Graunch / knock from the front - NOT steering stops.

[Sparks61]

OK - so vehicle is 2004 T2 2.7 TDi with nearly 100k km or 60k miles on it.

Just when I thought I had everything sorted a knock has started to make itself heard from the front along with some other odd symptoms.. First I need to emphasise it is not the steering stops - had that, fixed it. I am wondering if there are some basic checks or weak points to look at first. I am limited on what I can do myself as I have nowhere to work on the truck at the moment.

1) I noticed if I have slight lock on (maybe 1/4 turn ) and hit a bump I get a slight graunch noise.
2) If I shimmy the wheel left and right ( a la F1 driver warming the tyres) I get a knock as the load shifts from right side on to the left - ok the other way.
3) I came onto a gravel road the other day which was badly potholed with small holes. Each hit on a hole shot me leftwards big style.

My thinking is a bottom arm bush gone but maybe a track rod - but at 60k isn't that a bit early ??
I have checked for loose wheel and bearing play (12 o'clock 6 o'clock on each front wheel) and can't feel anything.

Ideas ? Simple / cheap first to expensive last

 

[briggie]

drop links ?

 

[rustic]

drop links ?

That's my first thought too
Rock the car sideways, push above the drivers door to set up a rocking motion, it should clunk on demand.

 

[Sparks61]

Just been out and done the rocking - once I got it moving it graunched / snapped three times in a row as it came down on the left side then stopped. I probably reseated the worn bit to a non-noisey location but it seems to fit the pattern. I will try to have a look in daylight tomorrow and go to the downloads section in the mean time. Thank you guys

 

[Sparks61]

Well I've had a look now and the drop links look definitely shot to me - I'm guessing you shouldn't be able to see the shaft through the wishbone - means the lower rubber has gone completely ( I can't see underneath easily) ? Anyway I have bought some new ones - around £40 for the pair from the local discount parts place (this is Iceland remember).

While looking around I checked the ARB mounting bushes and there seems to be a lot or room around the bar ?? Do these look ok or do these need changing too ?

Thanks again for the advice.

 

[lacroupade]

Those links are certainly shot and the ARB bushes don't look great. A polybush kit is a good idea and not too expensive?

Top tip is to UNDO THE ARB bolts first, makes it far easier to manoeuvre, remove/refit the droplinks.

 

[Sparks61]

After two days of soaking in WD40 tried to undo first ARB mounting stud ... and it snapped like a carrot :doh
Waiting to get on ramps now to drill the bastige out. How can simple job go so fubar ? :banghead

 

[BIGSEAN]

Did my ARB bushes and drop links friday night, previous night i had wire brushed and lubed all the bolts and they came out a dreamm.
The method i used was to completely remove the ARB, fit the drop links whilst it was out then re-assemble, took about an hour.
The ARB bushes needed replacing so i got the full ki from Milners and used the (stiffer) aftermarket rubbers on the drop links.

http://www.milneroffroad.com/categories.asp?cID=11320

 

[Terranical]

After two days of soaking in WD40 tried to undo first ARB mounting stud ... and it snapped like a carrot :doh
Waiting to get on ramps now to drill the bastige out. How can simple job go so fubar ? :banghead

When the drop links are this worn the movement can enlarge the hole in the wishbone, this then shortens the life of the new bushes as they get pulled into the hole.
What I did was to put a large washer between the bush and the wishbone, above and below - this means each droplink has four fitted washers instead of two.
The washers I used were the ones I removed from the old droplinks, but if they are too badly worn or damaged any large washer with the correct inside diameter will do. :thumbs

 

[Fez_uk]

also wd40 is not proper penetrating oil

 

[solarman216]

Has any one noticed that the new washers supplied are too big to go into the bottom wishbone hole, I have fitted about 6 so far and at least two were supplied by the customer all from different parts of the country, is this normal or have I just been unlucky, trouble is I am running out of good washers that go through the hole, and before someone says yes they could be fed in from the rear access into the wishbone, but I am not a contortionist and my fingers are too big as well, Rick

 

[makeitfit]

Rick, I just grind a small flat on one side of the washer so it fits in the hole
I like huge washers as they be much cheaper than bushes:thumbs
Crappy pic but here's mine rose jointed
http://www.nissan4x4ownersclub.com/forum/showpost.php?p=159556&postcount=56

 

[briggie]

would it be worthwhile using a weld or summat similar to decrease the size of the hole thereby doing away with the need for a washer , or even welding a little plate on ? ..... or am i talking rubbish again ?:augie

 

[makeitfit]

You can weld a plate on the outside of the arm briggie but I'd need some sort of micro welding team to get in the arm for the other side though
So big washer inside is needed to protect your bush

 

[solarman216]

Rick, I just grind a small flat on one side of the washer so it fits in the hole
I like huge washers as they be much cheaper than bushes:thumbs
Crappy pic but here's mine rose jointed
http://www.nissan4x4ownersclub.com/forum/showpost.php?p=159556&postcount=56

I must be getting old, why I did not think of that I do not know, :doh :doh Rick