chazuk Posted June 25, 2007 Share Posted June 25, 2007 Hello peeps When I bought my sup 3 months ago I noticed a very small knock from the passenger side front suspension. I thought it would just be the shock absorber so left it for a while with the plan for a upgrade in sight, as time has gone on the knocking is really bad almost to the point its off putting to drive the car . The knocking has now developed onto both sides independently; my drive has a lip as one wheel goes over knock and then the other knock. I have done a search for knocking noises most people say it’s the sub frame bolts, I have tightened up as many of sub frame bolts as I could see some were very loose, but it did not many any difference though. Some little tests I have done. I had the car up on axel stands, front wheels off, with the brake on, I have used big pole under the front brake disc and given it a wobble up and down no noise. So I tried this with a jack taking some pressure under the bottom wishbone to take some of the suspension up as if it would be when it’s sitting on the road no difference. Last but not least I thought compressing the spring would take any weight off the suspension and I was now moving the suspension up and down easy with a lot of movement not one peep . Yet leaving my drive at 5mph it knocks its head off, knocking happens when I am in a straight line or turning a corner. Any ideas people?. Before I start the expensive guessing game . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jakewilks Posted June 25, 2007 Share Posted June 25, 2007 no help at all but i have the exact same problem, look forward to any ideas from members others must have had this and found the culprit, you have described it better than i could have, you must have actually went to school, i knew i would regret not going one day john Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jason-B Posted June 26, 2007 Share Posted June 26, 2007 Knackered Bushes and/or balljoints? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparky Posted June 26, 2007 Share Posted June 26, 2007 Mines doing something similar on one side. My mechanic says its most likely the Ball joint knackered! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdzC Posted June 26, 2007 Share Posted June 26, 2007 Mine was a lower control arm. Got a replacement from Steve Manley. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chazuk Posted June 26, 2007 Author Share Posted June 26, 2007 no help at all but i have the exact same problem, look forward to any ideas from members others must have had this and found the culprit, you have described it better than i could have, you must have actually went to school, i knew i would regret not going one day john Thanks John,I will keep the thread posted with updates, ps most of my grades were c's and f's so probably the same as not going to school . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chazuk Posted June 26, 2007 Author Share Posted June 26, 2007 Mines doing something similar on one side. My mechanic says its most likely the Ball joint knackered! I am favoring this as well, I had a very good quote from nick on here for a new bottom arm but I keep spending money on going out on the beers than the sup at the moment. I did pop into my Toyota garage gave them my frame number etc and asked for a quote £339 for a lower wishbone, note you cannot just change the ball joint on its own so that’s £339 plus 2 hours labor + alignment charge. I am quite handy with my hands so would take the job on my self I was warned by the guy at Toyota buy new bolts you will find most will be too far rusted. It is just annoying there is no way it seems of finding out if its lower arm or upper arm apart from guess work or taking one apart which by then, the ball joint on a 14 year old car its going to have some play so will end up replacing it anyway. Ps I started to undo one side to see if I could inspect and rebuild the suspension after Turing off my drop link bolts I stopped so can see where the guy from Toyota was coming from . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnK Posted June 26, 2007 Share Posted June 26, 2007 Drop Links Wont knock when jacked up and as the thread is pulled at an angle you cant tell they are loose unless you put a spanner on them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jakewilks Posted June 27, 2007 Share Posted June 27, 2007 the 2 mechanics that looked at mine said all was nice and tight i mentioned that the supra group had suspected droplinks (that is what i put it in for) but they both said no they are fine and could not trace offending part,, am i better removing droplinks although i dont know what they are as yet, and inspecting them then, or is there a check you do for these john Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnK Posted June 27, 2007 Share Posted June 27, 2007 I would check them yourself. Sorry I dont have a pic so I will try to explain, from my (usually poor ) memory. On the wishbone toward the wheel end you will see a small shaft linking the wishbone to the anti roll bar, its only about 2 inches long. There will be a nut holding it in place and in the centre of the thread the nut is on will be a hole for an allen key to stop it turning while you turn the nut. (both ends are the same IIRC) If your unlucky it will be rusty and the hexagon in the hole will round off. Try to get at it with the car on the ground, if you cant with the car up and well supported jack under the outer balljoint (use some wood) just to move the arm up a little. Put ring end of the spanner on the nut, allen key in the end, hold it, while tightening the nut. The should be tight, even 1/2 a turn loose is enough to cause some real nasty noises over bumps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chazuk Posted June 27, 2007 Author Share Posted June 27, 2007 Spot on John I am a unlucky one, my rusty old drop link nut turned off I did get really p*** off I ended up using the grinder. After that I decided to take it for a drive to see if the knocking had stopped on that side as now there was no drop link at all . Nope its still there :-( . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jakewilks Posted June 27, 2007 Share Posted June 27, 2007 to johnk thanks a lot, now i have a picture in my mind i can have a go and see, im tempted to just keep stripping until i find a bush or bearing that has some play as the sound is definitely metal hitting metal, there will be a sign somewhere, just where?? will post my findings later john Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnK Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 The trouble with looking for problems with suspension is that you need to look at it in its normal range of operation which is hard to do on axel stands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jakewilks Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 yeh,, it seems to need the weight of the car on the suspension to cause the knock, i can leave the car on the ground but i cant bounce it up and down hard enough,or have my head under the car at the same time, hmm i suppose i could strap my self to the underside of the car with a remote control set up to drive the car,,but that is getting silly ,, how could i dare move the car without my seatbelt on.. ah well will see what i come up with john Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chazuk Posted July 8, 2007 Author Share Posted July 8, 2007 Update. I Removed the upper wishbone today to take the suspension out to check the top mount. All was ok, but on inspection while the upper wishbone was off the long bolt that runs thought it connecting it to the car, I placed this back into the wishbone and there was quite a fair amount of play I think my bushes and inner sleeves are knackered as I could see where the metal sleeve had sort of filed itself away. After a lot of searching to save replacing the whole upper wishbone just for the bushes and the sleeves these people do the kit http://www.priracing.co.uk/product.php?xProd=992 When I put the car back together I over tightened the upper wish bone bolt and the knocking is no where near as bad :-). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackso11 Posted September 18, 2009 Share Posted September 18, 2009 any photos of this? I know its a 2007 post but I am going to tackle my front end noise this weekend and don't really know which nuts to tighten or where to look Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missile Posted September 18, 2009 Share Posted September 18, 2009 I will 2nd the above. About time i tackled this knocking. Had it since i have owned the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian C Posted September 18, 2009 Share Posted September 18, 2009 Sounds like it was worn suspension bushes, a common issue at the age these cars are getting. Unfortunately it's not a cheap fix - you can only get stock bushes pre-fitted to the wishbones and other components themselves And any aftermarket stuff will be so hard to fit and potentially dubious, it'll end up costing the same. Plus some of the suspension is really difficult to remove after 15 years in the rain -Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackso11 Posted September 19, 2009 Share Posted September 19, 2009 my noise is less oc a knock and more of a click, as if something moves. happens whenever I am breaking and slow down to around 18mph it clicks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chazuk Posted November 23, 2009 Author Share Posted November 23, 2009 any photos of this? I know its a 2007 post but I am going to tackle my front end noise this weekend and don't really know which nuts to tighten or where to look I see my old thread got bought up sorry no pictures, I am on my next supra since this thread, touch wood there are no noises from the front but the same knocking from the rear best bet is check it’s all tight every bolt you can see with the torque settings its meant to be including subframe bolts, failing that full bush kits are not that expensive powerflex are around £300 for front and rear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chazuk Posted November 23, 2009 Author Share Posted November 23, 2009 my noise is less oc a knock and more of a click, as if something moves. happens whenever I am breaking and slow down to around 18mph it clicks sounds to me like one of the brake pad clips are up the wrong way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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