Annoying knock

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someguy
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Annoying knock

Post by someguy » Sun Jun 06, 2010 9:19 pm

As many of you know from previous threads my L Series has developed a knock when traveling <30km/h

Many have given ideas on what it could be and I think I have almost exhausted my options.

Its coming from the front end.

I have replaced the left & right drive shafts and tie rod ends but its still there.

Anyone got any other ideas on what it could be.

Its fine when I am sitting at 60 but when I brake down to say down to 25 the second my foot comes off the brake pedal its knock knock knock knock etc etc.

Its driving me insane trying to figure it out.

So far to abolish all my knocks I have:
Front rotors machined
Rear drums replaced (brand new)
new pads
new upper and lower control arm bushes
new driveshafts

and I am still left with this one annoying knock.

Any help would be much appreciated.

(p.s this arvo I went right over the front end with WD-40 (bushes, steering rack, stabeliser bars, sway bars etc etc etc and I found that stopped my knocking for around an hour or 2 in town then it came back after I got off the freeway. not sure if this is useful info or not)

I know someone on here must have a solution :P
* 1990 L Series Sportswagon (Daily Driver)

* WTB 1982-84 MY 4WD Wagon (Any Condition)

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drof351
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Post by drof351 » Sun Jun 06, 2010 9:47 pm

Have you checked your wheel nuts? If them and the wheels are worn they will knock?

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someguy
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Post by someguy » Sun Jun 06, 2010 9:48 pm

drof351 wrote:Have you checked your wheel nuts? If them and the wheels are worn they will knock?
Yep tried different wheels and wheel nuts
* 1990 L Series Sportswagon (Daily Driver)

* WTB 1982-84 MY 4WD Wagon (Any Condition)

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spike
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Post by spike » Sun Jun 06, 2010 9:55 pm

wheels balanced??

check no'ones rubberbanded a nut to your drive shaft................................

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someguy
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Post by someguy » Sun Jun 06, 2010 10:00 pm

spike wrote:wheels balanced??

check no'ones rubberbanded a nut to your drive shaft................................
Wheels were balenced not long ago.

I installed the drive shafts. Its exactly the same with the new shafts as the old ones.
* 1990 L Series Sportswagon (Daily Driver)

* WTB 1982-84 MY 4WD Wagon (Any Condition)

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spike
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Post by spike » Sun Jun 06, 2010 10:14 pm

i had this on one of my drive shafts, it actually locked up going one way
try a warming parade, turn the wheels left then straight then right and straight and if that changes things
and play with the engine, clutch and brakes. it could be that your done some splines and theyre slipping.

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Bogged!
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Post by Bogged! » Sun Jun 06, 2010 10:37 pm

As you would know there are a heap of things that it could be. Sometimes it pays to get someone else else who hasn't had anything to do with your car to have a poke around at it, someone you trust obviously. They can find something you keep ignoring or glossing over like a sloppy spline or balljoint.
I had a problem once where my wheel nuts on my mags were bottoming out about half a millimetre before tightening up on the face, drove me nuts until a friend jacked it up and moved the wheel back, forwards, up and down, then with a stupid look of disbelief asked why I hadn't checked this or found it earlier;)

On my Brumby recently I found two cactus suspension ball joints, one wheel bearing was sloppy, a spline was flogged out where someone previous to me had replaced a driveshaft and hadn't tightened the axle nut enough, both steering joints were bad and a rack end bearing was shot as well,.... wonder why it was knocking as well as shaking?
That was it but it still had a stupid tapping noise from the back which was a loose petrol pipe knocking against an underneath panel with a bit of wind assistance just to make things really crazy.
I know how you feel with all this checking driving you nuts but see about letting someone else not familiar with your car have a push and poke at it.
Cheers,... Col.

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Suby Roo
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Post by Suby Roo » Sun Jun 06, 2010 11:02 pm

Is the front strut tops tight? And the nut that goes onto the shock?
Try spraying the wd40 onto 1 thing, see if it stops, and keep going until the noise goes away, therefore showing you which thing it is!
'91 Legacy GT wagon, 2.35 turbo, td05-20g, 05sti spec c dccd 6 speed, 3 inch, front mount, power fc

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El_Freddo
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Post by El_Freddo » Mon Jun 07, 2010 9:58 am

Have you had a look at the ball joints and bearings? Bearings can do some strange things when they're on the way out. Typically they start to whine but then can clunk around too.

So a few questions for you:

Are your engine and gearbox mounts tight?

Radius rod bushes in good nik?

Engine stabiliser bar installed AND bolted in nice and tight? If not this can cause the engine and gearbox to surge forward an knock, usually at low speed for some reason.

Where is the knock coming from?

Have you had any exhaust work done? I've just had my exhaust tucked up under the body and at low speed when accelerating then braking it can cause the exhaust to knock.

I like Suby Roo's idea about the strut top too.

Cheers

Bennie
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someguy
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Post by someguy » Fri Jun 11, 2010 8:52 am

Ok, the knock has gotten much much worse over the last day or so.

Now at any speed its making a snapping then clunk noise and all the pedestrians I drive past can hear it (quite embarrassing).

Going any speed now accelerating or decelerating will just make a loud snap, clunk, snap, clunk, snap, clunk, snap, clunk, snap noise.

As soon as I apply the brakes the noise goes away but the second I take my foot back off it comes right back.

Any ideas?

Its getting to the point where its almost too embarrassing to drive through the city :P
* 1990 L Series Sportswagon (Daily Driver)

* WTB 1982-84 MY 4WD Wagon (Any Condition)

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steptoe
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Post by steptoe » Fri Jun 11, 2010 9:28 am

It would be OK to remve the front sway bar to take for short drive to see if noise gone. You may see stuffed bush this way too. I suggest take a pic and or mark the bar for left, right and up down fitment. I have tricked self with this before, very confusing when lay upside down looking at front of car. You swapped shafts with new, reco or someone elses known quiet shafts?

and what Gannon says too

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someguy
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Post by someguy » Fri Jun 11, 2010 2:28 pm

steptoe wrote:It would be OK to remve the front sway bar to take for short drive to see if noise gone. You may see stuffed bush this way too. I suggest take a pic and or mark the bar for left, right and up down fitment. I have tricked self with this before, very confusing when lay upside down looking at front of car. You swapped shafts with new, reco or someone elses known quiet shafts?

and what Gannon says too
Yeah I might remove the swaybar just for a quick test.

The shafts were brand new. (sigh $210 each from repco as they were the only ones that carried them on the weekend)
* 1990 L Series Sportswagon (Daily Driver)

* WTB 1982-84 MY 4WD Wagon (Any Condition)

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