This post may look long but I just tried to make it as detailed as possible. Please take some time to read it and respond, I'll be very grateful.

 

Just after a bit of advice from people in the know.

 

Basically, my car is lowered on JOM coilovers and has been since April. On Saturday I was driving home and as I approached a roundabout I was slowing down from around 50mph and changed into 3rd, as I did this I heard an horrendous metal on metal grinding noise coming from the front driver side of the car. When  I had accelerated back up to speed off the roundabout I braked again and dropped into 3rd to try and repeat the noise and it was just he same. When I got home I jacked the car up to look for the issue but could not find anything wrong.

 

On the way home today the car was making the noise more and more, almost every left turn at any speed above 40mph + any braking. Jacked the car up again and noticed that the ARB had a shiney ring all the way around it to match a wear mark on the bottom of the ARB. Just to be sure I coloured part of the ring with permanent pen, went for a spin until it made the noise, went home and checked and the pen mark had been ground away confirming that is the issue.

 

What I don't understand is, the car has not changed height since April and still hasn't altered, I have shortened drop links and I also fitted Cupra bushes in May.

 

Possible causes:

ARB Bushes?

Bent Wishbone?

Bent ARB? 

 

Any help on what else could have changed would be brilliant.

So it seems everyone has tried to answer questions on this issue too may times to care now...

 

I've raised the suspension by 20mm to try and increase the gap between the ARB and the drive shaft. it seems that it has had no effect and the ARB is now almost touching the rearside of the drive shaft...

Hasn't happened to me and I was going to say the springs could have settled a bit lower but you've raised it up. I would have guessed at something has been bent when you've hit a pothole with the stiffness of the Coilovers or a bush has gone mate, best off speaking to a garage I think.

Thanks for the reply dude! Yeah, I've figured raising it may be the only option for now until I can find out what has shifted, bent or worn out to cause the issue. Going to order some powerflex front ARB bushes too so I can begin eliminating possible causes.

 

 

Went out for a quick spin after raising the front 20mm and could not re-create the noise even though the bar is still pretty damn close!

 

Side note: It feels like a completely different car with the front raised, tempted to say much nicer to drive and no where near as much understeer... Going to bin off the JOM's when funds allow and buy Eibach springs + dampers.