Knocking noise coming from drivers side?

Ciarán Leeman

Ciarán Leeman

Hi all,

Another noise has decided to manifest itself into my 1998 Equation. This time it's a clunk that often occurs when I accelerate quickly, brake quickly or turn right quickly. I'm struck between it being either my front springs (both are rather corroded), My CV joints (The service history says that some were replaced in 2013 I'm unsure as to whether they all were) and my sagging drivers door.

I initially thought my drivers door was causing this as I propped up my door with a plank of wood (As recommended by a post on this site). The first time I tried this the noise vanished and then started again after 3 days. I repeated the process but made sure that the door was properly propped up as much as possible and left it for around 4 hours and this morning it's still making noise and the door is still sagging.

What should I do? Should I get my springs changed or is there a way of stopping the door sagging?

Thanks
 
Think i remember seeing someone fitted two new door hinges instead of the one on it currently to hold the door up properly
Dont know if this will solve the knocking though
 
How long should I leave it propped up? As mentioned I left if for 4 hours. Using a long plank of wood and a shorter piece of wood to spread the weight. I'm thinking about replacing the hinges but I'm too scared I'd mess it up and have to drive to work like Bond in the opening sequence of Quantum of Solace! ;)
 
you just use it to stretch the door back into shape ciaran, they sag over time

SDC11375.JPG
 
I see. Probably leaving it for four hours made it worse! Do I just need to use force to yank it up and keep trying until it's stretched into shape?
 
Well I get a metal on metal clonk every so often and it sounds to be coming from the drivers door. It sometimes does not shut properly and requires to be opened and slammed a bit more. When I propped it up with the plank it just seemed to flop back down again.
 
Tried this. Didn't make much difference. I got my dad to have a go and he couldn't shape it back up either. Knocking noise is still persisting too :( Beginning to think the noise might not be the door.
 
Given your description my first GUESS would be a CV joint ... go down to Tesco when its quiet and drive round on full lock in circles SLOWLY both ways .. if you get a grinding/knocking noise its almost certainly the CV joint and they usually go click click click
If it clicks identify from which side ....... then check the rubber gator for splits....They are not always split but usually.

Having a CV joint listed as being replaced is actually a bigger reason for it being the CV joint. Many are replaced poorly without enough expansion left in the Gator and the joint heat up, splits the gator because of the pressure and then water washes out grease and your CV joint is toast !
 
Okay thanks Tony! I'm taking her to the garage on saturday to be looked at. The rubber looked okay to me but who knows! I went to the garage last week and he said about £70 for them to be replaced. I've asked him to take a look at the from springs as my last MOT put corroded springs as an advisory. Is £70 about right for the CV joints and how much would new springs cost?

Thanks!
 
CV joints are about 20 quid each i think, so unless you are gonna do it yourself 70 quid is probably an alright price. Buying the parts yourself and then just paying to get them fitted is a good option, saves them ripping you off on parts prices.

and you may as well get lowering springs for about 100 quid instead of new standard springs or sort some coilovers if you wanna go lower.
 
Thanks huntr_micra_sport! Hi frank. It's pretty random. Usually when the car jolts or when going right hand corners. For example when I turn right on the roundabout near where I live it will probably clonk about 3 or 4 times. Going in a straight line is fine but stopping at lights and setting off it will probably clonk once.
 
It could well be that. I'd imagine all the suspension components are the original. I'll get my mechanic to give it the once over. I reckon I'm going to need some welding done on the sill under the driver door too. It's beginning to go rusty :(
 
Okay, I went to the garage on Saturday and they check the car and deduced it was my shock absorbers. They said everything else seemed to be pretty solid and there was nothing else it could be. They gave me a quote of £195 to change the 2 front shocks. I was pretty stunned at the price! The car seems to be absorbing shocks okay and the car isn't drooping to one side and they bounce up and down just fine! They just make a noise when they do it. I've decided not to have them changed.

Was I right to do so? o_O
 
I was thinking the same. However, I after driving the car in this morning it only made the noise once (When pulling off the steep curb on my drive). I don't know what to think!
 

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