slight clonk ....help?

[andymadmak]

Been out and about wedging it today - lovely weather!
Anyhoo, I noticed when manuevering in the car park that I get a slight clonk when turning the wheel at very low speeds/stationary. (either direction) It feels like there is some resistance and then it sort of releases and clonks. Once I'm over 5mph it goes. I can't feel any play in the track rods or such like. Could it possibly be wear in the column joint behind the OS front tyre?
Any advice gratefull received

Andy

[dw350i]

Had a similar one on mine a while back. Checked all the usual bits, balljoints, track ends, etc etc. In the end turned out to be the antiroll bar mount bushes were the very hard plastic ones and with no silicone grease in them they were gripping the bar until the force got too much then they clonked as the bar turned. Took them apart, cleaned up the bushes and bar, greased them and the clonks have never returned. Bit obscure but maybe what you got?

[adam quantrill]

I had a clonk like this and it was the radius arms - the bushes were perished.

You need to order a 'compliance kit' from RT if it's this.

Also check the anti-roll bar clips.

[ed_crouch]

When turning my car on hard lock, the front lurches, and its the LSD locking up. Perfectly normal AFAIK. No clonk on mine though!

Ed.

[andymadmak]

dw350i said:

Had a similar one on mine a while back. Checked all the usual bits, balljoints, track ends, etc etc. In the end turned out to be the antiroll bar mount bushes were the very hard plastic ones and with no silicone grease in them they were gripping the bar until the force got too much then they clonked as the bar turned. Took them apart, cleaned up the bushes and bar, greased them and the clonks have never returned. Bit obscure but maybe what you got?

I'll check these

adam quantrill said:

I had a clonk like this and it was the radius arms - the bushes were perished.

You need to order a 'compliance kit' from RT if it's this.

Also check the anti-roll bar clips.

I already have the RT Polybush kit on there. Mind you, the steering does feel slightly wayward, so perhaps something needs tightening up? I'll check here too.

Cheers

Andy

[andymadmak]

ed_crouch said:

When turning my car on hard lock, the front lurches, and its the LSD locking up. Perfectly normal AFAIK. No clonk on mine though!

Ed.

Mine only does it stationary (or near as) , although I am familiar with the LSD thing too.
Cheers

[andymadmak]

Turned out the bloomin rack was a bit loose! Not a nice job to tighten the bolts up either. (rear ones are awkward to get something on)

Clonk gone!

Andy

[wedg1e]

andymadmak said:

Turned out the bloomin rack was a bit loose! Not a nice job to tighten the bolts up either. (rear ones are awkward to get something on)

Clonk gone!

Andy

A few years back I decided to refurb my rack, and while it was off I thought I'd clean up and repaint the front end of the chassis.

A few weeks after I put it all back together I noticed a vagueness to the steering, and then a pool of leaked PAS fluid.
Investigation revealed that the compression of the rack bolts had squashed the new paint (!) allowing the rack to move. The power of the hydraulics had then, instead of steering the car, been trying to push the rack body apart, causing the leak.
A 20p O-ring and big spanners later and all was well again.

Bloody Smoothrite...