Hello Guys,

I need your help again, I tried searching the forums, but found nowhere someone with problem like mine. I'm desperate and need someone to tell me where might the problem might be.
I have this awful knocking that sounds like it is coming from the pessenger side of the car (left hand drive) when driving over small bumps. It is hard knocking almost metal banging some times. I can re-create the noise if I'm stationary and I shake the wheel left - right several times, this way I can hear the knocking from inside the car.
Now what I have changed so far without success: changed the two front wishbones, changed the track rod ends, changed the steering wheel box (not changed actually it was rebuild as new by my mechanic), changed the front shocks with new FK-Automotive sport shocks, changed the springs with EIBACH sport lines. I even thought the banging can be coming from the back, so I changed the rear bushings, but no luck again.
Still the stupid car is knocking like mad on bumps I have changed almost everything and I'm tired of that.

I really can't seem to find from where the problem might come, my mechanic is also helpless, everything is new and the car still knocks.

Could it be coming from the brakes, and the pads? Is there something that can break or worn in the steering mechanism inside the car near the steering wheel ?

The problem is not also in the torsion bar bushes, as the car is not knocking over speed bumps or whatsoever.

Please help me with ideas.

Thanks in advance for your answers

The one thing you don't say you've changed (and would have been the first thing I'd have changed) are the drop links. There's a how-to in the Guides secion.

Actually they were the second thing I've changed, they are new @ around 2k km. I hope it is not them again ?

The drop links are crap on Stilo's, mine were done about a month go and are starting to knock again. If not those have you checked the strut tops?

Strut tops are the next thing to change, although while chaning both the shocks and the springs, we found nothing unusual with them.
Today I tried hiting the front tires with my leg (you know the drill), and while hiting the right front tyre, I can hear something like knocking. This leads me to the idea that there's nothing wrong with the caliper or some of the bolts.
Could this be the drop link ? Can it come from the driveshaft or something ?

I had a very similar problem to this on my Multipla and changed drop links several times thinking it was them. With new wishbones both sides, polyurethane ARB bushes and even a new rear trailing arm the noise was still there!

It turned out to be the nearside shock absorber. There was no oil leakage and the car handled fine. Pushing down on the wing did not induce oscillation.

Then I remembered I had hit a water filled pothole at 50mph (hell of a bang) on a country road a couple of months previously and had been changing items mainly on the n/s and the only thing I hadn't changed was the n/s strut. I bought one from a dismantlers yard with less mileage, changed it and . . . . ta da . . the noise was gone!

HTH
Peat

Peat said:

I had a very similar problem to this on my Multipla and changed drop links several times thinking it was them. With new wishbones both sides, polyurethane ARB bushes and even a new rear trailing arm the noise was still there!

It turned out to be the nearside shock absorber. There was no oil leakage and the car handled fine. Pushing down on the wing did not induce oscillation.

Then I remembered I had hit a water filled pothole at 50mph (hell of a bang) on a country road a couple of months previously and had been changing items mainly on the n/s and the only thing I hadn't changed was the n/s strut. I bought one from a dismantlers yard with less mileage, changed it and . . . . ta da . . the noise was gone!

HTH
Peat

Click to expand...

Nice thought...except that the OP has already changed his front shocks.

Peat thank you very much, but I changed the shocks with brand new. There was absolutely no change to the noise with the old original suspension and the new one. Still the knocking is there.

Eventually I will find where the problem is when one day my right wheel falls, but that's not the point. Almost everything is new in the suspension and still it bangs like is is going to fall apart ...

I note "changed the steering wheel box (not changed actually it was rebuild as new by my mechanic)" Presume thats the steering rack? That would still be my first point to investigate, esp as you can replicate by shaking the wheel left & right, do you feel the knock through the steering by any chance?

Also, I note the dampers have been changed... Stilo does break roadsprings, my Grande Punto did & I got a right royal rattle on uneven surfaces until I took the broken half coil out of the spring - cup....

You said in your OP "...I can re-create the noise if I'm stationary and I shake the wheel left - right several times".

Why not get someone to 'shake the wheel' while you get under the car to listen for where the noise is coming from? At least you're lucky enough to have a noise you can replicate while the car's at rest!

Get your hands on a stethoscope (or use a screwdriver with the handle to your ear) to determin where the sound originates.

gr J

Hi radoslavp, did you find the problem?? I´m in the same situation, I don´t know what else to do. Is embarassing when other persons are in the car with me, they tell "what is that noise" agrrrrrrr.

Right now is the car in the shop, they are changing the motor gearbox mount hope the noise stop.

I had a knocking noise over small bumps from the rear nearside. Surprisingly noisy when driving over a pebbly tarmac car park, still handling okay(ish) on smooth roads and over rounded obstacles such as speed bumps. Steep-edged potholes would make a disturbingly loud noise too. The problem was the neasrside rear suspension bush - one of the two rubber blocks inside the bush had been forced off at some point, leaving an air gap most of the time (smooth conditions) or allowing the suspension to jarringly clash metal-to-metal . A new bush was fitted and that cured the problem completely. A side benefit is that the overall ride and handing now feels much more 'as new', so much so that I almost drive over potholes on purpose. It proved difficult to replace the other bush, drivers side on my RHD car, so the old one was left in place.