Technical Ringing/bell sound from suspension?

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Technical Ringing/bell sound from suspension?

peponas87

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Nov 11, 2008
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Hi,

The shock absorbers are somewhat new on the car (About a year). However, when I drive over small bumps with low speed I can hear a bell sound, similar to the one that zips make when they touch each other. What can it be this sound? The car doesn't have any difference on driving.
 
When you fitted new dampers, did you do the work yourself or did a garage do it?

I would check that;

a) The spring is located properly in the spring pan (i.e. the end of the spring has to be up against the step in the spring pan.

b) The bottom spring (rubber pad) cushion is fitted and in good condition (no holes in it - otherwise the spring can be touching the pan)

c1) If you have spring catchers, are they loose?

c2) Did you fit the drop-link to the main spring pan bolt? A few spring catchcers seem to be labelled L/DX and R/SN but if you fit them as labelled, the drop-links attach at the main bolt hole (behind the damper). If you reverse the spring catchers, the main bolt is at the front and the drop-link connects to the damper at the now empty bracket at the rear. Fiat's diagrams for the spring catcher shows that the drop-link does not connect to the main bolt hole.. but this is inconsistent with the labels on the spring catchers.

d) Are your drop-links okay (and not loose)?

e) Jack the car up (the whole front end at once) and look at the springs. If one of them is bowed out and touching the inner wing, then the spring is snapped (maybe just the last 5-8cm at the bottom. You'll need new springs.


Ralf S.
 
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I realized that the engine mounts was broken, all of them. One of them made a crackle sound, similar to this that made by two zippers hit each other. I changed the mounts, however this sound insists. When I push the car up and down no noise is made. Only when I pass over a small road bumper or a street surface anomaly.
What else could this be?
 
It could be any of the things in my post #2 .

I'm more inclined to think that the top mounts are not properly aligned. There's a rubber "ear" on the mount that has to face outwards (if I remember correctly) so that you can see it under the hole in the inner wing/mount. The top mount is rubber, so flexible and difficult to seat so that it lines up properly on top of a new spring.]

Take the damper out and have a look what the top mount /spring seating looks like. If it's not aligned, the spring will appear slightly bowed out at the top and it's probably touching the inner wing when it gets compressed.


Ralf S.
 
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