[Bigman1207]

Alfa 147 ...Knocking update

Hi,

Right car passed its MOT today but tester when driving it in and out heard a knocking coming from the front nearside.

Car passed its MOT with zero issues, Tester even spend the time trying to locate the knocking noise, nothing amiss when on ramps etc.

I know nothing about wishbones, breastbones or any other types of bones, drop links etc.

Car only knows when going over bumps in the road. It is a definite bump and sometimes I can feel the knock where my left foot rests when driving (to the left of the clutch pedal) as if something is banging under the floor plan but also form the front nearside

Nothing seems amiss from the MOT guy when he had a look underneath.

Any idea what I can check?

Oh and MOT said ball joints wishbones etc looked new.

Please be mindful that I don't have a clue re what bits are on suspension (names of bits)

Cheers

BM

 

[Bigman1207]

Forgot to add.... car drives spot on dead straight, also when the knocking is er knocking it can not be felt through the gearstick, pedals or steering wheel.

So its knocking form the front nearside that can be felt under the floor plan on occasion.

if it makes any difference car is 2005 Jtdm

 

[MRyan]

There's a good chance its your anti roll bar bushes mate - my 2005 Jtd has exactly the same symptoms and I'm getting it done next week! The job is a pain, due to the fact that the anti roll bar sits above the front subframe.

 

[Bigman1207]

Cheers for the reply, will have a look and or get someone to do it !

if you don't mind me asking have you had a quote?

 

[sprint_veloce]

Yep, very likely the anti roll bar bushes. They're about 20 quid each, but probably 3hrs labour to change.

 

[Bigman1207]

Had a quote of £230 supplied and fitted. may give it go myself ... quite a few "how to" guides on here.

Im in no rush unless anyone is going to say serious damage or accident can happen.

 

[Alexie]

The knocking, as far as I could work out, just comes from the bar sliding side to side rather than rattling around in the bushes. Not sure how it manages to make so much noise doing this but a short term fix is to insert shims in-between the collars on the bar and the bushes to stop it sliding sideways. Stopped the noise for a year or so in my case but eventually it came back as the shims wore. The noise is just irritating more than anything else, hard to see how it could cause any other damage given it only slides a few mm's.

I'd check the bar slides sideways relatively easily before confirming it's the source of the noise. Obviously this needs doing with the bar unloaded. If it doesn't slide easily I'd say it was something else. I've got a knock from somewhere which sounds a lot like the ARB but isn't because the bar is tight in the bushes and it's none of the other usual causes either because I've checked plus it passed an MOT. I'm guessing it's the strut top bearing, just haven't got around to confirming it yet.

 

[Bigman1207]

Got a few days off coming up so will have a good faff about and see what's what, so if the bas slide it means its the ARB bushes. if tight its something else?

 

[Shimmerydolmeo]

ARB for sure.

 

[Firstcaralfa]

ARB. No point trying to bodge it. Get polybushes they last WAY longer. A local garage will fit them for you.

 

[Bigman1207]

Cheers will do thanks for the replies

 

[Bigman1207]

As I type car is on axel stands and there is zero movement on anti roll bar

Consensus please is it possible that it's still the bushes or should I be looking elsewhere

 

[Firstcaralfa]

Be careful. You need to have the wheels on load, a four poster ramp for example to diagnose the ARB. I have seen mechanics say it is fine even when using a bar to look for play.

 

[Bigman1207]

So simply lifting the front wheels off the ground and checking for play won't do?

 

[Firstcaralfa]

Essentially no.

I could hear knocking a garage checked for play, saw it was the ARB. They could not fit in the job so I went elsewhere.

Second garage could not get the ARB to move on a normal ramp, he suggested putting it on 4 cups so the wheels could be moved under load, the knocking could be heard then. It's worth a play around with it or get it onto a ramp if you can.

 

[Alexie]

Ideally you need to disconnect a drop link to be certain the ARB isn't loaded at all and completely free to move in the bushes. And you're looking for sliding movement not radial movement in the bushes, might take a decent shove but if it slides at all it will knock on the move. Course the best test is to disconnect both drop links, tie them and the ends of the ARB up so they won't foul on anything else and go for a short drive. If the knocking disappears it's most probably the ARB causing the problem.