Suspension rattles and clangs
 

Hi guys

Ive always had a few rattles and bangs from the front drivers side suspension. It seems to be mainly when the suspension is extending (i.e. On the way down speed humps, not when you hit them). I hit a couple of big old potholes and bumps on my recent drive of a few hundred miles and it's significantly worse.

Presume the first suspect is sway bar end links. So I'm going to change them. The general state of the suspension looked good when I had the wheels off and it has new shocks. While I'm down there with my spanners, and assuming that all bushes are 14 years old, is there anything else people would suggest changing?

There could be more than 1 culprit. Be sure in the first place to use parts only from the recommended brands, i.e. Lemforder, Sachs. I would first look at the infamous spring seat https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kj4JmZS2yM4

End links, anti-roll bar bushes, anything goes

How many miles on it?

It's got close to 60k on it now.

All four dampers were replaced just before I got it, but it looks like it was done by a bloody idiot, so this could be the cause. All the springs seemed to have been seated correctly when I checked the corners at the garage.

"The general state of the suspension looked good....but it looks like it was done by a bloody idiot...".

Do tell.

The sway bar links' nuts have to be done up tight. I thought I had tightened mine and the test drive rattled unbelievably. I leaned on them and all was well. Your drop links' (same thing) nuts may have simply loosened.

These would be the last things reassembled after a strut change so the 'bloody idiot' may have been tired.

Have you had the car from new ? At 60K it's a little early for suspension, unless the previous owner already replaced some with cheap parts - then you are opening a Kinder egg (not necessarily a pleasant surprise)

Those sway bars or drop links need to be really tight and I when I had mine replaced still had a slight knock I took it back to the mechanic who tightened it up and no noise now. You cant tell by looking either.

Another culprit for metallic rattles is the brake caliper slider pins. All it takes is just one of them to be loose and it will sound like the suspension is falling apart. They're easy to check with a 7mm allen key.

Take the cap off the dampers, remove top nut and check the funny looking nut that tightens down on the damper. It only needs a tiny gap to make quite a loud bang.
5 min job.

Hi guys, sorry about the ridiculously late reply, things have been hectic. So then....

.... I bought the car with 4 new shocks on but on initial inspection I found the rear shocks were only held in by one bolt on one side and two on the other. Bit of bargaining got me 800 quid knocked off the price and a trip to garage around the corner (and removal of the bolts from another v70 off the forecourt) sorted that issue.

Although having all four corners off in a local garage I trust didn't show anything obvious at the front, it definitely clangs about. I've checked the model number of the shocks and they seem to be the right ones (Monroe c2501). I was back in the garage the other day and are some marks in the back of the arches where things are rubbing. It looks like tires are hitting the inner arches on full lock and there are other marks where it looks like things are rubbing. Either where things haven't been clipped up properly or (worryingly... and hopefully not), the brackets that stick out the sides of the shocks could be fouling.

A bit of crowbar and brute force action under the car says to me to change the sway bar end links and steering arms to see if that solves the clunk. It's certainly 10 times better just from being up on ramps and having a fiddle.

I do look at the tops of the front strut towers and think 'is that sticking up too much? ' and I do look at the front and think 'has that been lowered?' so this is my second port of call. I'll try to get some photos for you experts out there.

The fact it has new struts at 55k makes me think it may have hit something like a kerb at speed, but it all looks really straight. I'm still pointing the finger at the 10 thumb spanner **** who changed the suspension over. Anyone got a v70r and fancy taking a photo of their strut towers?