A question about strut top mounts...

[stripped fred]

My 406 has been making a clunking noise when driving over speed bumps/uneven roads. It's not terrible but it is getting gradually worse. I asked the mot bloke about it a few months ago and he initially said there was no problem but after checking for a second time he said he thought it was bearing in the o/s strut top mount. I didn't even know they had a bearing in them! Am i OK to leave this until it gets a lot noisier or could it catastrophically fail and the wheel fall off causing me and my family to die in a fireball? Just trying to guage the urgency of getting it sorted.

[Uncle Jimmy]

Anti roll bar bushes??

[stripped fred]

Anti roll bar bushes??

I did wonder if that was more likely. Just that be seemed quite sure so I bowed to his greater knowledge. Will have a look myself I think as I could probably change them myself if they are the culprit.

[warren t claim]

They'll rattle for ages but your MOT man might insist on you getting them changed.

[twosmoke300]

Strut top bearings make a strange boing / knock when you turn lock to lock when stood still .

Anti roll bar links / bushes or bottom balljoint sounds more likely

[steve_earwig]

Not a drop link? It's the most likely thing to go clunk on the front of a 406.

 

If it's the top bearing they go stiff, winding up the spring, which will jump and the steering won't self-centre, rather it'll point in the direction dictated by the remains of the bearing.

[beko1987]

My ZX did this and I think it was the droplinks that fixed it. Not 100% sure as I splashed out £50 and did the drop links, lower balljoints and track rod ends at the same time as they were all fucked, and the noise stopped!

 

The Meriva did it as well, new droplinks and lower balljoints (again, £30 of parts) fixed it.

[dollywobbler]

Another vote for drop links.

[twosmoke300]

To test drop links the car needs to be on the floor - not jacked up . Reach underneath and lift the bottom of the links up and down . Any play and they need replacing

[Royale80]

Had this on a 406 we had-did have a bearing on the top strut mount.

 

Steve

[steve_earwig]

Me three

 

I'd still head straight for the drop link.

[Junkman]

I don't know what you guys are on about, but I fix my cars when something is broken.

[twosmoke300]

Even jap cars ? 😄

[Bren]

The problem with strut top bearings is that they collect water - I got rid of my mondeo because they were noisy.

 

Reading forums only oe ford items were guaranteed to fix it - a price I was not prepared to pay.

[twosmoke300]

That's the prob with forums ( not here obv ) so much bollocks

[steve_earwig]

Whut?

[Junkman]

Even jap cars ?

 

You cannot accuse me for not having tried hard.

[stripped fred]

Thanks a lot folks. Sounds like droplinks to me too from what you say. I'll check them out.

[chaseracer]

PSA front ends treat drop links as consumables - and most of the aftermarket ones are shite, according to Tame Mechanic.  Eventually though, it WILL be the strut top mounts; I've just had the Blingo done - with coil set #3 - at 12yrs/127000 miles, so not too bad.

[Richard]

Lemforder drop links are supposed to be good. Cheap ones are indeed utter shit- I replaced both on the Volvo just after its MOT in October 2014 and again just before its MOT in October 2015. Less than 4000 miles on they are buggered again.

 

Does anybody know if TRW drop links are any good?

[HH-R]

Sorry to hijack, but anyone know what a creaking sound when going lock to lock could be, e.g reverse parking?

 

It has passed an MOT and three garages have given it the clean bill of health/claim they can't hear it but it's definitely there. Like a creaking wooden door. Had the suspension bushes and a balljoint replaced but no better (was told they needed doing, not just willy nilly) and annoyingly it pulls to one side now after the work.

[Richard]

That could be strut top bearings.

[explosive-cabbage]

Vote Droplinks!

[scaryoldcortina]

Sorry to hijack, but anyone know what a creaking sound when going lock to lock could be, e.g reverse parking?

 

It has passed an MOT and three garages have given it the clean bill of health/claim they can't hear it but it's definitely there. Like a creaking wooden door. Had the suspension bushes and a balljoint replaced but no better (was told they needed doing, not just willy nilly) and annoyingly it pulls to one side now after the work.

 

What car? I had a customer with a HHR rover 400 which had exactly this funny noise. Several attempts to track it down failed but one day the OS front lower balljoint fell apart and the wheel came off.

[twosmoke300]

Would prob not be a strut bearing on a rover 400 given that they don't have them ( civic/ rounder shape ones)

[scaryoldcortina]

^ That's mainly why I was wondering... double wishbones on a HHR.

[dollywobbler]

Cheap drop links should definitely be avoided. Mat_the_cat had one snap mid-bend on his BX. Not what you'd call fun!

[twosmoke300]

On most cars you would barely notice it but given that the height corrector takes its position off the anti roll bar I bet it was fun on a bx 😄

[HH-R]

What car? I had a customer with a HHR rover 400 which had exactly this funny noise. Several attempts to track it down failed but one day the OS front lower balljoint fell apart and the wheel came off.

 

Sounds worrying! It's a mk2 Kia Rio. One of the balljoints was definitely replaced a few months back, they said it was ready to go.

[steve_earwig]

Lemforder drop links are supposed to be good. Cheap ones are indeed utter shit- I replaced both on the Volvo just after its MOT in October 2014 and again just before its MOT in October 2015. Less than 4000 miles on they are buggered again.

 

Does anybody know if TRW drop links are any good?

I was going to suggest Lemforder (should they be available in your country ) I think TRW are fairly middle of the road, better than your no name brand ebay last 5 minute specials.

 

PSA front ends treat drop links as consumables

Yawn. Yeah, it's not like it happens to every other modern so equipped pfft.

 

I've replaced 2 pairs on 2 406s in 12 years.