What Is The Indication That Your Front Arb Bushes Are Knackered.

[djinuk 2]

Reason i ask is my car has a knock when going over large bumps, not appears loose and me suspension top mounts have been replaced.

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

Check drop links first, but it could be the bar bushes themselves, or wishbone bushes.

[djinuk 2]

car dosent seem to experiance any wandering around the road , and the drop links all seem ok and were only changed a few months ago. My car just seems to be full of clunks, and i almost feel that over a bumpy surface the front end of the car feels loose and out of control.

[hengti 2]

without removing things to check their condition, it's difficult to be sure (unless they're obviously shot)

 

the OE ARB bushes are poly and don't (in my limited experience) seem to cause much bother

 

as Tom, the most likely unchecked culprit is going to be the bottom arms, which is where i'd look first

[jimistdt 1]

car dosent seem to experiance any wandering around the road , and the drop links all seem ok and were only changed a few months ago. My car just seems to be full of clunks, and i almost feel that over a bumpy surface the front end of the car feels loose and out of control.

 

 

Hey DJ,

 

Drop links have been known to fail in a couple of months, sad but true. I think when the ARB bushes have gone they tend to make a Groan over bumps a bit like an old oak door on comedy hinges...

[djinuk 2]

when a drop link goes what exactly happens does it snap ?

 

Thanks for that info anyhow, i am on coilovers and the car is very low but it does not seem to handle as it once did and it just seems to be full of knocks

[jimistdt 1]

No, it doesn't snap, not that I've seen anyway. What happens is the the ends have no strength in them and they flop about and don't do their job.

[nick 3]

If it's very low it could be the springs going coilbound or the dampers hitting the bumpstops.

How much gap is there between each coil on the front springs?

 

A mate of mine had AVO coilovers and the springs that were supplied were too soft so the springs were just solid when he hit a bump.

 

Nick

[djinuk 2]

ill have to have a took, obviosuly though i cant see how compresed the springs are when the weight of the car is on them, maybe its the case that they are too soft, mine are also avo's im going to remove the drop links to see what conditon they are in then. Thanks for the help all

[nick 3]

Have a look for witness marks on the spring between the coils, if they are going coil bound the paint will be marked and scuffed.

 

Nick

[djinuk 2]

if that is the case i could actually stiffen the suspension via the top nut adjustment , however when i set it to hardest its as though there is no suspension

[kyepan 291]

check the following... as this has happened to me previously

 

1) strut top nut, this came undone as the nyloc nut was nackered and it clanked about going over bumps and when stopping, jack the car up and lift the wheel up and down, if it clanks you will be able to visibily see it moving in the strut top rubber.

 

2) check the sub frame bolts are nice and tight. there are two sets of three under the car.

 

3) check your pinch bolts are tight where the bottom arm pin goes into the hub, also check for play in the ball joints at the end of the wishbones, again this will cause clunking if they are rattling about.

 

as previously stated wishbone bushes generally will cause the car to steer left and right at high speed as you accelerate and lift off, usually left for accelerate and right for lift off.. I'm on my third set of bushes, two pattern, and one poly.. a standard set of pug oem bushes are just going on...

 

good luck and all that

[djinuk 2]

i will check them things you have mentioned, I was actually told on my last mot that one of my ball joints had slight play, however he showed me and it really was ever so slight, could that really be causing all the racket.