Loud clunk/knock when driving over bumps

[MenDetBlirLugnt]

Hi everyone,

 

I have searched a lot but still wanted to ask, since I not found a thread with video/sound examples of this problem.

 

My Skoda Fabia Combi 2005 has made a loud clunking noise for some time now, mainly when driving over bumps. It can be felt in the car, and it seems to come from the front left wheel (I'm pretty sure, but I know these noises can "travel" throughout the car). I have made a short video with the sounds, witch I will link below. My first thought was the drop links, but they seem to be fine. I suspect something with the suspention, but since there can be so many things, I wanted to ask if someone more experienced could recognize the sound and narrow it down further.

It can be quite repetetive, and then not be heard for a while. Any suggestions is highly appreciated!

 

 

I

[mark_in_manchester]

Hi mate

 

I am currently chasing this too, on a similar car (same year, 1.4 TDi).  The last time it did this - passenger side - it was the inner bearing on the steering rod which was knackered, so you could have a feel around there as you wiggle the wheel left and right (jacked up, of course).  This time - driver side - no 'clunk' is audible as I try to do this, but I am fairly sure I am in the right place as it does it when drivers front wheel goes over a speed bump (one of the narrow ones where one can miss it with the other side of the car) - but not vice versa.  I am coming down to inner CV joint being boogered, as the outers have both been done not so long ago.  Mine does it as you come on/off the throttle - but it also behaved like this when it was a steering issue, which makes sense when you think what the front wheel drive is doing in concert with steering linkages.

 

cheers

Mark

  

 

[MenDetBlirLugnt]

On 3/30/2024 at 11:43 AM, mark_in_manchester said:

Hi mate

 

I am currently chasing this too, on a similar car (same year, 1.4 TDi).  The last time it did this - passenger side - it was the inner bearing on the steering rod which was knackered, so you could have a feel around there as you wiggle the wheel left and right (jacked up, of course).  This time - driver side - no 'clunk' is audible as I try to do this, but I am fairly sure I am in the right place as it does it when drivers front wheel goes over a speed bump (one of the narrow ones where one can miss it with the other side of the car) - but not vice versa.  I am coming down to inner CV joint being boogered, as the outers have both been done not so long ago.  Mine does it as you come on/off the throttle - but it also behaved like this when it was a steering issue, which makes sense when you think what the front wheel drive is doing in concert with steering linkages.

 

cheers

Mark

  

 

Thank you for replying! I had some reading done from people who have had problems as you experienced, and I will absolutley have a check by the steering rod. Any suggestions on how to check the inner CV joint? I must say though, that my noise has not ever had any connection with the throttle, they ->only<- appear randomly on bumps and sometimes even on extremley small ones. I think they are more likley to appear after a turn. I have betted my balls on either something with the suspention or the arb...

[softscoop]

Worn drop links can cause exactly this. Luckily they are not expensive and are easy to change DIY.

[MenDetBlirLugnt]

5 hours ago, softscoop said:

Worn drop links can cause exactly this. Luckily they are not expensive and are easy to change DIY.

Yeah, well, as I already stated both in the original post as well as in the linked video, they are fine. 

[AnnoyingPentium]

9 hours ago, MenDetBlirLugnt said:

Yeah, well, as I already stated both in the original post as well as in the linked video, they are fine. 

 

How did you check them?

 

I've had them fail, but not feel loose when wiggled even with a pry bar! It depends if they're under load when you're checking.

 

Replacing them cured the knocking on my Mk1 though.

[MenDetBlirLugnt]

3 hours ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

 

How did you check them?

 

I've had them fail, but not feel loose when wiggled even with a pry bar! It depends if they're under load when you're checking.

 

Replacing them cured the knocking on my Mk1 though.

I replaced one of them the one on the side where it sounds like the noise is coming from, it was the first thing I did just because it was fairly easy and cheap to do. I did not change the other one since both MOT who i asked to check this and a mechanic checked it as well but did not find any fault. But maybe it is worth the effort to do the other one to, just because.

 

But I mean, I can't replace every jpint and link part for part before I find the faulty one... 

 

Did you watch my linked video? Is the knocking similar to that you had? When I read about this elsewhear, I got it like noise from bad drop links did not really match the noise I'm hearing. But that might not be right ofc

Edited 2 April by MenDetBlirLugnt

[mark_in_manchester]

I asked a garage around the corner to look at mine.  Serves me right - he changed a drop link, charged me a fortune, and the clunk is still there.  I thought I was getting old, fat and lazy, but I'll not be doing that again.  Next idea - the drop link attaches the moving part of the shocker ('under' the spring) to the anti-roll bar.  The anti-roll bar must rotate in bushes to transfer movement to the other side of the car - so maybe I ought to have a look at them.  Or maybe I'll wait until it gets a lot worse and then perhaps it'll be easier to find

[Gman1978]

Have you had the bushes done?

I’m not saying with and certainty, but I did mine to find that they let go and began turning in the bush console housing. The car rode lower on that side and pulled a left a lot.

I had noises too so the when they turned I think the suspension arm was able to move up more and hit things.