Car help - knocking noise

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 Sharp 12 Feb 2021

My partner's Honda Jazz has developed a knocking noise on the front offside wheel and I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions before I start randomly replacing things. It doesn't make it constantly but is noticeable when hitting an irregularity in the road, travelling over rough tracks or turning. No droning or rotational noises. The car has been down quite a lot of knackered roads and drive ways.

I can't feel any issues with any of the ball joints or linkages. If you wobble the steering wheel slightly side to side (5cm each way) you can hear the clunk. There is also some looseness if you grab either side of the wheel and wobble it, less than a millimetre but you can observe and feel the hub moving slightly (the wheel isn't loose). I was expecting to find a worn joint or looseness in the steering mechanism, then thought with the wheel movement it might be the wheel bearing but there is no rotational or droning noise. Perhaps the CV joint? It's an '05 plate with low milage so probably due to go. I couldn't pick up any noise from that area when I was underneath with a sounding stethoscope, it sounded more towards the hub. Could the wheel bearing make that kind of knocking noise without it changing in line with the speed the wheel is rotating?

I am going to have another look this afternoon so any suggestions would be welcome.

Post edited at 10:22
 Punter_Pro 12 Feb 2021
In reply to Sharp:

Based on what you have said , my guess would be that the wheel bearing needs replacing, all the symptoms you have described are common for a knackered wheel bearing.

Post edited at 10:26
 MarkAstley 12 Feb 2021
In reply to Sharp:

Given lots of rough track driving  given lots of rough track driving most likely suspect I think is the anti-roll bar drop link ball joints, bit harder to find as once you put any lock on or jack the car up then the suspension tension takes the play out.

Mark

 Cobra_Head 12 Feb 2021
In reply to Sharp:

Possibly a broken suspension spring, my son had exactly this a couple of weeks ago.

The last one he broke snapped at the bottom and went through the tyre, so it was pretty obvious what it was, this time it broke near the top, and bounced around over rough ground.

Post edited at 10:51
 Angrypenguin 12 Feb 2021
In reply to Sharp:

I agree that the anti-roll bar links are a possible cause and they are cheap and easy to get to. I successfully replaced them on our car last year as my first "big" car mechanic project. We had similar symptoms of clunking only over rough ground at slower speeds. 

Post edited at 10:52
 wintertree 12 Feb 2021
In reply to Cobra_Head:

> The last one he broke snapped at the bottom and went through the tyre, 

Our last fiesta had that happen.  Instead of sitting the underside of the spring against a thick metal plate, there was a 3/4 circle retainer made from folded metal with a small lip up the sides and end to locate the end of the spring.  When it snapped, it just "unscrewed" right round this and into the tyre.  Awful failure mode to save a quid or two over a proper metal plate.

 colinakmc 12 Feb 2021
In reply to Sharp:

You would hear the CV joint on or near full lock so if the boot’s ok it’s probably not that. Could be a broken spring or faulty shock ? Or Top strut mount. Otherwise just a case of poking and levering at the various links and joints to find wear - remembering that the weight of the car and the tension of the spring can both camouflage play.

If you’re baffled a cheap diagnosis would be to get an MOT test carried out - £25 from kwik fit last time I looked - they like finding things wrong so that they can fix them for you but there’s no obligation on you to let them.

Edit - Jazz’s have a bit of form for iffy steering racks so that might be worth looking at.

Post edited at 12:27
 Wainers44 12 Feb 2021
In reply to Sharp:

I'm locked in your boot, PLEASE let me out...

 gethin_allen 12 Feb 2021
In reply to Sharp:

My guess is a track rod end. In reality the only way to properly diagnose the issue is to get the wheels off the floor and give everything a lever and wiggle. 

Many suspension items are relatively simple but on a vehicle of this age they are likely to be nice and rusty so more of a pain.

 Ciro 12 Feb 2021
In reply to Sharp:

I love these sorts of threads, OP looks for a definitive diagnosis from the hive mind, and gets returned a list of all the parts of the suspension one by one, that people have all had go and make similar sounding knocking noises.

In that spirit, I'll go drop link, and cracked spring.

 profitofdoom 12 Feb 2021
In reply to Wainers44:

> I'm locked in your boot, PLEASE let me out...

No. It's me. I'm Spartacus

OP Sharp 12 Feb 2021

Thanks for everyone's help. Had it up this afternoon and the culprit is the inner track rod.

Post edited at 14:38
 gethin_allen 12 Feb 2021
In reply to Sharp:

> Thanks for everyone's help. Had it up this afternoon and the culprit is the inner track rod.


YESSSS! I win, what's the prize?

 Cobra_Head 12 Feb 2021
In reply to gethin_allen:

> YESSSS! I win, what's the prize?


congratulations, you win a used track rod.

 nathan79 12 Feb 2021
In reply to wintertree:

I got chatting to the guy at my local garage of choice last time I was in there regarding coil springs. He gave the Fiesta as an example of one that tends to cause problems when a spring pings because of poor design. I've had to have both of my front springs replaced in the 7 years I've owned my current car (Kia) but neither caused any problem when they went.

 gethin_allen 12 Feb 2021
In reply to Cobra_Head:

> congratulations, you win a used track rod.

Will it fit a Honda civic? It may be in better condition than the one on mine that I'm sure is knocking but I'm putting off doing because it's freezing outside.

 Wainers44 12 Feb 2021
In reply to Wainers44:

> I'm locked in your boot, PLEASE let me out...

I'm still in here, its really cold and dark now

 Dave the Rave 12 Feb 2021
In reply to Sharp:

Track rod ends/ cv joint. Jack it up and spin the wheel. If it’s the bearing it will make a rough noise.

1
 Cobra_Head 13 Feb 2021
In reply to gethin_allen:

> Will it fit a Honda civic?

It will but it may need a little "engineering"


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