Just thought I'd post this for anyone who has that familiar rattle/knock from the front end when going over bumps and uneven/rough roads.

I had my droplinks changed just over a year ago due to the above symptoms but the noise had recently returned. It couldn't be the droplinks again, I told myself. Well it was - they only lasted 10k miles and were supposedly not cheap ones (Delphi). They were completely shot! It's shocking that they are such poor quality.

Anyway, I changed them again. Didn't buy Meyle HDs as I wasn't convinced that they were the issue, so I went for slightly cheaper Febi Bilstein ones and the noise has gone. If they don't last then I'll invest in the Meyle ones as replacements.

So, first stop in tracking down any knocking is to try changing the droplinks. Chances are that's what it'll be. Hope it helps.

Edited 18 July, 20169 yr by del-gti

The way I convinced myself to try swapping out the droplinks as a first move on the missus's car was to drive down a straight, traffic-free road and gently get the car rocking side to side by 'tweaking' the steering wheel alternate ways.  I could get it to knock fairly consistently that way, which made me fairly sure that the droplinks (or at least one of them, haven't done autopsies yet) were involved.  New ones fixed the noise immediately. (TRW, I think;  watch out for needing a small spline bit to counterhold the studs on these ones when you do up the nuts)

Used to get through one pair a year being on coilovers and quite low but the Meyle HD ones are well worth it, put them on 2 years ago and still going

I got a pair of Febi for mine a couple of weeks ago. Will see how they go too.

Easy way to diagnose is take them off and see if the noise stops.

Meyle HD is the way forward! They just ooooze quality. Eliminated my knocking from the front!

 (@ Tech1e) ^ Hehe, can't argue with that as a definitive diagnostic.

Edited 18 July, 20169 yr by Wino

Meyle HD is the way forward! They just ooooze quality. Eliminated my knocking from the front!

 

 

Got those on mine too. They do indeed seem very good quality.

Edited 18 July, 20169 yr by TMB

I diagnosed mine by looking at it. Top bush on one side was split in half.

I'm on my fourth pair in just under five years. I blame the shocking state of the roads (and living out in the sticks). It doesn't seem to matter what level of quality I put on. The best lasted 14 months, the worst not even six, so, I allow for a replacement set each year just before MOT time just to prevent issues now.

Edited 23 July, 20169 yr by Coffin Dodger

Ah, just the topic I needed! (Sorry for bring the thread back from the dead) Could anyone suggest where I can get a set of decent droplinks for my Mk1 1.9 Tdi Fabia Estate? I've looked all over, and there's so many different listings......

 

Many thanks in advance  

Also got the meyle HD ones. Definitely feel good and sturdy. My car is slightly dropped though so maybe I should get shorter meyle HD ones for another car.

Anyone gone with shorter meyle ones? Which ones? Thanks!