Front drop links-rattle and DIY question-996

[Saddlebag]

Got a bit of a rattle going on at the front over rough roads when the cars been driven for a while.

I think its the front drop links-what do you think?

If so, how easy it is to DIY?

Thanks

[sundayjumper]

I get various creaks & rattles from the front of mine when it's hot. It's not the coffin arms - I did those last week and it's still squeaking

I've got some new drop links to go on but if your car is anything like mine the top bolt for the link that also clamps the damper in place will be stuck fast thanks to galvanic corrosion. Looks like it'll be a massive PITA to get out.

[Diesel130]

Saddlebag said:

I think its the front drop links-what do you think?

Last summer I had a clunking from both fronts - the coffin arms sorted that. Then I noticed a bad rattle on the nearside, only noticeable over rough ground at low speeds. The droplinks were changed, but didn't fix it. Then the front forked control arms were replaced and its been perfect ever since

Can't comment on the DIY aspect as Autostrasse did the work for me, but I don't remember the labour being much, so guess its not a huge job.

[Saddlebag]

Thanks all.

I had it all inspected but nothing was seen to be obviously wrong! (as usual).

Its not a knocking, its like a light rattle/ing.

I actually dont seem to hear it on potholes or speed bumps, more on lightly broken surfaces, if you can see what I mean.

[Diesel130]

Saddlebag said:

Its not a knocking, its like a light rattle/ing.

I actually dont seem to hear it on potholes or speed bumps, more on lightly broken surfaces...

That was exactly my symptoms - heard it on the unmade road to the golf club as a rattle and virtually nowhere else. If you listened really really carefully, there was a little "ting" when the nearside went over a drainhole, but that was all. As I said above mine was a fooked forked arm.

BTW: Why can't we write ing ?

[bull996]

C L I N K ing was what I was trying write

Anyway, jacked the car up tonight-the drop links seem solid enough, BUJT the top of the springs are movable when car is off the ground.

So I think its the top mounts or rubber bits that go in there.

[fubar69]

Front springs can move around when the vehicles jacked up. They don't have a great deal of tension in them. Rough roads knocking/rattling- does it sound like bouncing a golf ball from short height. Its more than likely the forward facing trailing arms. No plays felt but the rose joint can be noisy.

[anonymous-user]

I have this. Initially the OPC replaced an outer tie rod thinking it was the ball joint - perfectly reasonable as the opposite side had been done fairly recently after MOT advisory.

I think its the inner tie rod ball joint because the noise is very light and rattly and I can almost 'feel' the noise through the steering wheel. It started off after driving for a while, especially on twisty country lanes, but, with the heat of the last week or so, the rattling has really been exacerbated. I'll be replacing them in a day or so.

FYI - its not necessarily repeatable on ramps because the suspension geometry changes with weight off wheels and this helps hide the problem by putting compression/tension in the suspension system differently to when the weight is on the wheels.

[sundayjumper]

I'm going to do the forked arms this afternoon. Fingers crossed...