I have a 2004 panda 1.1 active. I've noticed a slight knocking noise coming from the front left going over bumps, also when i jack the wheel up there is a little movement side to side, not up and down. i think its the lower ball joint, or possibly the track rod end. i couldn't see any movement in either only feel it. does the lower arm have to be replaced with the ball joint? is there anything else its likely to be? it's the sort of movement you'd get from a worn ball joint rather than a bush i think. thanks

Before doing anything else try rolling the top of the wheel when the car is parked on level ground with the handbrake on. If the top of the wheel moves easily back and forth about an inch, it may be the rear lower wishbone bush which is more likely to fail than the balljoint.

I have the same knock on mine. I've tried the wheel roll test, no apparent fault. The ball joint and the wishbone bushes appear ok, as do the drop links. I didn't really want to replace everything, so am waiting for it to develop a little louder and the fault diagnosis to become easier.

I've been plagued by a noise like this for a couple of weeks.

I had the lower arms replaced (before Christmas) after realising ball joint on one side was shot (yes, you have to replace whole arm to replace balljoint - but shop4parts.co.uk prices are good).

I replaced both droplinks a couple of weeks back after slow speed clonking (one side, one end of the drop link was worn - rubber cover damaged), but noise returned couple of days later.

Realised it was coming from antiroll bar bushes. Seems that after several flooded roads recently, these were 'stiff' -- as if rust on the bar? -- and preventing bar moving smoothly. Cured noise (and improved ride) by spraying the bar/rubber mounts with (rubber friendly) 3-in-1 silicone lube spray. Rocked car after spraying -- suddenly (after lube worked into the gap) all became much better! Will watch carefully and may have to replace bushes (once flooding has gone away)