'm guessing that the pad switching wasn't the solution but that the pads in the metal retaining clips were not seated correctly or that the caliper pins were not moving smoothly and the caliper wasn't adjusting correctly. I've ordered some additional silicone grease and will put more on the pins, I didn't have a huge amount to use when the new pins were installed the first time around...