My dads Fiesta is nearly due for its MOT. As mentioned a lot of times it clonks like mad at the back and it is got a lot worse in recent weeks.
I've jacked the car up and the all the springs and shocks are perfectly fine (they are all original too which is quite amazing) but the front wishbones look like they need doing again.
When it comes to the rear everything looks fine, does anybody have any picutres so I know what I should be looking at? I've checked the top mounts and they seem to be perfectly fine and there isn't much play in the suspension. The bearings are all working perfectly (no play or wobble in the wheels). I suspect it must be bushes causing the clunk but I just cannot see what I am supposed to be looking at.
The chasis again looks solid, there is rust on a wheel arch but I can't see it causing any issues with the MOT. More worrying is a bit of rust on the brake servo but it is very solid, if it was my car I would want it changing.
So what exactly do I need to be looking at? The clunks seem a lot worse when the car is steering which makes me suspect it could be to do with the anti roll bar.
|
Sheikha: it may be difficult to find the source of a clonk with your bare hands. If you have a proper chap he will use a lever on all the joints, looking closely.
All those suspension joints are a bit stiff by definition. It takes real force to show any play. Make sure the person who does it is competent.
My 2 cents' worth.
|
The clunks seem a lot
>> worse when the car is steering which makes me suspect it could be to do
>> with the anti roll bar.
>>
It would make me suspect that a driveshaft UJ is past its sell-by date.
Clonking from the back could simply be a pattern exhaust that doesn't fit properly and is hitting the bodywork.
Rather than fret yourself to death about the possible outcome, take the beast to the garage who's going to do the MOT and ask their opinion, or even pay out for a pre-MOT check. You've then got time, while the car's still road-legal, for your dad to go and source the bits, reducing your downtime.... or in the event of the cost outweighing the car's worth, to cruise the used-car lots of suburban Manchester to find a replacement.
|
Ian, I wouldn't bother to check these things, as Harley says.
Check the lights, horn, wipers, seat belts, mirrors, glass and tyres.
Take it to the usual place, he doesn't do repairs, and let him do the mucky bits...suspension, exhaust, brakes, etc.
You know it makes sense !
Ted
|
Yeah checked all the usual stuff :). The only visible fault really is the servo but it is still solid and is not leaking so I suspect it would be an adivory if that. The tyres are getting worn but they are still well within the legal limits.
The emisions look fine but I know from the past you can't always tell until its at the MOT bay.
|
The engine clutch and gearbox are still fine, when I used to drive it I was always surprised how tight it still felt. The exhaust has already been checked when it was last on the ramp, I actually moved it myself and its tight. At the time the garage could not find out what the cause was.
My old Corsa suffered them the exhaust thump problem and that was the original box but they are infamous for it.
I've also checked the spare wheel too and thats not loose either. Both the CV joints and boots were replaced last year. Its not the same sound as when the CV joint goes, that was more of a click click click. This is more of a constant thud thud thud even over the most minor of road imperfections.
At the moment there is no real choice but to keep the car. Apart from the possible servo problem the only issue is the suspension. Its had new shoes/cylinders/brake pipes/discs/pads in the past two years so the brakes are still in good working order.
|
>> This is more of
>> a constant thud thud thud even over the most minor of road imperfections.
Almost certainly the anti-roll bar clamp bushes, which like all suspension bushes on Fords of this era, are made of cheese. Thankfully the parts are comfortably under a fiver a side, even from Ford, and if you ignore the Haynes manual, which would have you dropping the exhaust, subframe, and all manner of other nonsense, they are about 5 minutes a side to do.
Did this job on our old mk4 Fiesta, my sister's old Ka, and my mum's StreetKa. It's a notorious weak point.
|
Bushes are certainly the thing with this car, machanicaly its been a great car but it eats bushes like I eat cheese. Its not helped by the speed bumps and pot holes either.
It would make sense it is roll bar related as it seems a lot worse when the car leans.
|
Another good test is to go over something like a speed ramp (slowly) either at an angle, or with just one side of the car. This will generally produce a much louder, sharper "clonk" than the general knocking over rough surfaces as it twists the anti-roll bar and puts a heavier load on the mounting bushes.
All you need to do the anti-roll bar bushes is a spanner and socket of the right size for the clamp bolts (15mm IIRC), some washing up liquid, a cup of hot water, and a stout screwdriver or something to lever the anti roll bar with. Plus of course a jack and decent set of axle stands. There are just two bolts on each of the two clamps, but the rearmost bolts on both sides cannot be removed as they foul the floorpan, This is why Haynes say to drop the subframe, to give you enough clearance to remove the bolts. This is really not a job you want to do on a driveway or road, but thankfully in practice, you can remove the front bolts, loosen the rears a couple of turns, and lever the clamp up enough to slide the bushes out along the bar. They are split on one side, so you can open them up, and pop them off around the bar. The new ones will be a much tighter fit, which is where the washing up liquid and hot water come in.
The wishbone bushes you also mentioned generally don't cause a knocking unless they are really shot. Conversely, they can look pretty tatty to the eye before they develop any real play. On our old Fiesta, I fitted new arms for the first MOT in our hands, and a year later the new bushes had surface cracking on them. However, the tester couldn't fault them on play.
If this is all it needs for the test, you're laughing. Good luck with it. :-)
Last edited by: DP on Wed 14 Jul 10 at 00:29
|
|
Oh, and it's a job you can do from the wheelarch. You don't actually need to get underneath the car at all.
|
Hmmm I would get an inspection. Son had a 106 like that.. turned out to be rusted front strut with spring resting on steering arm :-(
£15 from a scrapard and a bit of hassle..
|
MOT time - Bushes what do I look for? - Armel Coussine
