Front shocks

[Ian Warren]

I have a knocking sound from the front of the car, its not the CV joint and the drive looks fine. Someone had a listen and apparently it might be the front shock.
I do not fancy it myself especially since i do not have a spring clamp.
Does anyone know how much it would cost to get replaced and would i really need two (money is tight otherwise both would get done).
Has anyone had them replaced, if so how much did it cost? I am just trying to get an idea of cost at the moment,
I also need to sort out a blowing exhaust, its coming from a bracket just behind the cat although i feel this is something i should be able to do.

 

[Mark]

Couldn't tell you about price to be honest, but it is advisable to get both sides done whilst your at it.

You can almost guarantee that you do one side, then a little while later the other will go. plus you'll get bad handling if only one is done.

What motor do you have, as I think the shocks are different across the range, and will help with someone giving you an idea of price.

 

[axle]

If all you are short of are spring compressors then it would be cheaper to buy a pair and do it yourself. And yes, Do both sides

 

[Kate]

Surely you only need the one spring compressor as you can only do one side at once? Or do they only come in pairs?

 

[Mark]

Are you talking Bravo/Brava or Marea. The Marea has anti roll bar links, when these wear they cause a knocking sound. The Bravo/Brava doesnt have them.

 

[mick calvert]

kate

people use 2 now cos of all the accidents although alot of people use 3 as thats the best way but it takes bloody ages to clamp then lol
i thought i could get away with one before lol the thing shot accross the garden lol

 

[Tom]

"Are you talking Bravo/Brava or Marea. The Marea has anti roll bar links, when these wear they cause a knocking sound. The Bravo/Brava doesnt have them."

They ALL have anti-roll bars.

 

[Ryan]

WOW i feel smart, i was gonna say the bravo/a has anti roll bar links as well, but didnt want to sound stupid, but now the knoweledgable one has spoken i thought id give my input!
lol
ryan

 

[Andy]

lol, yep all the range have arb's and drop links

the knocking could be a number of things;

wishbones (just bought a pair for the alfa recently, actually hgt ones for £12 each)

drop links (about £15 per side including bushes)

shocks (rear pair £30 approx, front pair £60 ish approx)

as for labour, well thats one of those things, wishbones will take a couple of hours as will shocks, so say £100 at a garage roughly, and the drop links should be an hour or so as long as they havent 'welded' themselves to the arb

where are you based and what model do you have? if youre in the kent area or ish, im happy to do the work for a lower price and will point you in the right direction for all the parts

Andy_sx

 

[Ian Warren]

It is a Bravo 2001 1.6 SX

 

[Ian Warren]

oh and sorry, im in Birmingham

 

[Kate]

Donny.. I remember now from helping do Tommy's springs... Was getting confused with something else. Think i had a blonde moment...

 

[Mark]

"Are you talking Bravo/Brava or Marea. The Marea has anti roll bar links, when these wear they cause a knocking sound. The Bravo/Brava doesnt have them."

They ALL have anti-roll bars.


Read what I wrote -ANTI ROLL BAR LINKS. You wont find any on a Bravo.

 

[Tom]

They have anti-roll bar links too.

They can all clunk and the bravo/a ones are more likely to clunk due to their rubber construction.

 

[Anonymous]

I think you'l find the Marea type wear more often. If you worked in the motor trade in the last few years you would know they wear out a lot more often than the older design rubber type attached directly to the lower arm.

 

[scotty]

Arent they all conected to the lower arm?
Scotty

 

[Tom]

No, fiat decided to change an age old design just to be different.

 

[Hayley]

I have a 1.2sx bravo and had to have the drivers side shock done for my MOT as it was leaking. It cost me £31 from Fast Parts and i had someone fit it for me. I only had the one done at the time but am getting the other one done soon.

 

[Buzz]

my guess, after all this(which i didn't bother reading) is not that its the shocker, but either a worn balljoint (meaning a whole new wishbone) or you just need to replace the ARB droplink bushes (both sides, parts costing about £2 each, and you'll need 4) plus an hour to do the work.

Hows your steering? and hows the grip on bends/rough suraces?

Buzz
The champion of the Bravo 1.4 & now ex owner of a Bravo 1.8

 

[Ian Warren]

The more i think the more i recon it is not the strut. I am currently thinking wishbone.
Grip is fine, stearing is fine. The sound goes oner breaking and acceleration. It is just when the speed is quite steady or the cluch goes down (even to change gear).
The car feels great to drive still, apart from the sound all i can feel is slight feedback through the pedals