Knocking from rear (suspension?) when hot?

Stewart · Post by **Stewart** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 10:36 pm

S1 135 Sport 99(S)

My car ran brilliantly on the first leg of TT, but on the Sunday after about half an hour I could hear a knocking coming from the rear of the car at very low speeds over drain covers, bumps, etc,.

Yesterday was the first chance I had to drive the car since then. Again when cold, there was absolutely no noise, but after about 15-20 minutes, the light knocking returns. When I stopped the car, I could replicate the noise by pushing down on the driver's side of the rear clam.

I jacked the car up tonight, admittedly without running the car and checked the wheel for movement/play. I couldn't feel anything, but admittedly, the noise wasn't there either when pushing down on the clam.

When I previously owned the car, the same noise was diagnosed on the forums as rear toelinks drying out. I never did anything about it at the time as the toelinks were on back order for ever from MMC. Lee subsequently told me that the noise had disappeared after (as far as he was aware) one of the rear ball joints was replaced.

So, can any one shed any light? I am suspecting it to be the toelink as I would imagine that a gubbed balljoint would do it from could and it would also be likely that I could feel some movement.

Is it possible it is something else altogether?

I was looking at the access for the inside toelink tonight and it looks a complete beatch to get at. I am wondering if it is perhaps a job for Falkland Performance. Also any ideas whether toelinks are now readily available.

I have no desire to go down the uprated toelink route, as I do very little track work and I run toyos (and drive like a wuss).

Thanks

Stephen · Post by **Stephen** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 10:43 pm

stewart,
i would go for the ball joints first.
when you jack the car up then the weight can be hanging on the ball joints and thus remove the noise.

Stewart · Post by **Stewart** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 10:46 pm

Stephen wrote:stewart,
i would go for the ball joints first.
when you jack the car up then the weight can be hanging on the ball joints and thus remove the noise.

Stephen, I am in no way doubting your theory, but why would balljoints only make a noise after a few miles?

I am kind of hoping that it's the balljoints as I changed the front four last year and they were relatively simple to do.

Stewart

als 3dr · Post by **als 3dr** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 10:49 pm

I would go for the inner toe link next to the exhaust.

MRpunchinella · Post by **MRpunchinella** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 8:39 am

S1 135

I have this problem too

As you said...no probs until low speed then there is a kind of clunk......all perishables (except inner toe link next to the exhaust?) changed at MMC last Nov.......

was concerned it was something much more serious...is it a DIY...anyone?

mac · Post by **mac** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 8:54 am

als 3dr wrote:I would go for the inner toe link next to the exhaust.

Mac

GregR · Post by **GregR** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 9:11 am

mine does it too. toelinks drying out. Sounds almost like a hollow tubular noise, almost exhaust like? JJ said he has the same problem (or possibly had the same prob on his S1)

Stephen · Post by **Stephen** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 9:38 am

Stewart,
I was going on the basis that the wishbone and toe link ball joints have the same basic construction. From the responses above it looks like the toe link is the likely culprit though.
I have rose joints so no knocking for me.

Stephen

fd · Post by fd » Tue Jun 19, 2007 10:56 am

Inner toelink balljoints . . . tadts . . . my car has been doing this for 7 years . . . only when hot and only when going slowly . . . there's no play in the joints either . . .

I may change them . . . sometime . . .

Fd

Stewart · Post by **Stewart** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 8:10 pm

Thanks guys.

I did a bit of research last night on SELOC also and there appears to be many people suffering the same symptoms with very few having resolved them.

It has been so good having an elise for the past 14 months that didn't make a sound. I think it will really do my head in sooner or later.

How tricky is it to change the inner toelink balljoint? Whilst I could get a hand to it, it looks like that it will be extremely tricky to get any movement with a socket and ratchet/breaker bar. The service manual is unhelpful in simply saying something like "undo the inboard balljoint"

Cheers

Stewart

Post by **Shug** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 9:32 am

It's not too bad TBH - you can get a spanner in the back to hold the nut IIRC and you just need to unscrew the toe link bar and there is a spanner flat on the inside of the balljoint to unscrew it. I changed one in the space of an hour on Uldis' driveway.

That said, the reason I changed mine is that it had been knocking for ages, then all of a sudden decided to seize in a flat third gear right hander on the Sunday of Mexi-Towers.

The resultant toe-link failure required some new shorts....

Stewart · Post by **Stewart** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 7:38 pm

Shug wrote:It's not too bad TBH - you can get a spanner in the back to hold the nut IIRC and you just need to unscrew the toe link bar and there is a spanner flat on the inside of the balljoint to unscrew it. I changed one in the space of an hour on Uldis' driveway.

Ah, that doesn't sound too bad at all. When I last priced the parts from MMC I think they were only £17, but then they didn't have any and promised to phone me when they came in - that was July 2003!

I am working at the Highland Show at Ingliston this week so may pop into MMC and see if they have any in stock.

Cheers

Stewart