Slight vibrating issue on heavy cornering

[RugbyPete]

I may be being a bit picky here, what with the rest of the car being perfect for its age, but I noticed when taking a very sharp roundabout at medium speed, more so under slight acceleration, I get a very feint shuddering from under the car. Theres no apparent steering vibration, but it feels like its right under my feet.

Could it be bearings or something similar, with the power steering dampening the sensation to my hands or possibly something along the drivetrain? Maybe even a suspension bush?

As I say i never get it under any other conditions just if i accelerate when taking a sharp left bend, say out of a roundabout, and its barely noticable, never to the passengers, but with my knee resting on the side of the centre console I can feel it now and then.

ATF's due for a much needed flush and fluid replacement

[Paul Beazer]

tyres skiting accross the tarmac?

[RugbyPete]

Could be I guess?

tyres aren't the best make, but they've got plenty of grip, just felt a bit more mechanical as the g-forces at work aren't very high (im not belting it!) and should more than cope with such corners. Body is quite 'rolly' though, so i'm wondering if the weight generated in a corner is causing strain somewhere. It seems ot be in time with the general tickover of the engine at the time ,which made me think drivetrain

Could just be the tracking is out i guess, no tyre wear I can see, but then again I've only had the car about 3 weeks

[White Lightning]

Could possibly be an engine or gearbox mount ...

[RugbyPete]

I was maybe thinking it was the power steering fluid being low because I heard a groan when on full lock aqt the weekend, but on inspection the fluid is a little over 'low' so should be fine (unless cornering affects it?).

BUT I think I mybe onto something, I checked my tyre tread as you do, all very good, however I think a tyre may have been incorrectly rotated because, and correct me if I'm wrong, but the tread should always start at the middle andflow outwards in a backward motion. te front drivers side has the open side of the V facing forward, I think this could be causing some 'hopping' on bends, although we'll really know once it begins to wear down in an odd fashion.

As for re-rotating and saving the tyre, I care not, because I want the crappy rubber off the car as soon as I can, they have some crappy name (Like eskimo, Lama, or something!). any expdenditure has to be justified to the missus, she wont know how its worn down ;)

Once I'm on a full set of V+ rated sports profiles, I'll look into it again I think, I'm interested to see if the ATF flush might cure a few issues with smoothness anyway

[White Lightning]

Pete - have the tyres not got the arrows indicating the rotation direction ? That's usually the best way to tell if they are on the right way.

[RugbyPete]

Afraid not, but my gut says they're the wrong way

Where these tyres were made I don't even think they have discovered the wheel yet...

[RugbyPete]

Pretty sure its the tyres now, because of two factors. One, they have a grid here at aston to keep the stones on the drives and not spread. This is made of plastic and makes a vibrating noise on tyres. This was the same feeling but louder, it amplified the tyres noise/vibration that I had been experiencing. Secondly i turned a bend today very sharply, and i went from smooth grip to a 'driving on ribbed edges' feeling, a bit like when you lean a mountain bike and ride on the nobbly sidewall a bit.

I need new tyres, facing the right way! For now a simple rotation may be in order...

[White Lightning]

For now a simple rotation may be in order...

/yes

[RugbyPete]

Ok, so it WAS the tyres but at the fault of something else.

The noise has got worse over the last few days to the point where I can pinpoint it a bit more.

If I take a LEFT bend, so the weight shifts to the RIGHT of the car ,and ACCELERATE, I get the "dud dud dud dud dud" until the corner finishes... I made an effort to do the same ont he other side of the car but all I get is tyre squeal (around a roundabout for example).

I stopped the car at home, turned the wheel side to side, and I think I could make out a slight clank on the right hand side over the noise of the groaning power steering...

Me thinks its time for a trip to the garage, damn, more money....

Thinking about GT motors or Runabout down Somers road, in Rugby, anyone?

[Paul Beazer]

Dry CV joint?

[RugbyPete]

I guess its going to be something along th elines of a ball joint, cv joint or brakes.

I'm wondering, as I've noticed heavy vibration at high speed braking, it could be a slightly warped disc with a sticking brake caliper

as the car loads up in a corner, there could be enough flex to bring the brake pad into contact with the disc and if the disc is slightly warped, I would feel the run-out as vibration throught the steering wheel.

I can only seem to replicate it after heavy braking and hard cornering combination... I t was ok under cold driving conditions, but as the journey progresses it gets worse (im guessing as the discs heat up and the brakes get used)

Best way to check? Get the wheel off and have a look i guess, although when it comes to cv joints etc. I'm gonna need to do a bit of reading as to what to look for. Brakes I'm ok with, as it stares me in the face.

[RugbyPete]

ok, think we're getting closer...

I jacked the car up after work, and grabbed the wheel by both sides and gave it a wiggle face on in opposing directions - "tick tick tick" there was play....

Grabbed the other wheel, and it was solid as a rock

The wheel nuts were solid, the play was behind the wheel

What sort of costs could we be talking about here? Looks like no shiney new brakes, but some pads are defo in order whatever happens

[bernmc]

Track rod ends are £20 from camskill. The steering rack end is £36. Suspension arms (lower ball joints) are £80 and £100 (there are two), so it all depends on which is responsible. They're all easy to replace, and there's a howto in the members section for the ball joints.

[RugbyPete]

ah, k. Well, if the play is just the track rod end then i shouldn't be able to wobble the wheel top and bottom, which I need to test tonight to confirm. If It wobbles all around i guess a its bearings

[RugbyPete]

what the cost of bearings, and how hard is it to do on a G?

Just wondering if I need to facotr in garage costs here...

[RugbyPete]

Ok its not bearings, there is no longtitudal (if thats a word) play, just latitudal (Again, a word?)

So it must be the track rod end as the light clicking (play) is just behind the wheel.

Looks like another job for me, as the garage just quoted £99.20 to do it - sod that for a £15 part!

I've caught it early and only an issue under heavy load, so im not exactly wobbling down the road which buys me some time

Only had the car a month, I'm really finding my way around the vehicle the last week or so!

[RugbyPete]

Ok, so when i fitted the pads, I got to get my head in and check for play.

Well, now I'm stumped.

I grabbed the caliper and the bar leading to the track rod, and moved for play, which is did (about 1-2mm), amking a feint 'tick' noise

Again no up/down movement, just side wiggle movement. But the track rod end wasn't making a sound.. instead it was from right behind or inside the hub? (couldn't see where exactly).

Where else could cause a bit of play behind there with left/right cornering on the drivers side wheel? bolts all tight, wheel wasn't even on when i checked.

Could it be a bush of some kind? If it was bearings I'd expect play up /down, grinding, and resistence, but I don't have any of that...

[psbarham]

Ok, so when i fitted the pads, I got to get my head in and check for play.

Well, now I'm stumped.

I grabbed the calliper and the bar leading to the track rod, and moved for play, which is did (about 1-2mm), making a feint 'tick' noise

Again no up/down movement, just side wiggle movement. But the track rod end wasn't making a sound.. instead it was from right behind or inside the hub? (couldn't see where exactly).

Where else could cause a bit of play behind there with left/right cornering on the drivers side wheel? bolts all tight, wheel wasn't even on when i checked.

Could it be a bush of some kind? If it was bearings I'd expect play up /down, grinding, and resistance, but I don't have any of that...
put the car up on ramps so the weight of the car is on the wheels and check for play in the bottom ball joint with a long pry bar . also , with the car up on ramps get some one to move the steering wheel gently from side to side whilst you check for any movement in the joints down there

[pitslayer]

i know whats wrong.....because the galant has probably one of the worst suspension set ups ive ever seen and just knock from every inch of the front end, because it can lol......but seriously my galant suffers from this same problem, get your steering rack ends done, thats what mine is, not the track rod ends, but the steering rack ends......the arms that come out of the steering rack down the to the track rod ends.......
get the car up in the air again, and get it up high, get someone to move the wheel as you have done before to get the tick tick tick coming in, and have a look at where your steering rack is, and you can see the whole assembly move

hope this helps, thats what mine is, as its had all new ball joints and track rod ends done

[RugbyPete]

This is gonna cost isn't it....

[psbarham]

the Galant has probably one of the worst suspension set ups Ive ever seen and just knock from every inch of the front end, because it can

says the man who fecks about with cars hilter designed , hmmm hilter now theres a design guru . and before you mention Dr Ferdinand Porsche , he ain't much better , for gods sake he put the engine in the wrong place on the 911 so what does he know ?

[Beastlee]

Having looked for the cost of parts that may be rattling on mine I remembered that the steering rack ends were available for a resonable cost via the link below.

http://www.japaneazicarparts.co.uk/products.asp?cat=227

[Nutter_John]

Lee That website is very very much like another entry into camskill as the prices are spot on the same and the descriptions are as well .

Wonder if these guys buy from camskill and re-sell at the same price camskill charge

[pitslayer]

says the man who fecks about with cars hilter designed , hmmm hilter now theres a design guru . and before you mention Dr Ferdinand Porsche , he ain't much better , for gods sake he put the engine in the wrong place on the 911 so what does he know ?
ahhhhh so that would be why mitsibushi have been going for as long as vw and porsche, and of course the galant has been a designed and production car as long as the beetle........oh no wait it hasnt has it lol, and if mitsi was as succesfull as porsche or vw, maybe they would be worth the price you pay for them, or even the cost of parts, a porsche or old vw gets restored.....but a galant just wants scrapping when its costing lots jst to keep it safe, not even getting to the stage off modding, and quick lesson for you hitler drew the KDF wagen on a bit of paper, then ferdinand porsche designed the actuall car, and guess what it wasnt a vw, it was the KDF wagen....then in 1947/1948 a britsh guy called ivan hurst took the design and created the volkswagen......and if i remember rightly, wasnt the beetle and the golf probably the most succesfull cars ever made....didnt see the galant in there thow lol..........but yeh try the tracking arms, not track rod ends, that should be the cause of your problem

[psbarham]

ahhhhh so that would be why Mitsubishi have been going for as long as vw and Porsche, and of course the Galant has been a designed and production car as long as the beetle........oh no wait it hasn't has it lol, and if Mitsi was as successful as Porsche or vw, maybe they would be worth the price you pay for them, or even the cost of parts, a Porsche or old vw gets restored.....but a Galant just wants scrapping when its costing lots just to keep it safe, not even getting to the stage off modding, and quick lesson for you Hitler drew the KDF wagen on a bit of paper, then Ferdinand Porsche designed the actual car, and guess what it wasn't a vw, it was the KDF wagen....then in 1947/1948 a British guy called Ivan Hurst took the design and created the volkswagen......and if i remember rightly, wasn't the beetle and the golf probably the most successfully cars ever made....didnt see the Galant in there thow lol..........but yeh try the tracking arms, not track rod ends, that should be the cause of your problem
ooh a history lesson , hmm Mitsubishi ? would that be the company whose products that was blowing the living sh!t out of the farther land during ww2 ? also the same company who's first car was built in 1917 ?as for the beetle beetle being successful , how the hell did that happen , its ugly slow and sounds like a bag of bolts falling down a flight of stairs and goes round corners in the same way as a blue whale flys (fecking badly) a mate of mine spent over 4 k tuning and modding one , and every time he tried to race my 450 quid mini , guess who won :D cracking car ain't they :inquisiti
yes you brought one bad Galant , wow wee one bad one out of how many built , whereas how many beetles have gone to the crusher ? apart from not enough

[pitslayer]

lol would that be why the beetles always win at mini beetle wars then, and why minis are awfull wretched little cars....of course beetles ar slow
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dotPcS2eg34
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gxfmcbwIm8 ;)
btw just checked the 1/4 mile times, i notice no galant/legnum has a sub 12 second times, now last year was the year of the 9 second street legal beetles.....but hey lol there slow right ;).......
but to sum up
beetles are unbelivably succesfull, yes they should scrap all beetles that contain the "1303" and "mexico" worst beetles ever lol.......id never have a beetle nor do i want one, because i agree they are rubbish..... im a more refined person, hence why i have a type 3, probably the best vw ever made imho.....either way im not here to argue, because i really dont care about beetles, and were taking this completly off topic aswell lol.....and weve had 3 bad experiences with mitsi`s
out of intrest, could you pm me what your mate did to his beetle, because 4k will by you a hella type 1 motor and i dont want to take this thread of topic :)


anyways, rugbypete, try the tracking arms not the track rod ends this should solve the problem this is what ive worked out it is and a few others have worked this out aswell, as you can see the steering arm move when rocking the wheel back and forth........they were cheap to buy aswell, and shouldnt cost alot to fix, you will obviously have to get the tracking done afterwards thow.....will post up on monday if this was the problem :)

[RugbyPete]

says the man who fecks about with cars hilter designed , hmmm hilter now theres a design guru . and before you mention Dr Ferdinand Porsche , he ain't much better , for gods sake he put the engine in the wrong place on the 911 so what does he know ?

I'll let Dr Bez know when I go into work on Monday :D

[RugbyPete]

Having looked for the cost of parts that may be rattling on mine I remembered that the steering rack ends were available for a resonable cost via the link below.

http://www.japaneazicarparts.co.uk/products.asp?cat=227

Ah nice one, i'll print that out when i go to the garage ;)

[pitslayer]

thats what you want the rack ends, you can see the play in them as you can see the steering rack on teh car move :)

failing that shout at it

[RugbyPete]

hmm, not convinced, cos why would it only be one side that has movement?

Also, today i notice going over any bumps in the road and speed bumps there is a knocking noise from the right wheel, almost like the end of the suspension arm where the fixing bolt goes through was worn
Not saying it is suspension but that what i felt like, as if whatever was holding the wheel on, had play when it 'fell' in a pot hole or bump or the second side of a speed bump, as sort of "donk" noise

I thought it was the new brake pads clonking about at first but then the other side is fine, so cant be. The vibration is getting worse, you notice it on left hand bends only.

[Beastlee]

Sounds lke you have the same problem I do, I can' find it either.
Would you try something for me and it may help you diagnose:
Ensure you have a long flat bit of road behind you.
Put the car in reverse and let it roll without any acceleration.
Apply the brakes suddenly (Should clunk)
Release the brakes (Doesn't always clunk)
Cycle brakes, allowing them to fully release before the next application.

Mine does this as well as all of the other things you mention. There is one other person who suffered it too, will find out who, but nobody has found the source yet.
Let me know how you get on.

[pitslayer]

ITS THE RACK ENDS!!!!!!! ITS HAPPENING ON MY CAR, IT ALSO KNOCKS FROM THE SAME PLACE, IVE HAD 5 MECHANICS LOOK AT IT AND MYSELF, AND ITS THE RACK ENDS, AND I WILL PROOVE IT MONDAY WHEN THE RACK ENDS ARE DONE!!!!!!!
the knock is the worn out rack end knocking, i have the same problem, thats what it is..... my car has had all new ball joints, new tyres wheels balanced, new discs and pads, track rod ends, tracking done.....this is the problem

[Beastlee]

I'm hoping you are right, will be checking it tomorrow. If that's the cause it's a lot cheaper to fix!

[RugbyPete]

Ok, its much worse now, less the vibration but I went to Burton Dassett at the weekend. the surface was pot holes galore, basically stone substrate with little rocks etc. anyway the suspension really worked on these, but the right hand drivers side was constantly going DONK DONK DONK DONKYDONK as if I was wacking a block of wood on the underside of my hub.

At least if somethings wearing away, it should be easier to spot when it goes in!

[Beastlee]

Pete, did you try my test from above? It really sounds like the same problem I have and I know it is impossible to track down. Bal first experienced it late last year and it's still untraceable now.

pitslayer, if it' the track arms why wouldn't it knock when turning the wheel?

[RugbyPete]

Sorry not had time over the weekend, will let you know though. Its getting worse though going donky donk over every bump.

Thats why im sure its some sort of bush or other joint clanking, its gotta be, especially as the other side is perfectly fine and the wheel does not have any play in it.

Symptoms recap:

1) go over a bump or speed bump and you hear a 'donk' noise from the right hand side front wheel assembly.
2) Go around a left hand bend, putting weight on the right and it judders ont he right side, if accelerating
3) jack up the right side, grab the wheel with both hands, and you can wiggle it, detecting play of a few mm. Grab the top and bottom of the wheel and there's no play. Jack the other side up and its rock solid, no play on any axis.
4) Initially sounds like track rod end worn, clonking around, but the sound is coming from the behind the wheel/hub itself when you wiggle it.

Time to drop it off to the garage I think, Friday looks good if anywhere's open

[Kieran]

i know whats wrong.....because the galant has probably one of the worst suspension set ups ive ever seen and just knock from every inch of the front end, because it can lol......

I know you're upset with your car and and it's understandable, but it's approaching the stage now where your rubbishing of the Galant is occouring with monotonous regularity - and I daresay it's not all justified. Yes, you certainly have a right pig of a car by the sounds of it, no ones denying that - though it's hardly surprising when it's been mistreated for 50,000 miles by its previous owner as you've mentioned in the past.

Look, we've all been there, and many of us know all too well what it feels like to have a busted car or one with a heap of issues to sort - nothing worse and as I hope you already know we'll do our best to help, but to come out with sweeping statements like the above isn't helping - it's making you sound like you're suffering 'sour grapes' and it's starting to get people's backs up (as PSB has already shown, in his own... errr....unique style!....).

RugbyPete/Beastlee - Sorry about the /Hijack - I'll tidy up the thread in due course.

[psbarham]

as PSB has already shown, in his own... errr....unique style!...
can i start then , pretty please ????? i thought i was being rather gentle on him really . but lets keep this human for the moment .
but pitslayer instead of moaning about the car constantly do something about it , you kep saying you've spent shedloads , where? why not spend it on the bits that need it , and spend it once on proper parts instead of cutting corners and buying cheapo nasty and using bodgit and scarper ltd garages. either sell it or fix it , just get on with it and shut up about it .
ditto K sorry for the hijack

[Nutter_John]

Sorry to jump in on this but a quick question for pitslayer as i'm very interested in the 9 second beatle , did it have an original engine for that 9 second run , or as i suspect they have just replaced the engine for a blown beast from another car .

If it is a non standard engine then please do not compare it to a galant / legnum as it's just not a comaprison of any value .

Anyway I hope you manage to sort out your issue with the car and if you need any help then give us a shout

have fun and play safe

[RugbyPete]

Oh my word, three hijacks in one go! I should get some sort of compensation for it

anyone got any bananas?

[Kieran]

Yes! We have no bananas!:inquisiti

[pitslayer]

right ive got the car back from the garage today......lets see,
knocking gone-yes
vibrating at speed gone-yes
vibrating at speed on corners gone-yes
holds the road-yes
tighter steering and more responsive-yes

im not always rubbishing the galant, i just put a different point of view across, from someone who has had problems.....ive spent shed loads on stuff that is needed, and havnt cut any corners on it.....what your not understanding is, that this is the first car i have ever looked after, and it just goes wrong, regular services every 5k.....i am still in 2 minds about the car, ive had an image in my head how i want the car, but the other part of me is telling me to cut my losses on it, and buy an engine......if nothing goes wrong with it in the next few weeks, i might keep it, other than that, its getting compleltly sorted out, and sold.....


but either way i dont care......

after having the rack ends replaced im experiencing none of the syptoms you describe anymore, so i would definatly say thats your problem:happy: :happy:

[RugbyPete]

Glad you got it sorted mate!

I'll let you know what mine is over the weekend

out of interest, how much did the bill come to?

[pitslayer]

havnt sorted the bill out, at guess parts were 30quid so, 60 quid the pair, and he was on the car for half hour, so 100 tops, but i know my mechanic very well and in he is very cheap anyways, he did my cambelt and front pads and discs(i supplied disc aand pads) did all that for 130 quid, gearbox oil changed for free.....hes really cheap in his work, hence why hes always so busy.......it took no longer than an hour to do at max so its 60 quid plus hours garage time....wasnt alot of work to do get that old bits of and put new ones on.......

i hope this is your problem, its improoved my car so much now that i am thinking on keeping the car, ill see what i think on the weekend, gunna chop the 2 middle boxes out of my exhaust and weld some pipe in, see who loud it is and if i like it.....

hope this is your problem now, because its naff all to do, and improoves the car so much

[RugbyPete]

Ok so I took it in the garage.

The problem is a few things.... firstly the offside track rod end has lost all its lube and dry as a bone, so needs replacing...
secondly the nearside track rod end has SOME play in it, probably the reason the galant vibrates out of corners but not the cause of the knocking.
The knocking is the rack end.

All in, £230 to repair, £185 if I keep the nearside TRE fitted.

And I was due to buy a load of airgun kit this month :(

[pitslayer]

how much????? for track rod ends.......did you provide the vaseline or was that free of charge, mine cost me 90 quid to get the rack ends done both sides......in fact my mate got charged 90 quid at a diff garage for track rod ends and getting the tracking done on his fto...
id go to another garage if i was you

[Beastlee]

I must agree, that is stupidly overpriced for doing the track rod ends. An untrained person could change both in less than an hour and the parts are £20 each from Camskill (http://www.camskill.co.uk/products.php?plid=m22b0s1402p5564)

By their own admission they are charging £45 per TRE wich is a 125% markup on the above so they are charging £140 for a half hour work lus tracking, which would only be one wheel. I would seriously question the validity of your garage's prices and find another one ASAP. I reckon I could come and do it for you for less and that's using the Leggy to get there and back!

[RugbyPete]

I think the price increase is due to the rack end - £75 from mitsubishi plus vat and fitting.

£45 per track rod end is part plus fitting...

But yeah, TW couldnt help me on friday (i left early from work!) so popped around the corner to another place who are generally budget

I'll see what TW say on tuesday, if needs be I'll just get the rack end done and do the TRE myself

[Beastlee]

Get the rack end from camskilll too, only £40. I'll be ordering mine when I get back from France.

[RugbyPete]

you not wrong. 2x track rod ends, 1x rack end comes to £76 total

3 hours work qouted, so gonna be about £100 labour

[Beastlee]

Could you do the work yourself? I'm likely to do my own with the only concern being the tracking after changing the track rod. The plan is to do it when I know the local tyre place can fit me in immediately afterward.
I might just do the end at the same time as the one on that side is stiff. Would be a big saving for you and there's a guide for changing the boot in the members' area.

[pitslayer]

my rack ends cost 36 quid each looking under 100 quid for the parts
so say its
76 quid because thats what youve got a price at now
230-76=154
so there charging you
£154 labour for under an hours work.....what a rip off, complete ripoff its not even a hard job either.....get to another garage if i was you

[RugbyPete]

yeah, problem I have now is that TW dont do labour unless they supply the parts. if they supply the parts they aint gonna be that cheap, plus the labour and im into shafting area again.

Is it an hour for the whole lot or an hour for the rod ends? currently being quoted mates rates 3 hours from a chap at work to do and i supply the parts

[Beastlee]

Reading the article by OSiRiS (http://www.clubvr4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=15109) he claims 1-1.5 hours for a boot change. I must admit that after re-reading it I would imagine the boot only taking 30-45 mins as there's nothing too complicated in it.
THe problem is the fact he doesn't mention removing the track rod from the rack which may have implications on steering fluid etc. This is probably where the bulk of the time is spent as a drain and fill will add time to the job.
3 hours at mates rtates if it includes tracking is probably not too bad but I'll find out what's involved in changing the track rod before passing final judgement.

[pitslayer]

doing the rack ends affects no fluid, and the track rod ends shouldnt affect doing a fluid change either.......
the problem with the rack ends, is that they get on there that tight they are a bit of a bugger to get off.....but you got qouted way to much there, rack ends are 20 mins a side mine were and they were on there pretty tight aswell.....

[Beastlee]

If that's the case and you were changing the rod end too could you possibly utilise the rod end as something to clout to get it out.
If there's no PAS fluid problems then I'm definitely tempted to do my own. The rattle is just annoying me now as I have nearly everything fixed. That and the front bumper/bonnet are all I have left to sort.

[RugbyPete]

Ok so, got the car back.

We COULD NOT FIND the knocking noise ANYWHERE.

Had the rod ends done, they woulda failed the mot, and the rack end done (which were replaced but mechanic said they were rock solid, he showed me).

We tried tracking th enoise down the steering column, bearings and hub, wheel was a little wobbly but would only cause the vibration im getting, but after a day of a mechanic looking, tightening, banging, wobbling, the noise is still there but the car is safe, would pass any test you gave it for play or wear.

So, going to live with it for a bit, see if it gets worse of gives any further clues, one thing i did notice was that if i broke hard, then coasted, then booted it it there was a clong as if it was gathering up some slack in the right assembly somewhere

What now, engine mounts? loose disc clonking about?
The mechanic said when he went out he thought the strut was banging against the chasis (what sounded like), yet on inspection yet again its all tight as a nut

Car drives nicer in the corners now rod ends all new, but shame we couldnt find the cause of the noise, the mechanic mate was a bit reluctant to charge as the car is safe but the problems not been solved. But if me, him and an aston martin veteran engineer cant find it, I'm a bit unsure Im gonna get anywhere without a specialist

[Beastlee]

Pete,

glad to hear the car feels beter, sorry to hear it hasn't solved the clonking. To be honest I have been waiting as I couldn't see how the track rod could cause the noise myself, only been going on Pitslayer's advice. I experience the same problem, when coming off power and coasting then accelerating you get a delay in power application followed by a jarring uptake on the drive with the associated clonk.

Which side di they change the rod on then? If it was the wrong side I suppose it would leave the problem in place.

[RugbyPete]

Yeah, the guy was gonna put the old one back in cos it was absolutely fine.

~and I too am getting that clong where yo lift off (say for the lights changing to green from red) then plant it, you get a definitive clonk

Funnily I spoke to the steering specialist here at aston martin, they have the same problem with the DB9! You go over bumps you get a donkydonk noise, and they cant track it down either. They are heading towards an issue with adjustable pins at the base of the rack, but they're consulting more specialists. He said if I can find the manufacturer of the steering rack they may have engineer contacts from that company.

Were now looking at the ball joint in that area, previous cars and various experience from different guys and mitsubishi 'hat sites' has shown these can be deceiving, but we're on the case because the guys are baffled here and would love to know whats up.

One passing comment was "sell the car on a flat road" but after having a drive themselves, they loved the sweet engine on startup, and the drive impressed. They understood I couldn't get rid of her that easy! I'm considering a 3rd party warranty, then if anything DOES break, I can have the whole lot replaced at mitsubishi's price without a heart attack!

[pitslayer]

droplinks????

[RugbyPete]

Mechanic confirmed £100 for the tracking, rack ends and track rod end labour plus an afternoon trying to find the issue.

He's not so sure its the ball joints cos you could feel the rack pulse when the noise was made.

He did suggest trying to tightening the other bias screw but I need to confirm the size of the hexagon plug . It looks about 19 mm Across Flats . it needs a lump of hex bar end or a bolt with a few nuts on it as it quite a large size adaptor

[Brushly]

Just been reading this thread with interest as I repair cars for a living and often come across annoying suspension knocks. Anti roll bar bushes and joints often get missed by MOT men because all the joints are under tension and the play can't be detected. The best way to find out for sure is to disconnect the anti roll bar one end and feel for any play. Just an idea. Worth a look!

[RugbyPete]

Ok, bit of an update.

The 'donky-donk' noise is SO easy to replicate now, it happens all the time... so whatever was bad has got worse.

also, booting it from standstill say at a roundabout created a 'Clonk' noise
If you shift into neutral, freewheel then stick it in D, you get the same clonk noise as the car shift forward.

Just trying to find a mitsubshi garage to take it an go over it, as I've had two mechanics fail to diagnose this issue

Take it no-one else has resolved this further?

[Kieran]

If it clonks when engaging gear, then I wonder if an engine mount has collapsed and the gearbox is rubbing/striking the centre crossmember?

[Beastlee]

Pete have both lower arms been replaced as per the recalls? I reckon that if you check only one side of the car if any has been done. Shout a Mitsi to ensue they double check it.

[RugbyPete]

Im not aware of any recalls... yet its not been my car its whole life, history doesnt show anything

what recall was this and do i need to still pay for it?

[Beastlee]

No need to pay for recalls, contact your local dealer and ask them to check for recalls on your chassis number. The one you are interested in is lower arm, although it may not be relevant to your model.

[RugbyPete]

even due to age? will they care now??

[Beastlee]

It's a matter of public safety, of course they won't care...that's why you have to make a fuss.

[RugbyPete]

Recalls all up to date.

More clues (it's getting worse!)

If I get to about 80mph (on a private airstrip of course) I get the light vibration through my feet, knee resting on centre console, and steering wheel from the tapping of the donky donk noise very feintly tapping away under the chasis...

ANY slight bump and it goes 'donk' now too... embarrassing driving into work over the rummble strips!

Stick in neutral at any point when moving, then into again, and you get a 'clank' as the slack is taken up.

Definately sounds like something suspension/torsion related, but Ive been waiting for it to get so bad that a mechanic can easily find it, so far they've failed. Raise the car up and somehow vibrate the wheel up and down, i bet they'd hear it

Definately ont he dirvers side only too, when the wheel raises or falls sharply from rumbles, pot hols, speed bumps etc. and the sounds comes about half a meter inward from the wheel towards the centre of the car

[phosty]

I too get the tranmission slack issue you describe. If you accelerate a little then lift off and coast, when you put your foot down again there is a clunk like some slack is being taken up in the drive train before the power goes down.

I also get a loud clunk when stationary and move the auto selector between Reverse and Drive. Sometimes I think the sound is coming from the rear diffs (almost like gear backlash being taken up) but sometimes it sounds like under the front (gearbox) somewhere. I wanted to get my girlfriend to change between R and D whilst lying underneath so I can see if the drive shaft is moving - that should let me know if the clunk is at the rear or the front. I did check the front engine mount and that seems fine, as does the driver side engine damper. Haven't found the other two yet.

I also get the knocking from the steering/suspension too. It also sounds like it originates from the front driver side wheel. I had both lower arms replaced including Track Rod Ends due to play in my ball joints but the knocking sound is still there. Seems like something is loose, but only when subjected to holes/bumps in the road that are small - over speed bumps just it just compresses nice and quiet. It always seems to happen over small bumps when going uphill, when the front wheels are slightly unweighted. Maybe damper valves? My MTB gives similar knocking sounds when the suspension forks need a service.

Would love to have these sounds sorted!

I'm gonna try the dampers next (daiyamas still waiting to be fitted) - see if that eliminates the front knocking problems.

[Beastlee]

Mine had the noise and I thought it was the lower arm. Pete has since had that done under recall and found it was the rear (curved arm) that is at fault despite never finding anything as I checked on a number of occasions.

Lee