Not having another car to compare with, would anybody be kind enough to provide a pic of the top of the strut as it appears on their car. That way I can see if mine is that different as it seems to make the noise when the suspension is being compressed, not extending.

OK, I've just taken a selection of RUBBISH pics of my recce Fel. This car has been abused heavily, having done a lot of off-road stuff. However, it doesn't clonk. But as you can see, it has quite big gaps on the strut tops - about 5mm, as seen in the pics. Both sides are equal.

That's why my rally car has these!

Probably a bit harsh on a road car, but they won't break in a hurry.

Thanks for those DJ, I must say that the gap on your tops is the same as mine and on both sides too.

I am not convinced that this is causing the problem, it must be somewhere else in the suspension system. I will have to take it somewhere where they can put more leverage on the various rubbers.

Looks like my £650 low mileage bargain is gonna be a pain in the arse for a while until i sort its little problems out. :(

OK, I've just taken a selection of RUBBISH pics of my recce Fel. This car has been abused heavily, having done a lot of off-road stuff. However, it doesn't clonk. But as you can see, it has quite big gaps on the strut tops - about 5mm, as seen in the pics. Both sides are equal.

That's why my rally car has these!

Probably a bit harsh on a road car, but they won't break in a hurry.

oohh dont see those in the homolagation papers!!! :p well not TAS ones anyway lol, i have those on mine too but they are on the top of the body with a 30mm spacer to get extra compression travel,

OP how about checking the ball joints for play as thats another comon area, but you do have play in the topmounts as you said and they should be replaced really

Don't need to be homologated any more, Jim - Art 255 5.3.4.

But then, having re-read some of the other stuff in there, this is in there, one line RIGHT AFTER THE OTHER:

A system allowing the setting of the shock absorbers to be

adjusted electronically is authorised.

Any electronic control system for the shock absorbers is forbidden.

Classic.

Yeah, OP, I think just replace the damn things, it's pennies!

Edited 2 February, 201016 yr by djaychela

OP how about checking the ball joints for play as thats another comon area, but you do have play in the topmounts as you said and they should be replaced really

Checked the balljoints as much as I could, but no movement. I did this by getting somebody to swiftly move the steering wheel left to right whilst I grabbed the joint, with the car on the ground. Not sure if that's the best way?

Yeah, OP, I think just replace the damn things, it's pennies!

Intend to, but hate spending money and time to find no difference. Jorily dont seem to sell the rubbers on their own and my 'local' skoda dealer doesnt either. The kit from Jorily is about £26 for both sides I think, so not really pennies.

Edited 3 February, 201016 yr by myjalopy

Yeah, OP, I think just replace the damn things, it's pennies!

Intend to, but hate spending money and time to find no difference. Jorily dont seem to sell the rubbers on their own and my 'local' skoda dealer doesnt either. The kit from Jorily on ebay is about £26 for both sides I think, so not really pennies.

To check the balljoints jack it up so there is almost no load on the strut (and obviously none on the wishbone), and get a lever between the hub (somewhere) and the wishbone, and lever it to try to push the hub away from the wishbone - any play will soon be evident. If they're bad enough to clonk I'd expect spoon and custard steering, mind.

To check the balljoints jack it up so there is almost no load on the strut (and obviously none on the wishbone), and get a lever between the hub (somewhere) and the wishbone, and lever it to try to push the hub away from the wishbone - any play will soon be evident. If they're bad enough to clonk I'd expect spoon and custard steering, mind.

Thanks for the tip, I'll try it but the steering is remarkably precise to be honest! Unless I was expecting less because it's a Skoda. Me, a snob?

Well, maybe, but I think it's misplaced. I've owned a LOT of cars. And the Felicia is what I chose as a rally car, and also to drive across the sahara in a standard one. For the money, unbeatable; for the same sort of money you'd get a right shed of a Ford or Vauxhall.

Well, maybe, but I think it's misplaced. I've owned a LOT of cars. And the Felicia is what I chose as a rally car, and also to drive across the sahara in a standard one. For the money, unbeatable; for the same sort of money you'd get a right shed of a Ford or Vauxhall.

You're right. I looked at several options when i went looking for a car just to get me to work and it seems that all oldish small cars of a decent condition are £1000+ and not particularly decent. I finally got the Felicia because of it's apparent condition and really low miles for the age.

Overall, it should be a good little car, but I just need to iron out a few issues which includes this bleeding knocking noise !

As an aside, over the weekend, I had a whole brand new exhaust system put on. £250 worth. As it happens, i had the original owners receipt and noticed the 3 year guarantee was not up until September. That and the fact that I noticed the garage had put on the wrong system originally and were going to have to replace the backbox under guarantee, meant that they did the whole lot including cat. FOC.

Edited 3 February, 201016 yr by myjalopy

Thanks to all, i changed my top rubbers today and the noise has all but gone away although still seem to be able to detect something on the drivers side, time will tell.

Contrary to advice and proper procedure, i didn't take the strut out though. It would have been a whole lot easier if I had, but as the pinch bolt would not budge, I worked around it. :S

In case anyone is interested this is what i did, however I would probably not do it again.

I used spring compressors to hold the tension of the spring, then undid the top nut., removed the top washer and then carefully undid the top plate nuts. I pulled the hub/strut assembly down so i had more clearance at the top of the strut and managed to get the plate and rubber off through a series of contorted angles.

It went back on easily, with the new rubber, but for some stupid reason, I took it back off as i thought I would double check the piston shaft movement and that's when it all went wrong ! The shaft slowly sunk into the piston body which meant that somehow I had to get my fingers in between the coilsprings and push/pull the shaft back up, whilst guiding it through the bottom washer, bearing, new rubber and top plate. gripping the shaft end with needle nosed pliers and quickly getting the top washer and top nut back on before the piston sunk again.

All the time, making sure that the spring cups, top and bottom, had the spring located in them correctly.

So, now I have sore finger tips from push the threaded shaft and a stiff back. Add the cold, the rain and increasing darkness and I was having great fun :no:

I took my time though, checking as I went and everything is in place and tightened up. There is now only a couple of mm between the dished washer and the plastic ring that goes around the top plate, compared to 5mm before. This was down the old rubber being squashed.

Yo, Myjalopy. That's great, and I'ma let you finish....

BUT DOES IT STILL RATTLE?

Yo, Myjalopy. That's great, and I'ma let you finish....

BUT DOES IT STILL RATTLE?

Um, not sure I understand the first bit?

The suspension knock is 99.9% better now, but as for rattles, the engine still does :( My local tuner will be giving it his attention tomorrow, as he was too busy to do it as planned today. He mentioned something about crank ends? I'm sure it's not that bad :no:

Edited 15 February, 201016 yr by myjalopy

ok just to really annoy you......if you remove the top nut while the car is sat on its wheels, remove the top washer and then refit the nut you wont need a spring clamp and you can jack the car up under the sills pull the strut down slip old rubber out and new one in...

sorry i just thought of how we changed one on a rally once, glad it has sorted it for you anyway i'm sure you will hear something else now you ahve fixed that noise lol

*'**#*# hell ! Why didn't I think of that!

I am sure I will hear other noises, already got a creaky back end but I think thats just dry shock rubbers in the boot. Bit of WD40 will shut'em up.

Next, gotta get the engine running better...

Um, not sure I understand the first bit?

The suspension knock is 99.9% better now, but as for rattles, the engine still does :( My local tuner will be giving it his attention tomorrow, as he was too busy to do it as planned today. He mentioned something about crank ends? I'm sure it's not that bad :no:

It's a reference to Kanye West when he interrupted Taylor Swift and got called a jackass by Obama as a result...

Crank ends? As in big ends?

not sure, he just mentioned crank ends. Possibly big end bearings as it was in relation to the way 'older people drive' , straining the engine. His words, not mine!

Hmmm. Sounds suspect to me! They will do main bearings if you cane them a lot (I've changed a couple of sets, and Jim's stripped many an engine which has done the bearings on them, i believe), but low oil pressure at tickover when hot is a sign of that (oil light flickering; had it on a couple of rally engines post-stage).

His comment about crank ends was without seeing the car, just by my description, but took the car in today and was told it was one of the quietest engines he has heard. Not timing chain, generally in good order and probably could do with a good engine flush, oil/filter change.

He mentioned that there is not a lot of soundproofing in the engine bay, so any engine noises may seem worse in the cabin.

Also said it would be worth checking if the pushrods were standard or had been changed for all steels. A magnet would tell me this.

Back to the strut rubbers, I drove it over slightly more uneven ground today and guess what. The noise is still there. AAARRRGGGHHH! Not quite as bad mind you, so looks like more investigatiion needed when the weather brightens up. Fed up with crawling around in the wet already !

I think I am developing a complex with this car :S

you need a better stereo mate that all oh and bigger speakers

you need a better stereo mate that all oh and bigger speakers

Ha, yes i suppose. Thing is the Felicia isn't really designed for easy audio upgrade is it. No wiring for back speakers for instance.

Funny but the speakers in the car at the moment, considering it was driven by an old couple, are knackered. They must have loved their Perry Como tapes at full blast !!!

You can tell the pushrods by looking at them, the aluminium ones look COMPLETELY different to the steel ones.

As for the noise, are you sure you're just not being over-sensitive?

As for the noise, are you sure you're just not being over-sensitive?

I probably am, but I have never owned a car with so rattly an engine. It sounds like a poorly maintained old Fiesta.

Combined with the lumpy start, the gearbox issues and crappy MPG, I just want to get the car as best as it can be. In that respect, I think it should be much better.

Maybe I'll try that youtube thing that was metioned, so all you chaps can give your opinion.

Edited 16 February, 201016 yr by myjalopy