So bought car in 2015( 2009 pop 1.2), 18 months ago due to all sorts of noises replaced;

Lemforder control arms
Sachs shocks
Bilstein springs
Febi drop links
Generic bump stops
Result no noise at all, great.

18 months on, now, Rattle/knocking noise going over pot holes, not over gentle speed humps appears, suspect top mounts that I didn't change, so all apart, new Lemforder top mounts all back together result,,, still knocks over pot holes maybe even worse, so entire front replaced anyone have any ideas? if I rock the car side to side by hand there is "a" noise similar( though this could be steering rack? ) not really had a chance to look more, also just had new steel wheels and clutch slave and master cylinder not that they would make that noise, fixed seized in place, pads on front offside.

I know its a tall order just looking for possibles, its sharp pot holes that make the noise appear, car is otherwise great to drive.

I'm not sure if it is the same noise the front suspension of my 500 made. My 500 also made the noise when taking these awful speedbumps. It appeared to be the suspension rubbers. Thoroughly greasing these made the noise disappear. However, a few weeks ago, when it was really hot, the noise returned, but when the temperature dropped to more normal values, the noise disappeared again.

John202020 said:

So bought car in 2015( 2009 pop 1.2), 18 months ago due to all sorts of noises replaced;

Lemforder control arms
Sachs shocks
Bilstein springs
Febi drop links
Generic bump stops
Result no noise at all, great.

18 months on, now, Rattle/knocking noise going over pot holes, not over gentle speed humps appears, suspect top mounts that I didn't change, so all apart, new Lemforder top mounts all back together result,,, still knocks over pot holes maybe even worse, so entire front replaced anyone have any ideas? if I rock the car side to side by hand there is "a" noise similar( though this could be steering rack? ) not really had a chance to look more, also just had new steel wheels and clutch slave and master cylinder not that they would make that noise, fixed seized in place, pads on front offside.

I know its a tall order just looking for possibles, its sharp pot holes that make the noise appear, car is otherwise great to drive.

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Yes, I have had my 63 from new (Jan 2014). Front suspension was partly rebuilt at 19000 miles in Oct 2016 due to the knocking noises and the specialist saying that one of the top mounts was warn. It's unlikely though that the top mounts make that knocking sound. So new fiat top mounts, Monroe gas struts, new Fiat bump stops and QH drop links were fitted.
4000 miles later the passenger side QH drop link was causing a grinding sound through the cabin as one of the joints had dried up.

18000miles after the rebuild and the same clonking/knocking noise was back.
The drop links seemed fine on the car, but once removed were completely shagged!
Replacing the drop links with Birth units from Shop4Parts (less than £30 for the pair) cured the noses.... for another 18000miles lol

I don't get more than 18-20k miles on the rear shocks either..

My Panda has had a rattly steering rack for a while, though it's well under the MOT limit.

It's quite common with EPAS systems as there's no hydraulics, which normally damp any play when under pressure.

It drives smoothly normally, but on rough surfaces, like cobbles it makes a bit of a racket and does give a rattle over bumps, mine is in the pinion.

You might feel a bit of play if you gently rock the steering wheel back and forth a few centimeters, me thinks the MOT limit is 13mm.

It's either the pinion or the inner tie rods or track rod ends, you need to jack it up and have someone rock the steering while you feel which.

The end bushings can also wear, this will cause a rattle, though it's harder to spot/feel.

The frequency of the rattle can often give the culprit away.

Fast repeating rattles tend to be from items that can't move very far, like the rack and anti roll bar D bushes, D bushes are often a bit more muted.
(wind on a few turns of electrical tape on the bar where they fit tights them up, particularly if the bar it's self is worn)

Louder ones like this tend to be ball joints, inner tie rods or drop links, they can sound pretty terminal, like something is about to fail and drop off!

Single and double type clonks and knocks tend to be bushings and top mounts.

As you've pretty much replaced everything suspension, you should turn you eye towards steering now.

Thanks for the reply's I "may" have found the/one of issue(s), waiting for some new parts, will update once fitted, fingers crossed.
P6baseunit, interesting re rear shocks the car came with replaced rear shocks, but were "KYB" brand which I suspect are bargain basement ones, might have to look at replacements?

Goudrons said:

Louder ones like this tend to be ball joints, inner tie rods or drop links, they can sound pretty terminal, like something is about to fail and drop off!

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Success! All quiet main culprit drop link 14,000 miles only did both top mounts whilst not making much noise they were gone. Also fixed exhaust treated rear beam hopefully nothing more (for a while) perhaps oil changer. Mot soon.

John202020 said:

P6baseunit, interesting re rear shocks the car came with replaced rear shocks, but were "KYB" brand which I suspect are bargain basement ones, might have to look at replacements?

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I find my TwinAir hatch eats rear shocks, I am onto the third set at 40k miles. At somewhere between 18-20k miles the handling becomes vague and the rear end begins the feeling of / or to lurch on dual carriageway bends when the rear wheels hit a bump. Had Monroe gas shocks on the rear the last time (they felt good for longer the the OEM Fiat), they looked fine with the mounts in good condition... but when you extended and contracted them through their travel, they were shagged... notchy with no resistance in places and making a rubbery grinding noise.

I replaced them with a spare set I had from Shop4Parts (oil filled type) as the order I placed for Bilsteins B6 just didn’t arrive in time...

So yes eats drop links and rear shocks.
The 1.2 convertible that I have just doesn’t seem so bad for this, but it is heavier of course

p6baseunit said:

I find my TwinAir hatch eats rear shocks, I am onto the third set at 40k miles. At somewhere between 18-20k miles the handling becomes vague and the rear end begins the feeling of / or to lurch on dual carriageway bends when the rear wheels hit a bump. Had Monroe gas shocks on the rear the last time (they felt good for longer the the OEM Fiat), they looked fine with the mounts in good condition... but when you extended and contracted them through their travel, they were shagged... notchy with no resistance in places and making a rubbery grinding noise.

I replaced them with a spare set I had from Shop4Parts (oil filled type) as the order I placed for Bilsteins B6 just didn’t arrive in time...

So yes eats drop links and rear shocks.
The 1.2 convertible that I have just doesn’t seem so bad for this, but it is heavier of course

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What goes wrong with your dampers? One thing you need to make sure you do is to only tighten them up when the dampers are at a ‘neutral’ ride height.

I’m really confused as to why people’s cars are eating suspension components so regularly.

306maxi said:

What goes wrong with your dampers? One thing you need to make sure you do is to only tighten them up when the dampers are at a ‘neutral’ ride height.

I’m really confused as to why people’s cars are eating suspension components so regularly.

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Same
I've had to replace mine rear shocks but it's a 2009 car and it had Fiat' quite possibly the original ones? and this was due to the rubber Bush's being worn they still worked fine even if very rusty
I've since done 8k on the new one's some fairly cheep ones without issue