Suspension Knock at slow speeds/turning

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Joel
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Suspension Knock at slow speeds/turning

Post by Joel » Wed Apr 02, 2014 5:01 pm

Hi all,

So I've got a bit of a problem that no matter how much I drive it won't go away ( ;) )
My MX5 seems to have a small suspension knock on the passengers side (as far as I can tell). I noticed it after thrashing the car down some fairly rough roads and perhaps has gotten progressively worse over time, the sound volume of the knock is the same but it knocks more frequently particularly when slow turning at half to full lock. It will also make itself known sometimes on lightly uneven roads if I'm going any less than 15 kmph.

My coilovers are around 9-10 months old and don't appear to be leaking, damping adjustments still appear to be working and changing the struts accordingly (not sure if that would be affected anyway though). My passenger chassis rail is damaged as if a jackstand was placed there to hold the car but that has been there since before i bought the car a year ago, there's no play in the wheels/hubs and ball joints FEEL fine.

Anyone have any other ideas at what it could be?

SkilletKid
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Post by SkilletKid » Wed Apr 02, 2014 6:54 pm

Check suspension bushings if they look like they've been "squeezed" out. Check ARB (swaybar) endlinks (the bolts and their bushings).

Put it on stands and try wiggle the wheels about (checking for play in the hubs/bearings).

Whilst on the stands, put a jack with a large enough sheet of plywood or a metal plate under the wheels and try get it to move through it's range of motion (maybe have someone sitting in the car moving the steering at the same time) and check for the noise.

Check wheel nuts?
"Yes, you got that, 16 years of [MX5] ownership and you too can become the Obi-wan Kenobi of not giving a s**t." - Moti

Angreal
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Post by Angreal » Wed Apr 02, 2014 8:26 pm

My fm rear sway bar makes a clunking noise at low speeds as it slips around a tiny bit. I think fm changed the design slightly to fix this in their newer ones

SkilletKid
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Post by SkilletKid » Wed Apr 02, 2014 10:21 pm

Oh forgot to mention; check the ball joints/steering rack ends.

Check the rack whilst you're down there. Is it only during turns? (You mention the lightly uneven roads but are you turning or going straight?)

How damaged is the chassis rail? Just bent up and ugly or ripped and needs some welding? Any other underbody damage?
"Yes, you got that, 16 years of [MX5] ownership and you too can become the Obi-wan Kenobi of not giving a s**t." - Moti

PLSEME
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Post by PLSEME » Thu Apr 03, 2014 11:34 am

Had the same issue on my car .......
After changing Sway bar link end
checking the brakes
Full Bush kit replacment

turned out to be the top strut mounts
Scientists now foresee the future will be much more futuristic than they first forswore

Joel
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Post by Joel » Thu Apr 03, 2014 7:34 pm

SkilletKid wrote:Check suspension bushings if they look like they've been "squeezed" out. Check ARB (swaybar) endlinks (the bolts and their bushings).
the swaybar endlinks appear to be alright, other bushing have yet to be checked though, could be that.
SkilletKid wrote:Put it on stands and try wiggle the wheels about (checking for play in the hubs/bearings).
There's no play there
SkilletKid wrote:Whilst on the stands, put a jack with a large enough sheet of plywood or a metal plate under the wheels and try get it to move through it's range of motion (maybe have someone sitting in the car moving the steering at the same time) and check for the noise.
The car has to be moving for any of the knocking noise to be made
SkilletKid wrote: Check wheel nuts?
Not the wheel nuts, all are tight.
Angreal wrote:My fm rear sway bar makes a clunking noise at low speeds as it slips around a tiny bit. I think fm changed the design slightly to fix this in their newer ones
The noise sounds like the front suspension
SkilletKid wrote: Check the rack whilst you're down there. Is it only during turns? (You mention the lightly uneven roads but are you turning or going straight?)

How damaged is the chassis rail? Just bent up and ugly or ripped and needs some welding? Any other underbody damage?
Turning or straight road it makes the same knocking noise :/

it's bent upwards and may be touching the passenger floorpan as I have been told you can feel the knock with your feet.
PLSEME wrote:Had the same issue on my car .......
After changing Sway bar link end
checking the brakes
Full Bush kit replacment

turned out to be the top strut mounts
Was it an easy fit or was the solution new struts? :(

PLSEME
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Post by PLSEME » Fri Apr 04, 2014 8:06 am

You do need to pull the struts out ....(not a hard job) but it dose take time. :x
got the replacment top strut mounts from "The Mount Shop" in Penrose.

:D
Scientists now foresee the future will be much more futuristic than they first forswore

Joel
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Post by Joel » Fri Apr 04, 2014 8:51 am

Front struts are a bastard, will throw in my old factory suspension sometime to find if I find it isn't a problem with the bushings to see if the knocking persists. Thanks!

marcellarius
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Post by marcellarius » Fri Apr 04, 2014 9:16 am

Lol, I was helping a friend diagnose a loud knock last week... it sounded steering related and we spent a while checking tie rods, steering rack etc. We gave up on that and went to collect more evidence (i.e. drove in circles in empty car park) and discovered it only happened on left transitions. A CLUE. Upon looking at the anti-roll-bar the next day, I noticed a big stone sitting between the ARB and subframe, which must have been getting crushed as the ARB twisted.

marcellarius
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Post by marcellarius » Fri Apr 04, 2014 9:19 am

This is a good video about looking for suspension noises https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scFbb43fwqk

SLYDIT
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Post by SLYDIT » Sun Apr 06, 2014 7:33 pm

knock knock...
Who's there?
Miata
Miata who?

Me ata here....weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
RED '90 TURBO.
SCARING PRIUS DRIVERS SINCE 2002

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