Technical Noise after new stabiliser bar - 2007 Panda 1.1 Active

[koalar]

Both the date and engine number are for the wider later belt

I would just order the later belt or kit


Early belts are 15 mm wide and latter are 22mm


You can silicone the dust covers over the bump stops back in place to stop them making a noise

 

[brightie1]

Thank you both. Much appreciated.
The strut is a Monroe but the dust cover/bump stop are original Fiat. Perhaps thats the issue and they now need replacing with a Monroe one?
Looks very much like the guy that fitted them just pushed them over the piston and left everything free moving, or maybe thats right?.
How does the white plastic piece locate at the top please and what keeps it there? I can feel nothing into which it would locate and it falls straight back down to where it is shown on the photo. Similarly, what keeps the bump stop and gaiter in place? I can feel that the bump stop inside is chewed up so I think replacement is inevitable now. Photos to the dust cover top and gaiter to follow.
Thanks Koalar for the guidance on the correct timing belt kit to get. Quite how somebody without your expertise is supposed to know which kit to get when there are so many variables is a mystery to me. 104, 125 or 129 teeth, 15 or 22mm width belt, square or rounded tooth profile etc. Minefield. 15mm belts seem to be quoted by some OE manufacturers as being for up to 2010 models so once again, thanks for clarifying that.

 

[brightie1]

Photos

 

[Shuggie]

The white plastic piece is held, purely by friction, in the underside cup of the top spring plate/cup (number 8 in the ePER diagram below https://eper.fiatforum.com/en/Drawings/Detail/F/F/GIN/2Q/443/1/0/1/SubSubGroup ).

You may be able to simply reach through the spring and push the whole dust cover assembly upwards, so the white bit engages with that top spring cup.

One thing to check is that the top spring plate has been correctly oriented. As you look upwards from inside the wheel arch, past the spring, you should see the little rectangular tab of the top plate pointing outwards, towards the side of the car. If that is not the case, you will need to take off the strut assembly and re-align that plate, which involves compressing the spring and loosening the rubber top mount (number 5 in the ePER diagram).

 

[brightie1]

Thanks Shuggie, thats really helpful. No way that the plastic piece has any friction whatsever on the piston. Rattles around and must have a good 5mm lateral movement in every direction on the piston.. And I can't find anything for it to locate to in the underside cup of the top of the spring. It just drops straight back down. I think that its probably just worn from 14 years of bobbing about loosely. Or maybe the piston on the Monroe shock absorber is thinner than the original Fiat so it always was loose.
Will have a check on the orientation of top spring plate because the mobile mechanic who fitted it was clearly incompetent. The MOT tester didn't even have to look under the car to fail it after his first effort. He'd got something wrong which was obvious just looking under the bonnet.
Id have made a much better job of it myself but was in rented accommodation without my tools at the time.

 

[koalar]

If the car is jacked the spring extends, it will fall down as it's only the length of the gaiter that holds it in place

Part A the junction between the brown and white plastic bits are an interference fit and sometimes fail, yours looks okay

Length B holds is what holds it up when the car is under is own weight

If needed there's no problem bonding it up in place if the gaiters have got tired


How's it compare to the the other side both wheels on the ground

 

[brightie1]

Thanks Koalar. I'll have a better look with the suspension compressed tomorrow and if it looks to be doing its job bond it up in place. I'm thinking brake cleaner to get any grease off the top of the piston and then bonding with "sticks like sh*t". Love that stuff for its strength but flexibility.
If when its bonded the gaiter is too short is it ok to put a cable tie around the base to hold it in place?

 

[koalar]

Yes but not needed

Here a couple of screen shots from YouTube one from a new strut and the other a new top mount being fitted video

Neither has the white bit located and are fitted dropped down and loose


Gaiters look fairly new so not dropping quite as much

 

[brightie1]

Thats interesting. I still think that its the degree of lateral movement and wear on the white bit that is causing the noise so bonding looks like the way to go. Much obliged to you.

 

[koalar]

What would I do

Probably go in have a cuppa and think of the easiest way to diagnose the problem

Probably put a cable tie or two around the shaft tight and push it up with a long screwdriver, to hold it in place see if the noise went away

Maybe just tape it out of the way down the shaft

I don't know it always different when you in front of a problem, sometimes a solution just jumps out, with what you have laying about

 

[brightie1]

Video to show just how loose the white bit is. It's now been bonded to the bump stop onto which it sits. Don't know if it has solved the noise problem yet because I'm letting things dry thoroughly.
Even with the suspension compressed the white bit didn't reach the underside of the top ring plate. About an inch away.
Whilst posting here is a lesson that I learned.
Last time I was putting the wheel back on I was tired and a bit pissed off so knowing that wheel would be coming after off again in the next day or two I didn't torque it up. Just used the rattle gun. And paid the price. One of the wheel bolts is partially stripped. Got another coming and a 12x1.25 tap which I'm hoping will clean the hole out. And yes, they do have a bit of copper grease on them now.

 

[brightie1]

A final update and thanks again to those of you that helped.
The noise was the loose plastic part on the bump stop. Now that I have bonded it to the top of the foam part the noise has all but gone. Its there very occasionally on bigger bumps but not an issue.
And the correction of my original stupidity and laziness with the wheel bolt has worked well. The tap cleaned out the hub threads well and a new wheel bolt has tightened up to the correct torque well.