Discussion
Sardonicus said:
Two years in rose jointed terms is plenty , get the wheels just off the ground and using a large pry bar gently lever the tyre off the ground repeatedly whilst someone as a hand on the damper body and watches for movement at the damper mounts any movement is bad no matter how small and can be felt through the damper body also if present , it's easier carried out than explained, sadly if a damper has an internal defect this will be hard to simulate Phazed will testify to this annoyance
Can these rose joints create an audible (over the usual Chimaera noises) rattling/clunking inside the car. Would I not feel it in the steering wheel, as I don't.I have also had a car in the past with worn top mounting plates which made a sort of knocking sound through the body into the car, but the noise I have sounds like a loose hanging exhaust, or a worn multi-link (both on a W124 Merc, where it is more like a rattling clicking and is definitely easy to recreate going over a speedbump.
My exhaust is tight as I just refitted it and as I said, the sound was there before and is still the same afterwards, so it is not the exhaust.
I got rid of all my rattles, fitted Rainsport tyres 
Won’t effect steering and unlikely to feel it through steering but you’ll def hear it.
I’d still be looking at front drop links very closely. You need to apply proper pressure on any joints your testing or you’won’t find the problem is my experience. A mallet won’t do it, only a proper ply bar, a very small amount of movement doing this test will be magnified when loaded and unloaded as used on the road.
Won’t effect steering and unlikely to feel it through steering but you’ll def hear it.
I’d still be looking at front drop links very closely. You need to apply proper pressure on any joints your testing or you’won’t find the problem is my experience. A mallet won’t do it, only a proper ply bar, a very small amount of movement doing this test will be magnified when loaded and unloaded as used on the road.
Another thing to check is the plate that bolts on under the car and over the exhaust. If the rubbers that sit between the plate and chassis are going that may be the cause.
Also with the dash did the PO remove the actual bolt or just leave the nut off. If just the nut replace with a wing nut as these are much easier to remove and replace in future.
Also with the dash did the PO remove the actual bolt or just leave the nut off. If just the nut replace with a wing nut as these are much easier to remove and replace in future.
Got the car back in the air this morning and had another look.
The front drop links look tight, no movement on the mountings either. None of the wishbone bushes look loose, nor the ball joints and track rod ends.
The brake pads were also tight, no loose springs there.
If I were being critical I would say the rear drop links could do with changing as they are the rose jointed type and one of them had a split boot so maybe I'll change those anyway.
I thought of changing the front drop links as well just in case it is those as from what I have read on here the noises the car is making sound like those people have tried to describe, even though I can't get them to click when moving them on the car.
I read a recent thread on here where alternatives to the 'tvr parts / racetech' drop links had been tried (Honda and Ford ) and am wondering if anyone now feels that they are successfull substitute.
The front drop links look tight, no movement on the mountings either. None of the wishbone bushes look loose, nor the ball joints and track rod ends.
The brake pads were also tight, no loose springs there.
If I were being critical I would say the rear drop links could do with changing as they are the rose jointed type and one of them had a split boot so maybe I'll change those anyway.
I thought of changing the front drop links as well just in case it is those as from what I have read on here the noises the car is making sound like those people have tried to describe, even though I can't get them to click when moving them on the car.
I read a recent thread on here where alternatives to the 'tvr parts / racetech' drop links had been tried (Honda and Ford ) and am wondering if anyone now feels that they are successfull substitute.
anonymous said:
[redacted]
I just had exactly this, rattle drove me insane. Firstly try ARB links/bushes as its normally this, in my case it became expensive. Local Indy couldn't locate noise & when i suggested it sounded like the rear caliper/pads he disagreed. I changed the ARB links (again) anyway but still no change.
2x Indies then suggested it was diff bushes with 4-6 hour labour plus parts. I had this done & when i went to collect same Indy said oh your brake pad was rattly (same one told me it was okay), so i essentially wasted £350.00, although diff bushes do go.
So check ARB's the pads/calipers before spending £££ for no reason.
I now have Honda droplinks up front and Mondeo drop links at the rear, Mk4 Tuscan S spec Bilteins and Rainsports in a size with a bit more sidewall completes the setup.
This arrangement works really well , I killed off all my annoying rattles slowly but surely by investing in the above package on a step by step basis.
This arrangement works really well , I killed off all my annoying rattles slowly but surely by investing in the above package on a step by step basis.
ChimpOnGas said:
I now have Honda droplinks up front and Mondeo drop links at the rear, Mk4 Tuscan S spec Bilteins and Rainsports in a size with a bit more sidewall completes the setup.
This arrangement works really well , I killed off all my annoying rattles slowly but surely by investing in the above package on a step by step basis.
Mines a 95 so will it need the Honda Civic or Accord for the fronts and with the Mondeo rears, did you need to do any modification to the arb, Dave? This arrangement works really well , I killed off all my annoying rattles slowly but surely by investing in the above package on a step by step basis.
I have been through a couple of threads on drop links and there does not seem a consensus in opinion.
I'm going to try running the car around the block a few times with one side disconnected to see if indeed that is my problem and then would like to try a local car parts supplier for the drop links if they need changing.
I used Honda Accord ones on the front of mine ('96 facelift) and they fitted great. I thought the Civic ones a bit too short, Still fine after 18 months:
I used Mondeo ones on the rear but without modifying the ARB, they were under great stress. The rubbers split after only a few hundred miles:
I then took the rear ARB off and ran without for months. No real difference to me but I don't so track days.
I treated the rear ARB to powder coating and refitted using links with only one end ball jointed, a bit like the TVR parts suppliers, but I used Volvo / Mitsubishi ones that are quite a bit cheaper. OK so far but it's only been a few days.
(I get an error message trying to upload a 3rd photo - "Upload Failed. No error type ( Something went wrong when moving your file (move_original))" ??
I though it was because the jpg has no 'image ID' under properties . Lots of my photos seem to be like this. I've checked and only jpgs with an 'image id' will upload although I can open them fine!
I used Mondeo ones on the rear but without modifying the ARB, they were under great stress. The rubbers split after only a few hundred miles:
I then took the rear ARB off and ran without for months. No real difference to me but I don't so track days.
I treated the rear ARB to powder coating and refitted using links with only one end ball jointed, a bit like the TVR parts suppliers, but I used Volvo / Mitsubishi ones that are quite a bit cheaper. OK so far but it's only been a few days.
(I get an error message trying to upload a 3rd photo - "Upload Failed. No error type ( Something went wrong when moving your file (move_original))" ??
I though it was because the jpg has no 'image ID' under properties . Lots of my photos seem to be like this. I've checked and only jpgs with an 'image id' will upload although I can open them fine!
Edited by ianwayne on Friday 3rd May 16:05
I'm not sure they look like they are sitting right, especially that angle where the bolt goes through the plate in the wishbone.
The ones I have on my car are vertical which with the way the rubber bungs either side of the plate work I would have thought is how they should be?
Otherwise only one side of the rubber bung is fixed to the plate.
The ones I have on my car are vertical which with the way the rubber bungs either side of the plate work I would have thought is how they should be?
Otherwise only one side of the rubber bung is fixed to the plate.
The originals were at an even more severe angle than this. Not surprising considering the ones used by TVr:
It's why the plates on the lower wishbone arm commonly break.
All solutions are less than ideal (on my car at least) unless you have the rear ARB heated and bent inward slightly so that the links will sit vertically. That, or fit rose jointed or length adjustable types.
On none of the 3 x Chimaeras I have owned have rear drop links been vertical. The holes in the ARB end and the lower wishbone hole may be, but by the time you have a ball joint head inside it, the shaft has to be at an angle.
It's why the plates on the lower wishbone arm commonly break.
All solutions are less than ideal (on my car at least) unless you have the rear ARB heated and bent inward slightly so that the links will sit vertically. That, or fit rose jointed or length adjustable types.
On none of the 3 x Chimaeras I have owned have rear drop links been vertical. The holes in the ARB end and the lower wishbone hole may be, but by the time you have a ball joint head inside it, the shaft has to be at an angle.
Edited by ianwayne on Saturday 4th May 19:08
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