Clunk When Accelerating

[Jayton]

When I pulled the drop links with the wheels on the ground, the anti roll bar moved quite a bit and having looked at it again the inner bushes could do with renewing.

 

Would it be worth while having the mechanic change the bump stops while changing the top mounts?

[zorgman]

i reckon if noise is from nearside its the gearbox mount mine clicks and clacks on accelerate and slow down. its the one under the battery tray, haven't done mine yet as far too cold to muck about with car

[cyborg]

Jay are you secretly building a new car bit by bit :unsure: you really had more than fair share of problems dont part with that car as its almost new Edited February 5, 2011 by cyborg

[Jayton]

Alas my secret is out now :lol: Funny enough I was saying that to the wife earlier, who now thinks my idea of a Jetta/Passat/A4 and even a Golf5 is a good idea :unsure:

 

I've not had the reverberating click/clunk for over a week now and the 'ARB' noise is gone now I've changed the track rods, or so it seemed on my 5 mile test drive. Still a bit of clattering from the N/S/F over rough terrain (read as pot holes).

 

I'm just worried about having the top mounts & bearings changed and thinking there must be something else that should be changed up there whilst the mechanic is dropping them?

[sparky Paul]

I'm just worried about having the top mounts & bearings changed and thinking there must be something else that should be changed up there whilst the mechanic is dropping them?

 

Unless the bump stops are visibly damaged, I wouldn't change them, they're as tough as old boots. There isn't a lot else up there... top mount, bearing and top cap (the bit you can see under the bonnet). The top mount and bearing comes as a kit, so renew those together if possible. In theory, the top cap should be changed too as it has a locking nut, but if they are in good condition you can reuse and studlock, or knock the nut off and replace. Mine were rusted through.

 

It's possible to change the top mount without removing the struts, but the bearing isn't easy - the springs have to be compressed. Easier and safer with the struts out, but if removing the struts, you have to watch out for the pinch bolt on the hub carrier - they corrode in the gap and are very prone to shearing. Use plenty of heat on the casting, and make sure you have replacement bolts to hand. Alternatively, take the whole lot off, complete with hub carrier.

 

ARB bushes are easy, the bushes are split, just undo the clamps holding them to the front cross member and replace.

Edited February 6, 2011 by sparky Paul

[Jayton]

OK, I'll not order the bump stops but will ask the mech to check them before going ahead with the work and will source them locally if needed.

 

Ordered the top mount kits already, going to order:

Rear trailing arm bush x2

http://www.vwsonline.co.uk/car_parts_bristol/vw/sharan/sharan7m9/rearaxle/7m0-501-541.html

 

ARB inner bush x2

http://www.vwsonline.co.uk/car_parts_bristol/vw/sharan/sharan7m9/frontsusp/7m0-411-031.html

 

Need to call VW to get the top cap as the nearest Ford Dealership is out of the way and VW is only 10mins from my work.

[Jayton]

Lots of little bits for the mech to fit this weekend, hopefully this will cure my noisy front end over bumpy / uneven ground! It got a bit better with changing the track rods, but still not as it should be. Also having changed them and the calipers I seem to have 'lost' the chink chink chink noise too which was starting to annoy me but I thought it must have been something to do with the calipers as it changed when braking.

 

Top mounts arrived this morning as I was leaving for work, I ordered the ARB inner bush x2 and rear trailing arm bush x2 last night from VeeW services in Bristol, confirmed shipment from VeeW services a few moments ago so should be with me tomorrow and just chased VW Ridgeway Oxford up as I left a message for them to call me back and never did, so got the top mount plates ordered x2 and x2 lock nuts which are apparently not part of that unit, should be in for Thursday. :)

[sparky Paul]

got the top mount plates ordered x2 and x2 lock nuts which are apparently not part of that unit, should be in for Thursday. :46:

 

Yes, I was also advised that the top mount and lock nuts were seperate, but when the bits arrived, the caps had lock nuts attached...

 

...so I still have two spare lock nuts.:blush:

[Fisburg]

My last car had a clunk on fast acceleration ..it was the drive shaft :blush:

[Jayton]

haha oh well, I'll add them to my growing stock of bits and bobs from the car :rolleyes:

 

Lots to fit on the weekend.

Top mounts

Top mount caps

ARB inner bushes

Rear trailing arm bushes

anf ofc the alignment.

 

I think my shafts will need doing too, they will have to wait until the end of the month or next month, depends if I want the cam belt done or the drive shafts... hmmmm decisions decisions... lol

[Jayton]

After much frustration and swearing the passenger side strut came out, glad I had a mechanic doing it :lol:

 

Ended up taking it to my father in law's to get access to power as at mine it's too far and would have needed 50m power extensions. He needed power because the nut had seized and the top of the strut where the alan key fits in has SPLIT. So he jacked the car up from the wishbone/bottom strut to push it up a bit and used his grinder to cut the top of the old top mount plate off.

 

 

 

... and the clunk is back :) unfortunately he was running late and I didn't get him to check the mounts, but I suspect it's the gearbox mount (passenger side?) as he said the drive shafts are ok.

 

Where do you get mounts from? GSF, ECP, autopartstrader, vwspares (AVS) etc don't have any listed, can you get them from a dealer only?

[Jayton]

An update and final close for this thread, I hate leaving things unanswered and may help if someone else searches.

 

After spending hundred's of my hard earned replacing much of the front suspension and putting up with the noise because the mechanic couldn't find the problem, it finally came down to a bolt in the wishbone which my wife happily handed over

[sparky Paul]

Good to hear it's all sorted now... it's been an expensive exercise to tighten a wishbone bolt! :lol:

 

It just goes to show... trust the pry bar when it starts knocking again. :rolleyes:

[Jayton]

:lol:

'Get the big hammer out!' my uncle used to say when fixing my mothers Beetle :rolleyes: :lol:

 

Thanks to everyone for your help and suuggestions, much appreciated ;)

[Jayton]

Spoke too soon. Had to break hard today because some tw!t cut me up on a round about and CLANK! Now I get the noise when braking quickly, feels and sounds the same as before. Told the mechanic to come tomorrow to have a look as it's happened within a week of it being 'fixed'. Not happy! :angry2:

[chrispb123456]

Hi Jay

Have you checked the tightness of the subframe mounting bolts?

[Jayton]

Hi Chris,

 

I've not checked that. I had him out on Friday, he said he tightened up the bolt he replaced, took it for a test drive over the worst roads in my area and all seemed fine. Then on Saturday just as we were nearing the end of our journey I had the noise reappear, not as bad as before but annoying, had it on the way back home later on Saturday - again not nearly as bad and I've not had it again... :lol:

[romi]

The mechanic needs to loctite that bolt otherwise it will keep coming loose.

[Bigjeeze]

I have had the same problem on my MK2 - the origninal problem was the drive shaft as per Mirez's Polish D/S - but I started to het a clunking again. I ignored it for some months until I change the cambelt and when removing the offside engine mounting noticed that the engine mount (which is in two parts) had one part where the rubber had eroded to the point where there was bare metal to metal. I asked frauds for a price and they came back with