Technical Clunking from o/s front coil spring when turning steering

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Technical Clunking from o/s front coil spring when turning steering

Yep.. scuttle drains are a favourite..

Its parking under trees that clogs the 'duckbill' drains

Im surprised you dont have it as part of your routine..

Gloves on.. dip oil and remove filler cap checking for 'mayo'

Then a squeeze of the duckbill mouths

All good for another 6 months ;)
 
To be honest, I didnt ever think about the drains and looking at photo I dont sdee how it got like that in a year of ownership as not near trees or anything and of course fiat care plan assumed should be checking them. Interestingly, I was watching the rain yesterday before taking it in to the garage and the rain does drip directly onto the mounts and the scuttle was still draining but water was pooled there so it is probably a case of bad bearing design, scuttle cover design and blocked drains. I will certainly be checking as you do after this though!

The garage said my side steps are a pain regarding jacking the vehicle - I didnt fit them by the way, previous owner did. May take them off but undecided as i have got used to them - purely decorative really. Be interested to hear what other owners think?
 

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Not too familiar with the qubo
Bit if it's like other fiat cars they shouldn't be going anywhere near the sill to jack the car up the proper jacking point is further under the car on the floor pan unless the qubo is a different structure?
 
When the car had its first MOT, I asked the chap where the correct support points were for garages to jack up and he showed me the chassis rails under the car and there are square holes in the rails where a jack should go. He said NEVER use a trolley jack on side cill points as they will damage the welded seam or worse. those points are simply for the supplied jack for roadside wheel replacement. I only asked him as a tyre place jacked it up on the rear of the cill by the welded seam nowhere near the arrow marks and it made me very anxious - you would think tyre places would know how to jack up a car properly - he buckled the seam and took paint off so wont use them again - the guy was called Jack too! I use a trolley jack at home on the chassis rail away from the cill. I wasnt sure how it was supported when it went in for the mounts but no damage when I checked afterwards.
 
IMG_3911.jpgHere's the Hillbilly Azure Lounge.. :)

Bit scruffy as there was a fair bit of rain on my journey..

I now have the familiar clunk! I put my hands under the o/s wing and gripped the spring and turned it a bit side to side (engine running) and I could feel/hear the mount clunking - it was sticking then jumped as I turned the spring.

Presumably (having read the linked posting about the replacement procedure) the top mount is a swivel with a bearing in it. Despite Fiat being aware of the water ingress issue I wondered if they now use a sealed bearing or put some kind of cover in place over it - seems not from your description lower down this thread? Surely if the bearing is packed with grease from new it should stay lubed up and repel water during its life.. Think I'll be popping next door into the Indie garage to see what cost for a new pair of top mounts if that's the issue - seems sensible to do a pair really.

R-V-M

P.S. re jacking up the car, as there's no jack supplied with the car :)bang:) I bought one (Screwfix?) and then cut a notch in the square lift top to accommodate the seam under the car. Bit fiddly to get it right but it works ok. For trolley jacks you can get a rubber disc to make them more under-car-friendly See here ..although they're sold out by this vendor, there are a lot of others selling similar items if you want to look around (y)




Here's a pic of my car
 
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View attachment 208608Here's the Hillbilly Azure Lounge.. :)

Bit scruffy as there was a fair bit of rain on my journey..

I now have the familiar clunk! I put my hands under the o/s wing and gripped the spring and turned it a bit side to side (engine running) and I could feel/hear the mount clunking - it was sticking then jumped as I turned the spring.

Presumably (having read the linked posting about the replacement procedure) the top mount is a swivel with a bearing in it. Despite Fiat being aware of the water ingress issue I wondered if they now use a sealed bearing or put some kind of cover in place over it - seems not from your description lower down this thread? Surely if the bearing is packed with grease from new it should stay lubed up and repel water during its life.. Think I'll be popping next door into the Indie garage to see what cost for a new pair of top mounts if that's the issue - seems sensible to do a pair really.

R-V-M

P.S. re jacking up the car, as there's no jack supplied with the car :)bang:) I bought one (Screwfix?) and then cut a notch in the square lift top to accommodate the seam under the car. Bit fiddly to get it right but it works ok. For trolley jacks you can get a rubber disc to make them more under-car-friendly See here ..although they're sold out by this vendor, there are a lot of others selling similar items if you want to look around (y)

I have mentioned these bearings before and they are made by FEBI BUILSTIEN, they are completely sealed from the elements and are encased in rubber on the top to STOP water getting into the bearing shell
Since I fitted these A few years back I have had no issues, the set before that were fitted only lasted a couple of years
Luigi
 
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You only have to looks into the 500 and panda forums to find a number of people who have damaged in sills from trolley jacks and 2 post ramps being used there rather then the reinforced box section further behind in the floor pan
 
nice colour! - what is the mileage on yours compared to mine? - it may be a time issue rather than mileage issue if you have higher mileage on yours?

I know the things you mean re trolley jacks - they call them `pucks` as they are like hockey pucks and are meant to `swallow` the welded seam to prevent flattening when jacking the car up on its marked points. I put the jack inside onto the chassis rail as per MOT chaps instructions as the side steps have brackets which prevent the marked points being used easily anyway. The chassis rails take the vehicles weight ok. IUts garages/tyre places who wrongly jack up vehicles that concern me having already experienced an idiot at a tyre place putting trolley jack under welded seam of cill just forward of rear n/s wheel arch. He damaged it of course - flattened it a bit and took paint off!
 
Mileage when I bought it was about 12,000, now 43,000. I took it next door on Friday and explained about the clunk and described my holding the spring and turning it etc. The guy knew just what I meant and had experienced it before, knew about the top mounts and the problems.. He rang me back with a price at 15h and said I could pick it up in a couple of hours (this is 3pm on a Friday afternoon, impressive or what?!)
True to his word I had a call at about 16h50 and it was ready. Cost was £240 all inc. I asked him (at 15h about Febi Bilstein parts as Steve mentioned) and he said when I went to fetch it that they now use Parkers Motor Spares (might be a local/regional supplier? Doncaster-Gainsborough-Lincoln..) as he says they supply good quality parts and they've stopped using EuroPrats as the stuff they were sending has been cr*p of late. Sounds good to me.

He showed me the old mounts and spun them for me to hear the graunching bearings (good word that..:)) The O/S mount wouldn't spin - it was very stiff, N/S a bit better but on its way out. The new mounts have an enclosing rubber ring over the bearing to prevent any further ingress of water. I was a bit surprised that they'd failed so 'early on' to me but now the steering is silent and clunk free again.

R-V-M


Nice colour! - what is the mileage on yours compared to mine? - it may be a time issue rather than mileage issue if you have higher mileage on yours?

I know the things you mean re trolley jacks - they call them `pucks` as they are like hockey pucks and are meant to `swallow` the welded seam to prevent flattening when jacking the car up on its marked points. I put the jack inside onto the chassis rail as per MOT chaps instructions as the side steps have brackets which prevent the marked points being used easily anyway. The chassis rails take the vehicles weight ok. It's garages/tyre places who wrongly jack up vehicles that concern me having already experienced an idiot at a tyre place putting trolley jack under welded seam of cill just forward of rear n/s wheel arch. He damaged it of course - flattened it a bit and took paint off!
 
hiya
The description of your new bearing top mounts is the same as the febi builsteins I have if that's the case you can rest assured that's the last time you will be replacing them again
Its a pity fiat haven't cottoned on to this upgraded bearing as the ones they are still selling for a £1.000000 are the same old **** ones that are supposed to be upgraded...…. NOT!
Luigi
 
That was excellent service and pricing about right. My garage had other jobs on and didnt call me when it was done but it was also due to the fact that they were doing the tracking as well hence my bill of £247. I had quotes of £299 and £277 from independent Fiat garages but they would have been non genuine Fiat parts as well. Mine has Monroe mounts which are OEM approved according to the box. My o/s bearing did turn but felt rough and n/s was still good. Having said that, I only have 15k on the clock so your got more mileage out of yours. It does seem time related rather than miles related though. Were your scuttle drains clear? - my o/s one was blocked up.
 
Well here I am again with clunking again after only 200miles. I went to the garage and the o/s bearing is notchy to use his description. He is replacing it FOC of course but its the inconvenience and also the quality issue of Monroe mounts. He said n/s was fine but I have to sat, I wish I had asked him to get Febi Billstein mounts after reading how good they are on this forum. Monroe boast about OEM quality but then again if OEM are rubbish its not much of a boast! Booked in for next week with no fuss but just disappointed!
 
I'm just doing my top mounts now. I bought Febi, seem good quality but time will tell. While im in the wheel arch does anyone know whether it's worth replacing shocks and sway bar links at the same time? Also have inner tie rods to do so overall I'm hoping to refresh the handling a bit.
 
Re: Clunking from o/s front coil spring etc.

Here we are 5 months on and the Q is in this morning to have new Febi-Bilstein top mounts fitted as the old N/S one ('old' as in fitted in May) is clunking badly.

I saw the new ones and they are Febi mounts. Mechanic says the Fiat ones last n years then fail and you buy new - Fiat aren't bothered cos the warranty will be through and you just change them. I'm hoping since the May fitted ones are only that new, there'll be some warranty on them so I don't have to pay twice. Had to have unnecessary new shocks on last week as they thought it was those (couldn't possibly be new top mounts could it!!)

R-V-M



hiya
The description of your new bearing top mounts is the same as the febi bilsteins I have if that's the case you can rest assured that's the last time you will be replacing them again.
Its a pity Fiat haven't cottoned on to this upgraded bearing as the ones they are still selling for a £1.000000 are the same old **** ones that are supposed to be upgraded...…. NOT!
Luigi
 
Re: Clunking from o/s front coil spring etc.

Here we are 5 months on and the Q is in this morning to have new Febi-Bilstein top mounts fitted as the old N/S one ('old' as in fitted in May) is clunking badly.

I saw the new ones and they are Febi mounts. Mechanic says the Fiat ones last n years then fail and you buy new - Fiat aren't bothered cos the warranty will be through and you just change them. I'm hoping since the May fitted ones are only that new, there'll be some warranty on them so I don't have to pay twice. Had to have unnecessary new shocks on last week as they thought it was those (couldn't possibly be new top mounts could it!!)

R-V-M

My febi's are still as quiet as a mouse
Luigi
 
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