I had the drivers side top mount changed for my mot. Now when going over bumps in the road it sounds like it is rattling as if it is loose. Is this possible or what else could it be. How do I check if it is loose. Thanks

Check for a broken spring with rattle from a broken piece . Or clunking from a worn drop link.

My wife's GP is rattling like an old tin can full of stones, I am not sure, but I also suspect that one of the top mounts is also shot as there is a slightly heavier sound. These will be the second set of drop links I have fitted to this car in less than 10k, seriously not inpressed. Is there a better option anywhere, on my old Alfa the top links failed, TWR's were fitted and lasted well.

How easy are the drop links to do?

welshy0007 said:

How easy are the drop links to do?

Click to expand...

Very easy, if all else fails, you can cut them off.

Philjay51 said:

My wife's GP is rattling like an old tin can full of stones, I am not sure, but I also suspect that one of the top mounts is also shot as there is a slightly heavier sound. These will be the second set of drop links I have fitted to this car in less than 10k, seriously not inpressed. Is there a better option anywhere, on my old Alfa the top links failed, TWR's were fitted and lasted well.

Click to expand...

Phil I don't mean to presume anything, but in my case I fitted a pair of Meyle HD drop links when I bought the car and two years and over 20K later I have no issues with mine, yet I am forced to drive on some proper dodgy pot hole filled roads.


Given that you are an Alfa owner and understand the difference between pattern parts and respected brand parts (TWR, Meyle Lemforder, etc.), perhaps you should consider giving your missuses car proper love too and avoid Eurocarparts specials


I just replaced the whole suspension on mine, including top mounts (bought Corsa D Birth Original branded items on fleabay), but I have to say the ones that came off my car after 9yrs and 90K on inspection didn't look that bad at all, but had to go anyway as the rest of the suspension was going in new.


Top mounts are fully compressed when on the car and rarely make a thud type sound unless completely disintegrated, their motion is only in play when steering and the McPherson strut is having to rotate. Their actual motion you could argue is less than 20 degrees of rotation.


I would look at ball joints more closely, including the wishbone joints etc.


Humour

Humour, I agree too. But even if they come out of " ECP's special offers", parts like drop/suspension links and topmounts are cheap. It's labour/garage charges which are the killer.

What I realised some time ago too is that whether you DIY or use an expensive garage, once the parts are at least a few years old, it's best to get on with changing the whole McPherson set-up as the labour/time-involved is the same whether you replace just the broken/worn item or all of it . And include those tops and drops. Best to get on with it, it will save hassle and money and failures later on.

BTW, is a worn top mount bearing really an MOT failure or not? I have tried to look it up, but the rules have only confused me.

Hi BB,


I wouldn't have thought that a Top mount can be an MOT failure. Two reasons why I think this is the case.


1. the MOT tester is not allowed to take anything off the car to inspect any part and the top mount is hidden in the turret, so its not likely they can fail you on something they cannot determine is a failed component.


2. even if the top mount is done for, it will only affect the geometry of the front suspension and make some sort of noise in certain conditions. The MOT tester does not test for geometry differences and they are not allowed to drive the car anywhere, so again they cannot determine a failed component that way either.


[EDIT] with the above two said, an easy way to check top mounts condition is to turn the steering lock to lock when stationary with the car running (with PAS assistance), if a top mount is faulty, it can ping or make a creaking sound as you go through the motion of going from lock to lock. The ping is usually a release of tension because the top mount is not free to rotate around the bearing as designed. It may be possible for an MOT tester to use this method to deduce a Top mount failure (given that the MOT tester cannot physically inspect the part) assuming that all other components can be and have been inspected to be OK. However I have never in my time seen an MOT tester do this test, so its hard to say if its a definite failure or not.


For example, on a previous car (back in the young and naughty days) I had a hole in the exhaust (which is an MOT failure), but at the time didn't have the cash to replace but needed an MOT, so the hole was wrapped up to cover it up for the MOT. The tester did mention there was a blow in the exhaust but was not able to confirm how bad because of my cheeky cover up (pun intended), so he passed the car. I don't condone doing this type of bodge of course, but at the time I had to keep making it to work. Goes to show they are there to check the safety of the car but they are also limited to what they are allowed to do to in carrying out their job.


I agree on the other subject, once there its best to replace it all and save labour costs in the long run.


Humour

Hi, still highjacking the thread, I have looked for some decent drop links and found some on Ebay, out of curiosity, I seem to remember they are the same as the Corsa D is that correct, but NOT the Corsa C ? Has anybody checked the price of OEM units?
Sorry for the Highjack again, I think it broadens the conversation.

there you go....


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FIAT-GRAN...c542009&pid=100005&rk=4&rkt=6&sd=281751911451


Humour

OK, parts ordered, I will give you a result shortly, just as an aside I did, and still am I suppose looking into getting rose joints. I will see how well this set lasts as I can see me keeping this one for a while.