General New 2017 Ducato Maxi top mounts failed again

[PC Vehicle Movements]

Well had the ducats since March 8th front strut top mount bearings failed after 3k miles they were replaced under warranty now at 32k they have failed again all motorway milage so not getting smashed about on country roads
This was a big investment for me to ensure reliability and keep the running costs low for a leat a few years

Not a happy Bunny

 

[Peter James]

Its a long shot but I have heard of a poor engine to chassis earth strap connection causing starter motor current to track along the driveshafts and suspension components. Sparks damaging the bearing surfaces, and causing premature wear. My OE earth strap was plain copper (subject to corrosion) so I replaced it with a tinned copper earth strap.

 

[rolandbrindley]

My mcPherson strut top mount thrust races are 25 years old and still doing tyhe job well. It must be something like a bad earth as suggests previous contributor, sparking and eating away the bearings. This may also be eating away the CV joints and other components in the train up to there.

 

[PC Vehicle Movements]

They checked it out yesterday as it was in for the 30k service and it wouldn't make the twanging noise when moving steering from lock to lock (sods law) so i drove it round the Ind Est a few times and it started doing it again went back to fiat nope not doing it FFS
On the drive home up the motorway it started wondering again and when i get home and turn round in the yard steering is creaking and the springs twanging
called them up and told them about the possible bad earth tracking through the suspension they are contacting Fiat Technical today and if i'm passing when its doing it I've got to call in

 

[adlarplant]

Im averaging 1.9 tonne on the front end of my my2011 ducato im getting approx 390000kms out of the struts and bearings and i take mine everywhere dirt roads tracks as well as highway i fitted king springs to mine which lifted the vehicle approx 3 inches at the first replacement i had cracked the strut towers out in the vehicle i welded them back up and made a 3mm plate to fit on top of the strut to help equalize the stresses from the rubber to the vehicle and have had no further issues at all and i dont back off no idea what to suggest to you in your situation Cheers Adam

 

[rolopolo]

The old 3.0 2012 on (my last van) had different strut top mounts than the 2.3's (these started knocking at 360,000, I couldn't get any aftermarket ones at all, genuine only, it turns out they are the same as what they fitted to the ambulances, to take the extra weight, maybe if they fit, may need different shox/springs etc but they may suit your transporter, seems to me the suspension isn't up to the heavy loads and I guess yaw from carrying higher weight mass if you get my thought train,

Worth putting it to fiat?

 

[corcai]

Theres a top mount listed for 'difficult roads'

Left 1375165080
Right 1375164080

I would price it from citroen and peugeot also often half the price.

EPER says is not suitable for vehicles with "suspension extra series" whatever that is so best check with your vin at fiat first.

 

[rolopolo]

What van is yours based on? Or Chassis?
Is it an L4, as they have the heavy duty suspension.
But I'm more and more thinking that for some reason it's a weight thing.

I don't know what your kerb weight is (van, you, oils, coolant, fuel, and all other bits & bobs you carry,
But
I guess when you've a car on the back, it's mass weight will be higher than say if I had the equivalent weight on the floor of my van, so when you brake, that higher mass creates a 'g force' effectively on the front suspension that's greater than if lower in a van. Pushing down on the front suspension more than if it was lower than a van, I really don't think the strut mounts on your car transporter are up to the job, as they probably are not designed to take that regular heavy load especially when braking.

Let's say you chuck an Audi A4 Estate on the back
That's just under 1.7 tonne kerb weight. That's rocking higher than sat on the chassis (in a van spread over the front and rear suspension as its lower)
If I put 1.7 tonne on my L4 van I would be 700kg overweight

My kerb weight is just under 2.5tonne

I would look at upgrading if poss the suspension to at least what the ambulance's have (same as my old 3.0 Euro 5 L4 H2) if it hasn't got this already, those ambulances carry some weight

 

[PC Vehicle Movements]

Yes its the L4 heavy duty chassis picked it up from the dealers after its service steering all nice and light and no creaking said they couldn't find anything wrong but after speaking to one of the fitters he said the ambulances are in all the time for the same reason seemingly some are prone to get water in-gress into the top mounts

i have just been on a run around the west coast of scotland and round the isle of skye which as given the suspension a good hammering and no issues and steering is still light so i'm wondering if they have spayed some sort of lubrication up into the top mounts

i'm currently thinking of upgrading the front struts to the air suspension after watching a video of them before and after fitting the difference is night and day can't just remember the make atm and all depends on cost but other than that i'm really happy with it the built in sat-nav its U/S constantly jumping from road to road as its unable to keep the location locked but no issues with the DAB radio

 

[PC Vehicle Movements]

Sorry forgot to mention Kerb weight of the transporter is 1900kg all aluminium car transporter body with a full tank of fuel with air bags fitted on the rear axel

 

[rolopolo]

Sounds like they could have sprayed something in, deffo sounds a plan on the air suspension mind [emoji1303]
Gave up using sat nav, it's so out of date, dab I fitted a kinetic amplified aerial, which came faulty but after replacement it's 100% better than stock, just drops out occasional now, one day I'll swap head unit for a kenwood like in me old van