Technical Front end knock 100hp

[The Panda Nut]

Strut tops not 100% correctly aligned have done this to me. I rejigged them very slightly and it stopped.

 

[TheGreenMachine]

Check you don’t have play in the rack itself. I had a knock I couldn’t find on my 100hp. It wasn’t until I was trying to tighten up a new inner tie rod that I noticed there was a load of play in the rack itself.

 

[bugsymike]

Check you don’t have play in the rack itself. I had a knock I couldn’t find on my 100hp. It wasn’t until I was trying to tighten up a new inner tie rod that I noticed there was a load of play in the rack itself.

Probably totally unrelated to your issue, initially on reading your thread I thought pads moving in brake caliper, however.
As TheGreenMachine says, you can have play in the steering rack itself, often on the n/s, furthest away from the steering wheel, where the rack and pinion gears and thrust plates etc. take up a lot of slack and provide good support. The n/s outer end supporting bush gets a hard life, which can be felt with rack fully extended and grabbing the inner track rod joint area through the rack boot and pulling sideways (front to rear of the car) you can have play in that bush, play in an inner track rod arm ball joint/swivel and of course the normal Mot failure the outer track rod end. All of this can be more apparent on older high mileage vehicles or those that have had a cheap reconditioned steering rack fitted at some time.
Some years ago, as new genuine Ford parts were no longer available for Mk2 Cortina 1600E I sent a steering box away for "A Professional Ford Expert to recondition as new", it came back (with a large £££ bill) all shiny in gold paint, fitted it and the same vague steering was obvious, I sent it back and it was later returned to me with the adjuster nut on the box screwed down so tight you could barely move the steering wheel, the play was still there and the car wouldn't self centre on the road and was dangerous. So I stripped the box myself, found where the wear was, they had fitted a new bush where the peg shaft that is attached to the drop arm is supported inside the box, but the actual shaft was badly worn and they had reused it. I had the shaft metal sprayed to rebuild it then machined to the correct diameter. After fitting and correctly adjusting the steering was truly as original and a pleasure to drive, customer well pleased.
Companies can claim to be experts and professionals in their field , but at the end of the day a job is a good as the bloke doing it, in all walks of life, whether it is your plumber or Doctor!

 

[DaveMcT]

Strut top knock is a "dunk" noise when you move away from a stop. It's caused either by a broken thrust bearing or the spring top plate is not properly centred under the bearing.

 

[koalar]

I spanner-checked everything a few weeks ago an now the knock has gone!
I nipped up everything but I think it was the bottom caliper carrier bolt as that felt slightly loose!

Thanks for you everyone's help.

The original poster reported back the correct solution in August

Or am I missing something

 

[Martinlfb]

Yes indeed. It was one of the things that I nipped up - most likely the bottom bolt on the caliper carrier!