Front nearside knocking noise

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Aybesea
Getting There!
Posts: 81
Joined: Sun Nov 16, 2014 12:34 pm
Drives: Polo 9Ns 1.2 AZQ 2003 Reflex Silver
Location: Nr Corsham,Wiltshire

Front nearside knocking noise

Post by Aybesea »

It appears i am getting a front near side knocking noise when ever i go over small pot holes etc ,but not on ordinary smooth roads.I have done a search and come to the conclusion that it is either the drop link or ARB bushes.However the car went through a MOT like this so i have come to the conclusion that it was not a required MOT inspections list.What i need to know is there anyway of testing the drop link while in situ eg push and pulling i got hold of the ARB and pulled it up and down from above (opened bonnet) there was some up and down movment but not sure myself if is or should be like that or no movement atall,
This is starting to get to me now as i travel along country roads so hear it all the time till i get to a B or A road where they are smoother.Any suggestions from any one would help.
RUM4MO
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Re: Front nearside knocking noise

Post by RUM4MO »

Sounds like the ARB mounting bushes are worn as you should not be able to move the ARB up or down, but before you replace them, make sure that that car has the revised ARB now fitted as the original ARB had its end stops only secured with a thick coating of plastic which cracks, water gets in rusts starts building up on the bare ARB and so the diameter increases and splits the thick plastic coating and then the end stops are free to move from side to side, that causes the ARB to hit against the aluminium consoles at these areas of the car. Bottom line if that is/has happened, you either replace the ARB with the later version which has the end stops welded to the ARB, or find someone to weld new end stops on to the ARB and then after removing any remaining parts of the thick plastic you need to buy new size mounts which are only suitable for use with a later ARB, but once you have removed these bits of thick plastic and get the end stops welded to the ARB, you have effectively got a later ARB as far as mounting bushes are concerned.
Aybesea
Getting There!
Posts: 81
Joined: Sun Nov 16, 2014 12:34 pm
Drives: Polo 9Ns 1.2 AZQ 2003 Reflex Silver
Location: Nr Corsham,Wiltshire

Re: Front nearside knocking noise

Post by Aybesea »

Thanks for that info,If i renewed the ARB i think the only way to get the ARB out going by the Haynes manual is to lower the sub frame or can it be done without doing that I have known Haynes manual to take the long way round on some dismantaling.At first i could not tell where the noise was coming from as it sounded like the spare wheel was not fixed so everytime i went over a rough surface or pot hole i would get this low sounding thud as if the spare wheel was jumping about .But i have come to the conclusion it is the front and as you said ARB because sometimes it seems the sound seems to move towards the centre of the car depending on how big bump pot hole etc.
Just looked at the Online workshop manual,hopefully it is just the bushes which do not seem to difficult to replace If stop ends are metal will check tomorrow.
RUM4MO
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Re: Front nearside knocking noise

Post by RUM4MO »

I'm afraid that the lower frame does need dropping to do that job. I bought all the parts for my wife's previous 2002 Polo, found that I'd been given a Golf ARB and after reading up about this job and the need to get four wheel re-alignment afterwards - and my wife used this car to get to work, I just fitted a jubilee clip to keep things together and booked it in to my dealer and let her use my car!

Hopefully your ARB is the later one and it is only new mounting bushes that are needed, they are easy enough to replace though I think that it is easier to compress the suspension to reach one lower (upper or lower) and lift the car to get to the other one on each side, just make sure that you buy the right size for that version of ARB as the older ones used bigger diameter bushes because the thick plastic extended beyond the clamping area - whereas the revised ARB did not have any thick plastic in this area was used a bush to suit the actual ARB diameter.
Aybesea
Getting There!
Posts: 81
Joined: Sun Nov 16, 2014 12:34 pm
Drives: Polo 9Ns 1.2 AZQ 2003 Reflex Silver
Location: Nr Corsham,Wiltshire

Re: Front nearside knocking noise

Post by Aybesea »

Well i had a closer look at the bushes and there is no metal stop :( When i put a bar under or over the ARB and lever it against something solid one can see a gap appear between the bush and ARB so i take it that it needs replacing.Can i just replace the bush with a new one,i am trying not to spend to much on the car, spent enough already on it but if the new bushes last a few more years then i will do just a replacement of the bushes.I also noticed on a website that there are a few different size(dia) bushes aswell.Will just have to take the original bushes with me to compare sizes at motorshop.
Aybesea
Getting There!
Posts: 81
Joined: Sun Nov 16, 2014 12:34 pm
Drives: Polo 9Ns 1.2 AZQ 2003 Reflex Silver
Location: Nr Corsham,Wiltshire

Re: Front nearside knocking noise

Post by Aybesea »

Well it has taken a while to sort this problem out but i have not been using the car much,maybe once a week However finally solved the thumping issue on the left hand side,i put new drop links in and that did not make any difference so as it was driving me mad the thumping etc on country lanesaround the village i took it into a local VW specialist and though the ARB and everything else was okay the fault was in the front shock and strut bearing.So i have a quitet car again .Hoora :D
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