Omega Owners Forum

Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: omega3000 on 08 March 2012, 21:51:02

Title: Clonking steering still .
Post by: omega3000 on 08 March 2012, 21:51:02
Inspection of the suspension parts today found me replacing 2 very worn out track rod ends . Good job done i thought  :)
Just took the car out and the clonking is still there and not made any difference  >:( , its had new anti roll bar bushes and the track rod ends  >:( no play in drop links so now i dont know what else it can be  ::) ::)
Title: Re: Clonking steering still .
Post by: feeutfo on 08 March 2012, 21:56:31
Could be anything, including a loose bumper. Anything. Where drop links checked with both wheels jacked?
Title: Re: Clonking steering still .
Post by: omega3000 on 08 March 2012, 22:01:24
Could be anything, including a loose bumper. Anything. Where drop links checked with both wheels jacked?

Im guessing this is the problem then because no i didnt raise both wheels when checking ...just did one side at a time  :-X Def not a loose bumper , the car clonks like the suspension's going to fall off over the slightest of bumps ...rattling and chattering that i can feel through the steering wheel .

Sorry would just like to add that if jacking to get both wheels off the ground where does the jack go to achieve that  ???
Title: Re: Clonking steering still .
Post by: Shandyman on 08 March 2012, 22:05:37
Yet checking the steering idler arm cos I've changed mine twice in a year and if it does again it's having a genuine vauxhall one fitted
Title: Re: Clonking steering still .
Post by: Andy B on 08 March 2012, 22:07:48
....

Sorry would just like to add that if jacking to get both wheels off the ground where does the jack go to achieve that  ???

Just check each side at a time ie jack each side at a time.  :y :y
Title: Re: Clonking steering still .
Post by: omega3000 on 08 March 2012, 22:10:26
Yet checking the steering idler arm cos I've changed mine twice in a year and if it does again it's having a genuine vauxhall one fitted

How do you check to see if thats worn  :-\

....

Sorry would just like to add that if jacking to get both wheels off the ground where does the jack go to achieve that  ???

Just check each side at a time ie jack each side at a time.  :y :y

Yes thats what i did andy , getting confused i thought chris meant raise the car so both wheels were off the ground  :-\
Title: Re: Clonking steering still .
Post by: Andy B on 08 March 2012, 22:13:31
Yet checking the steering idler arm cos I've changed mine twice in a year and if it does again it's having a genuine vauxhall one fitted

How do you check to see if thats worn  :-\

....

Sorry would just like to add that if jacking to get both wheels off the ground where does the jack go to achieve that  ???

Just check each side at a time ie jack each side at a time.  :y :y

Yes thats what i did andy , getting confused i thought chris meant raise the car so both wheels were off the ground  :-\

You'll should find a duff drop link with either/both wheels raised  ;)
Title: Re: Clonking steering still .
Post by: omega3000 on 08 March 2012, 22:22:59
Quote
duff drop link 

Very minimal play in droplinks , ill check again tomorrow .... weight off each wheel , one at a time is how i did it first time .
Title: Re: Clonking steering still .
Post by: feeutfo on 08 March 2012, 22:29:50
Afraid not. If I understamd what's typed correctly to post 6.

If only one wheel is off the floor, and all the weight on the other, the roll bar will be so loaded and twisted It will take up the play in the drop link with such force that you won't be able to feel any play at all.

With both wheels level in ride hight, which is best achieved with both wheels off the floor for access, using axle stands, the roll bar will be unloaded/untwisted and any play can be easily felt by pulling the drop link to roll bar joint up and down by hand.

Hth
Title: Re: Clonking steering still .
Post by: Andy H on 08 March 2012, 22:31:47
Yet checking the steering idler arm cos I've changed mine twice in a year and if it does again it's having a genuine vauxhall one fitted

How do you check to see if thats worn  :-\

....

Sorry would just like to add that if jacking to get both wheels off the ground where does the jack go to achieve that  ???

Just check each side at a time ie jack each side at a time.  :y :y

Yes thats what i did andy , getting confused i thought chris meant raise the car so both wheels were off the ground  :-\

You'll should find a duff drop link with either/both wheels raised  ;)
The anti-roll bar is a bit meaty. I found that it was easy to detect a duff drop link once I had undone one end of one link.

While all the links were still in place it took a good shove to move the end of the bar to cause the clunk.

With one wheel up, and one wheel down, I couldn't shift it.
Title: Re: Clonking steering still .
Post by: omega3000 on 08 March 2012, 22:35:56
Yet checking the steering idler arm cos I've changed mine twice in a year and if it does again it's having a genuine vauxhall one fitted

How do you check to see if thats worn  :-\

....

Sorry would just like to add that if jacking to get both wheels off the ground where does the jack go to achieve that  ???

Just check each side at a time ie jack each side at a time.  :y :y

Yes thats what i did andy , getting confused i thought chris meant raise the car so both wheels were off the ground  :-\

You'll should find a duff drop link with either/both wheels raised  ;)
The anti-roll bar is a bit meaty. I found that it was easy to detect a duff drop link once I had undone one end of one link.

While all the links were still in place it took a good shove to move the end of the bar to cause the clunk.

With one wheel up, and one wheel down, I couldn't shift it.
Ok thanks for all advice i will check droplinks again  ;)

Thats where i been going wrong then , need to check with both wheels up off the ground  ;)
Title: Re: Clonking steering still .
Post by: omega3000 on 09 March 2012, 08:59:08
Just a quick question , not had the wheels off yet but from what i can remember does the anti roll bar connect to the drop links ? And can i replace each drop link one at a time    ie: jack one side up remove/replace then do the other side without puting undue pressure on the drop links  ??? Just a thought that if its jacked up on one side it could spring off and i might not get the drop link back on ?
Title: Re: Clonking steering still .
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 09 March 2012, 09:20:39
Yet checking the steering idler arm cos I've changed mine twice in a year and if it does again it's having a genuine vauxhall one fitted

Cheap pettern ones are rubbish and most haev play from the day they are fitted!
Title: Re: Clonking steering still .
Post by: symes on 09 March 2012, 14:38:21
check ya top bush's-would'nt surprise me if thats ya problem -with front end is up in air try pulling wheel upwards -bet you got play there mate :y
Title: Re: Clonking steering still .
Post by: omega3000 on 09 March 2012, 17:43:14
check ya top bush's-would'nt surprise me if thats ya problem -with front end is up in air try pulling wheel upwards -bet you got play there mate :y
:y

Just as well i checked everything as the track rod ends were hanging on for dear life , not done any work on the car today as my legs playing up  :( I bought the drop links so thats the next job soon as im fit again . Will check the top bush while im there , prob asked this before but forgot ... how do i get to the top bush to replace if it needs doing .

 ;)
Title: Re: Clonking steering still .
Post by: dbug on 09 March 2012, 20:02:45
Sometimes its difficult to feel limited wear in droplinks - the ones on my saloon felt ok yet there was a knocking from front suspension.  Replaced both and quiet suspension. 
Advise you to change yours first - parts are cheap and only 15-20 mins max per side to change  :y
Title: Re: Clonking steering still .
Post by: omega3000 on 09 March 2012, 20:17:29
Sometimes its difficult to feel limited wear in droplinks - the ones on my saloon felt ok yet there was a knocking from front suspension.  Replaced both and quiet suspension. 
Advise you to change yours first - parts are cheap and only 15-20 mins max per side to change  :y

Struggling to undo a wheel nut at the mo  ;D will replace the droplinks i have in the boot soon ...thanks dbug hopefully it will stop the noise  ;)
Title: Re: Clonking steering still .
Post by: dbug on 09 March 2012, 20:23:56
If you're struggling to undo a wheel nut, it may take longer than 20 mins per side to do drop links  ;)  The nuts are usually tight, and on oem links the nuts require an 18mm socket (+ breaker bar) to undo  ???
Title: Re: Clonking steering still .
Post by: omega3000 on 09 March 2012, 20:26:41
If you're struggling to undo a wheel nut, it may take longer than 20 mins per side to do drop links  ;)  The nuts are usually tight, and on oem links the nuts require an 18mm socket (+ breaker bar) to undo  ???

No no ..misunderstood me dbug , its my leg playing up so having a rest till i can muster up some strength to start the job  ;D

Already cracked the bolts  :y :y :y
Title: Re: Clonking steering still .
Post by: dbug on 09 March 2012, 21:47:10
If you're struggling to undo a wheel nut, it may take longer than 20 mins per side to do drop links  ;)  The nuts are usually tight, and on oem links the nuts require an 18mm socket (+ breaker bar) to undo  ???

No no ..misunderstood me dbug , its my leg playing up so having a rest till i can muster up some strength to start the job  ;D

Already cracked the bolts  :y :y :y
OK mate  :y
Title: Re: Clonking steering still .
Post by: omega3000 on 10 March 2012, 16:29:02
At last some good news , i fitted the new droplinks and NO more clonk clonk  :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

I jacked up one side at a time and put the first one on which was fairly easy , the other side was more difficult as the anti roll bar needed clamping down to allow me to guide the bolt through from the droplink . Very easy job and happy once again i fixed it and saved a packet again ... :)

Well apart from parts .

Track rod ends x 2

Anti roll bar bushes x 2

Droplinks x 2

Still its all done for the MOT now .


Thanks to all the replies/help , thanks oof  :y


Some more bits for the bin  ::)

(http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc41/milleblack/photo0052.jpg)
Title: Re: Clonking steering still .
Post by: ree on 10 March 2012, 22:24:23
Just done all mine today took me 6hrs :y top bearings rubbers all 4 link bars does eradicate most them clunking noises  ;D  Ree
Title: Re: Clonking steering still .
Post by: omega3000 on 10 March 2012, 22:34:18
Just done all mine today took me 6hrs :y top bearings rubbers all 4 link bars does eradicate most them clunking noises  ;D  Ree

2 hrs to do the track rods "both seized" and 1 hr for the droplinks .

4 hrs emptying the swear jar  :-X ;)

All been worth it though  ;)