Clonking from front suspension / steering

[Doggy]

The dogmobile's been getting a bit rattly lately. I've noticed a clonk or two when driving slowly over minor bumps, but a much more pronouced noise when turning the wheel during low speed manoevering.

What's the favourite / most common source of knocks?

(I've checked the steering rack is securely fixed to the crossmember - which one or two people have had issues with).
Doesn't seem to be any noise on taking up the drive, engine mountings all look OK.

[HimBigChief]

Drop links are the most likely suspect. Also possible broken front spring? Get the corner in question up and have a good nosey around and see what's got some play.

[steve_earwig]

Seconded, 406 (& C5) drop links are made out of cheese.

[jasper5]

Check the bottom ball joint as well.

[Doggy]

Are we talking no.3 here, guys?

[jasper5]

Yep, that's the usual suspect!
Get a bar under the anti roll bar and lift up and down, you should feel the movement if it's worn.

[Doggy]

That's a great help, thank you gents.

Any recommendations (Pug, EuroCarParts, etc)? Any point in sticking to OE or 'quality' pattern versions? Are they all junk?

[puggy]

seconded and thirded !! also look for possible suspension leg top bearing
failing as these make a knocking noise as you turn the wheel , as regards
replacement drop links i got mine from eurocarparts , there were 2 choices,
the cheap one's, well my cock would of offered more support the more
expensive was ok but i could have got one's of flea bay just as good and cost
less

[Doggy]

my cock would of offered more support (

That's a memorable turn of phrase you have there, puggy

I see there's loads on eBay, but how do you tell which ones offer 'tadger plus' performance.

[puggy]

Well the black one's tend to be plastic the shiney one's metal , given how easy they
are to replace and they are known to be a weak point i suppose the most affordable
is the way to go !!

[highlander]

I just had my anti-roll bar links replaced because of a metallic "THUNK" I heard from beneath the car any time it went over any kind of bump or rough bit of road.

I was really panicking as I thought my exhaust mounts had gone... would have hated to have lost my Powerflow on the road somewhere less than 6 months after buying it.

Combination of the age of the links plus the crap state of our roads, I guess.

As an added bonus: I got the garage to swap out the whole passenger wing mirror assembly (£25 it cost me) and now I have my external temperature sensor working reliably for the first time since I bought the car! Woohoo!

[mjb]

Mine clunks when the o/s/f corner is raised or lowered by any amount (reasonable cornering, hard acceleration/braking). Funnily enough it started the day I removed the strut brace with the wheels off the floor and saw the suspension strut disappear... Hoping it's not the strut bearings, but the drop links are under a year old and have <5000 miles on them

[teamster1975]

Also check the ARB bushes doggy, no 2 on the diagram.

[Doggy]

Thanks, Teamy I'm aiming to look at it this weekend.

Who ordered winter.

[teamster1975]

Who ordered winter.

You're not kidding, I've flicked the heating on this evening!