Suspension Doink!!

[such]

OK, I'll try and explain this the best i can. I get a deep metallic sort of hollow 'Doink' sound (it's the only description i can think of) coming from the passenger front side when going over speed bumps or pot holes. Think its coming from the suspension but cannot see anything at all that would indicate what it could be.:bat: Any suggestions gratefully welcome.

 

[jaxx]

I get a "hollow" sort of bumping noise when going over rougher surfaces... although only when im at speed. Taking it easy doesnt yield the same thing.

I kind of hope its just the shocks reaching full extension, but do keep meaning to have a sniff round and check everything is torqued up.

 

[tchalikias]

Check the thread I've started here:

http://www.clio197.net/forum/showthread.php?t=5373

I've posted a couple of videos where the noise can be heard.. Is it similar to the noise you hear?

 

[SNapeR]

Hi

I own a Clio 197 with R27 suspension. I feel that i am one of the few people on the earth that knows what the problem is I had the same problem for 4-5 months. Renault had the car for like a month , even people from Renault France came ... No one was not able to fix the problem. It is a knocking - rubbery / metal sound , when the wheel expands in to a hole , or when i drive over a bump , and when it was raining - it felt like the wheel is comming off ..

The problem is the top bushing. I replaced them once with OEM one from Renault , and it had no change in the knocking. I am a proffesional rally driver and i have proffesional mechanics . We decidet to take matters in our hands.
The top bushing is getting soft ( unglueing internaly) , and the shock absorber is really hard and push/pull the bushing up and down violently making that knocking sound. I replaced mine with Kleber once , they are harder then the OEM once , but still ... after 10 000 km ... the knocking is comming back. Poliuretane shocks are the best solution by my opinion.

To make the bushing knock violently in front of the Renault Dealer - just heat them up really good with a heater gun

I hope to be of help

P.S. - i also have solution for knocking stearing rack , rear boot door , blowing doors ...... it is a great car over all :lol:

 

[skny]

I had similar noises in the past, I had the n/s top mount changed, the n/s steering rod and track ends, and recently done both front hubs, also changed a small piece that connects the arm with the subframe I guess, tbh they all make very similar sound effects... need a thorough check to find whats at fault really so you dont end up spending a fortune on parts that were still fine... luckily I had a good renault dealer and they never put me at unnecessary spendings, and all their findings were correct, each individual knock was cured with a single operation, first I did the top mounts, a few weeks later the steerind rod, then the small connector arm - subframe, and just last week both front hubs, what next LOL ....

 

[ben_r1]

I have suffered with this knock for a year now, seeing as its such a pain in the arse to located and rectify i've decided to live with it until the problem makes itself evident by failing completely.

 

[skny]

that is an interesting idea ben_r1 lets hope its not the hub carrier in your case, because if it falls to pieces it may rip your wheel out together with a lot of expensive parts, not even mentioning the bodywork damage it may cause, I'd say get it located! you dont need to go to the dealers to get it checked, any tracking place will probably locate it with no probs, or you can do it yourself, the small arm - subframe joint is easy to check, just turn the wheels so you can reach it and try moving it about, mine was so loose it almost fell out when I touched it if you rise the car it will get stretched and you wont be able to move it even if it was loose ( this is why a dealers garage couldnt find it), but for anything else, jack the car up, take the wheel off and have a little play, the small joint and the stabilizer joints are pretty cheap, check the lower carrier joint mine were so bad it was visible, didnt even have to shake it up, I dont know why, the roads arent that bad and the car is just 80k km / 50-55 k miles... oh and if its the hubs they will start whining pretty loud when you turn the steering wheel on low speeds, but thats probably when theyre almost gone....

 

[ben_r1]

Skny i've had the car up on the ramp at work several times and neither me nor my colleagues can diagnose the fault. There is no excessive play in any ball joints or bushes, all fixings and fasteners are secure and there appears to be no sign of rubbing components or any other unservicable items.

I've given up, although the noise is getting worse and i will monitor the components for signs of the problem i suspect it will make itself evident soon enough.

 

[skny]

I had a knock once that was the dealer was not able to locate as well, top shock mount, mine was ripped, when I popped the hood and opened the top shock mount covers one was visibly ripped... if its what SnapeR described, then I dont know.... maybe you should just go for it and change both top mounts and maybe it will go away... and the knocks may be engine mounts related as well, don't they?

 

[ben_r1]

I'll be changing for the AST top mounts if i ever recieve them, the wait time on them so far has been 3 months!

 

[stuzaa]

Im glad to read this as i have had this as well and cant find a thing either :S

 

[tchalikias]

What a weird problem. Apparently its not uncommon yet there is no clear diagnosis.

I've had the car for a full week at the dealers. They checked everything. They even tried loosening parts of the suspension and driving over a certain pothole in the hopes of making the noise worse and pinpointing the problem. Nothing. In the end, they replaced the top mount which sort of cured the problem for a couple of days.

My findings are these:

-The noise occurs when the wheel moves downwards (the suspension is uncompressed).

-I can't explain it, but after a wash, when the wheel arches, wheel and suspension have been blasted with a high pressure water hose, the noise seems to disappear for a while.

-It hasn't gotten worse over time.

-Weather conditions and temperature seem to affect the occurrence of the noise

I have suffered with this problem since last August, its not getting any worse thankfully. Sometimes it will knock, other times it will be completely silent. The noise on mine also originates on the front left.

I could swear a couple of times I've felt the noise through the brake pedal. Perhaps its as simple as play in the brake caliper? Who knows.

I've learned to live with it. But a solution would be great.

 

[Cannit]

I have 2 possible solutions and Renault are aware of both burg whether the dealership is I have no idea about your local dealers

We have a program called actis here at Renault that we use to check and see if Renault are aware of certain issues with the cars to save us time

2 possibilities

1st - contact between the left front corner of the dash and the bodywork at the bottom of the windscreen. It is a knocking noise that is heard when driving as chassis flexes and is worse over bumps. Windscreen needs removing to rectify

2nd - the shocks have been superseded now as they were known to fail early and cause a knocking noise so new 200's are being sent out with updated shocks.

Tell your dealer you are aware of the issue and they should be able to find the solution on actis

 

[Cannit]

That's just the front shocks by the way

 

[tchalikias]

Last I checked with them was in October if I remember correctly.

We searched with the chief mechanic on ACTIS for any bulletin describing the above symptoms, however we couldn't find anything relevant apart from a notice regarding loose driveshaft bolts causing noises (it wasn't that).

I am aware of the dash noise issue, thats not it, this noise is definitely from somewhere in the suspension/wheel.

I have had the shocks double checked, they perform as intended and are not visibly defective (leaking oil etc.) By 'failing early' you are referring to the noise developing?

Do you by any chance have an ACTIS solution number for the shock issue? Also, when did this notice go online?

 

[Cannit]

Solution number 8599

 

[Cannit]

Went live 09/11/2010

 

[tchalikias]

Thanks for the info Cannit!

One last question: has the part number for the front shocks changed? If so, do you have the new part number?

Thanks again!

 

[ben_r1]

But i have coilovers and mine still does the knock both prior and post to fitting.

 

[Cannit]

Not sure what the issue would be with yours Ben, needs checking out

The part number has changed but would need to check system to see what too. This solution affects Clio rs models with cup packs only btw