Wishbone rubbing on droplink?

[Matt]

Whilst giving the car a once over looking for problems before I mot it, I noticed there is a little bit of a worn patch on the knuckle of the droplink. 

There is a knocking on the front end which I'm trying to get to the bottom of, what must be bent/snapped/fubard to cause something like that to happen? 

[Jimbo]

The centre D rubbers are allowing the bar to sway accross so need new arb rubber bushes

[highwayman306]

Nice, might take a look at mine if this is right. Im getting the same, like a tapping noise front end. I was looking into getting some new drop links soon so might just renew some bushes whilst I'm there

repped!

[Poodle]

You'll be able to find play in the links or bushes by shaking the arb with the car on the ground and looking to see where the movement is.

Highwayman, Jimbo's diagnosis is specific to Matt's described issue, your own is more likely to just be the droplinks, very comon problem.

[highwayman306]

You'll be able to find play in the links or bushes by shaking the arb with the car on the ground and looking to see where the movement is.

Highwayman, Jimbo's diagnosis is specific to Matt's described issue, your own is more likely to just be the droplinks, very comon problem.

Yeah but the bushes in my ARB haven't been changed in like...5years I know the drop links have been changed twice and the wishbones+bushes also. Its like a clunky/tapping noise when decelerating or sharp cornering (at low speeds) but mainly on the straight slowing down. I've rocked the engine and I don't think it's the engine mounts, they seem fine and no knocking.

What you think poodle?

[welshpug]

arb bushes are very long lasting, my zx is on its original 23 year old ones.

[highwayman306]

I was thinking that changing other stuff for new can wear older stuff out though, would i be right in saying this?

I gotta get under and have a look. I have a list of things to do like change the handbrake cables, drop links, EML, brake fluid, transmission fluid etc. lol the list goes on

[Poodle]

Yeah, as Welshpug says, i'd be surprised if it is the arb bushes after only five years. I'm still using an original set at over 135k miles, nearly 50k of which has been pure abuse from me.

Is it just a single knock when it happens? Sounds more like balljoints to me, but could be a lot of things unfortunately. Best bet is to get under there with a torch and lever bar and see what you can see. If it is arb bushes you will be able to move the arb back and forth in them with relative ease.

How many miles do you do? Wishbones really shouldn't need replacing that often, at least not unless you're buying the nastiest pattern parts.

[welshpug]

check the droplink is fitted correctly...

[Matt]

Bushes easy to swap out? I've never actually done them before. The drop link sits pretty close on passenger side but there is more room driver side.
Bushes still likely to be te cause of this? Arb moved or something?

[Jonny81191]

Bushes easy to swap out? I've never actually done them before. The drop link sits pretty close on passenger side but there is more room driver side.
Bushes still likely to be te cause of this? Arb moved or something?

They're not too bad, they share the bolts with the P bushes and can be tight to get into place. 

But yeah, the bushes are the likely cause. You could always try levering the ARB across back into place, but I suspect it'll just move again if the bushes are dead. You've checked the retainer/P bush bolts are tight, yes?

[Matt]

I'm going to check it over tomorrow. I didn't realise they shared bolts with the push, maybe I disturbed it while changing my wishbone on that side.
Is there any indication on where it should sit?

[welshpug]

yuep, there's a bulge on the ARB which sits in the middle of the bush.

[highwayman306]

I have owned the car for 5 years and not changed the bushes on it. It was owned by old people and the history of it has no mention of arb bushes. Worth a look all the same and for the cost of them, £11 for the pair, it might be worth it.

The wishbones were replaced because they were pattern parts before of ebay and they snapped in half when the missus was driving! They were then replaced with lemforder parts but i don't know if the guy who helped my missus out replaced the bushes or used the cheapo shite the patterns came with. As I say, I'm checking the lot out today

Thanks for your input guys, at least i got places to check now

[Poodle]

Ah i see what you mean, i took what you said about five years at face value. The lemforder arms would have come with bushes and bjs, i'd expect them to still be fine unless there's something wrong - badly fitted or wrong size bjs etc. Good luck mate, let us know how you get on.

[Matt]

Well Arb looks like it's all in place as it should be, I can't see any bulges on the Arb so guess they are sitting nicely. I didn't have tools on me to check if everything it right. Going to go over the bolts I might loosen them if tight and see if I can adjust it slightly.

Anything else that might cause it ? I'm not that clued up on the way the suspension works just how to replace haha

[welshpug]

bent wishbone if the arb is located ok.

[Matt]

Damn, this is a pretty new replacement, surely have to take a fairly large smack to bend it?

[Jonny81191]

Get some pictures up matt

[Matt]

I'll see if I can get some pictures this week. Any particular angles/views that would help?

[highwayman306]

I bought some wishbones off of the bay before....mahooosive mistake.

My wife was out doing her rounds and the o/s wishbone snapped and the car was luckily pulling up on the drive of a customer. I was up in scotland and a guy had to come round and change them both on this old womans drive. The other wishbone was starting to go too and the bloke showed them to me and said she was lucky they didn't go when she was on the m6!

Anyways...as for the angles of pics, try and take them so the seam of the wishbone is in direct shot i.e you are looking straight at it from the front...might take a few attempts but a few pics of it wouldn't hurt

[procta]

The centre D rubbers are allowing the bar to sway accross so need new arb rubber bushes

how easy is it to change these?  as would like to upgrade the 306s arb bushes.

[Poodle]

Not too bad, a bit fiddly to get the clamp seated properly on the new ones, as it's held by one of the p-bush bolts. You'll need some help from a lever bar.

[Matt]

Well my whole front suspension set up is about to be done, I have 2 wishbones, 2 drive shafts, 2 droplinks, 2 hubs, 2 shocks and springs with new top mounts. Literally the only thing I'm not changing is the Arb itself. So let's see if this sorts it.



Btw not changing all that because of te rubbing, it all needs replacing anyway

[ginge191]

Have you done the engine yet?

I MIGHT have some free time Saturday afternoon if any use