Hi all i have a repetitive clunking noise coming from my multipla, it is a sort of clicking sound that seems to come from the rear of the vehicle. It gets faster and louder the more i speed up. My mechanic has thoroughly checked the car twice now but can find no fault. the fault is a lot worse when the car is loaded but strangely it seems to disappear when i turn right. I drove past another multi today and heard the same sound eminating from their car, but unfortunately i didn't manage to speak to them. (it was a burnt orange multi and i saw it today at around 2 o'clock coming from Tottenham and turning right into Seven Sisters Rd)
Hope someone can help
Thanks

Try getting on your back (no offence) and having a look at the rear inner wheel arches, mine was rubbing on those when i first got it as its running Fiat coupe wheels so the 205 section tyres were coming into contact with the flimsy section that sort of comes down the inside edge.
A quick bend later all was well.

Even though the sound may seem to come from the back, its almost certainly the front anti roll bar drop links that are making the noise (I too thought the noise from mine came from the back but it was indeed the front drop links). The fact that turning affects the sound adds extra confirmation. Well documented throughout this forum, easy to change and the parts (from shop4parts for example) are only about £12 each (you need two! - do both sides)

If this doesn't fix it, then its the roll bars itself -- harder to do and £100plus for the bar.

Another possible cause is the right rear handbrake cable breaking free from its clips and rubbing against the inside edge of the rear wheel. But this tends to be more 'drone' than 'clonk'

Pete

Herts Hillhopper said:

Even though the sound may seem to come from the back, its almost certainly the front anti roll bar drop links that are making the noise (I too thought the noise from mine came from the back but it was indeed the front drop links). The fact that turning affects the sound adds extra confirmation. Well documented throughout this forum, easy to change and the parts (from shop4parts for example) are only about £12 each (you need two! - do both sides)

If this doesn't fix it, then its the roll bars itself -- harder to do and £100plus for the bar.

Another possible cause is the right rear handbrake cable breaking free from its clips and rubbing against the inside edge of the rear wheel. But this tends to be more 'drone' than 'clonk'

Pete

Click to expand...

Just done mine,drop links £18 the pair to my door,and anti roll bar dont replace the whole bar like fiat says you can just replace bushes,£29.99.All parts new off ebuy.

I would second what JTDman has said. I experienced the same thing when I fitted a set of Brava alloys to my multi.

When first fitted there was a rubbing/clicking noise when driving, I then fitted a set of 10mm spacers, and all was well when driving the car with just me on board, however as soon as any load was put in the car, the noise you described appeared.

I only cured this by re-fitting the steel wheels and selling the alloys.

Even though you may only have normal steel wheels, or standard alloys, it's possible they could catch on the arches, if your rear trailing arm bushes are worn (check to see if wheel is leaning in at the top).

The simplest way to check if the wheels are catching, is to jack the car up, and look to see if either the plastic wheel arch shield, or the wheel arch itself has been rubbed away/scuffed by the wheel. Also clearence wise you should be able to get your hand between the side of the tyre and the wheel arch inner, if you can't, then again this could be where the wheel is too close to the arch and catching.

Might be the rear trailing arm bushes failing?

mystery solved the handbreak cable had come unclipped and was knocking on the rear wheel (drivers side), i hadn't spotted it until the car was heavily loaded and the knocking noise was so bad i checked under the car again.

I had the same problemCrappy plastic handbrake mounts

Me too! Thought it was front anti roll bar bushes at first - the sound resonates through the car and appears to be coming from the front. Glad I checked the handbrake cable. Two minutes and three zip ties later, problem solved. Outer casing of RH cable is now worn through to the metal... Any tutorials on how to replace the rear portions of the handbrake cable as it's getting a little stiff and notchy.