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Tin top problem
nib1980 - 12/2/09 at 08:33 AM

Hi all,

on the way to work today my tintop started making a noise.

I wasn't too woried at first,as i thought it was a stone in the tyre, but it's got significantly louder in the remaining few miles to work.

It is a clunk clunk clunk noise, that is definatley speed related. (hence the stone in tyre theory)

It seemt o go away under acceleration or hard braking. but coasting and normal driving its loud enought ot hear over the stereo.

the car is a little FWD car.

I've checked the car for stones and can't see any.

The only thing of note is I changed the discs and pads recently. (but i've doen this many times before)

is about 4 years old and 40K miles.

Any ideas?

Any way i can check the suggestions. I coule really do with out another problem in my life right now, and certainly an expensive one.

Many thanks all

owelly - 12/2/09 at 08:35 AM

Loose wheel?

nib1980 - 12/2/09 at 08:37 AM

quote:
Originally posted by owelly
Loose wheel?


possibly, i can easily check, but i'm sure i torqued it up 110nm ish i seem to think

mcerd1 - 12/2/09 at 08:40 AM

does it go away when you stear to the left or right ?

Mr Whippy - 12/2/09 at 08:42 AM

is it a tapping sound or a knocking one?

can you feel it through either the break pedal or the steering wheel?

nib1980 - 12/2/09 at 08:48 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Mr Whippy
is it a tapping sound or a knocking one?

can you feel it through either the break pedal or the steering wheel?


Hard to say, the sound, i'd personally say a bit of both, if i'm forced i'd say knocking it can be felt through the steering wheel, NOT the brake

nib1980 - 12/2/09 at 08:49 AM

quote:
Originally posted by mcerd1
does it go away when you stear to the left or right ?


I didn't notice but i can check in teh car park later


is it time to join the RAC do we think......




.

vinny1275 - 12/2/09 at 08:54 AM

I had that a while back, and had a metal stick about 8 inches long stuck in one tyre, it was knocking on the mudflaps...

1st time I stopped, I couldn't see it, as I'd parked on it. Needless to say, as soon as I pulled it out, the tyre went flat.... Etyres managed to repair it tho (I'd bought it from them so they offer a free repair service).

tomgregory2000 - 12/2/09 at 09:03 AM

I would vote wheel nuts/bolts.
I had a knock from one of my wheels and it turned out to be 2 wheel bolts rolling around inside the centre cap and onother one was loose and the other was only just tight enough, so i now make sure all my wheel nuts/bolts are tight

richardh - 12/2/09 at 09:08 AM

WISHBONE loose or ball joint play?

Mr Whippy - 12/2/09 at 09:09 AM

quote:
Originally posted by tomgregory2000
I would vote wheel nuts/bolts.
I had a knock from one of my wheels and it turned out to be 2 wheel bolts rolling around inside the centre cap and onother one was loose and the other was only just tight enough, so i now make sure all my wheel nuts/bolts are tight



thats why alloy wheel nuts are not a good idea...

mcerd1 - 12/2/09 at 09:14 AM

quote:
Originally posted by nib1980
quote:
Originally posted by mcerd1
does it go away when you stear to the left or right ?


I didn't notice but i can check in the car park later

it could be a CV joint or a wheel bearing
a bearing would be more of a 'rumble' and a CV more of a knock

as you brake/ accelerate/ steer your shifting the load on and off each corner of the car - so you should here/ feel a difference

I'd expect a noisy wheel bearing to go quiet when you steer to one side of other (normal driving, not crawing pace - enough that the will lean slightly)

and a CV will probably get louder the tighter a lock you use (you shouln't need much speed for this)



the last time on my 106 it was a wheel bearing and the time before that it was a bolt stuck in the tyre
but if it was something stuck in a tyre I wouldn't expect it to go away when you brake / accelerate


thats all worst case though - just hope its something simple like the wheel nuts

jack up each corner (with a decent jack - you don't want to get squashed) and give the wheel a good shake top to bottom and left to right and have a good look around

[Edited on 12/2/09 by mcerd1]

[Edited on 12/2/09 by mcerd1]

nib1980 - 12/2/09 at 09:31 AM

right oh. I'll have a good look at dinner, and check the wheel nuts.

If it is a CV joint or bearing, how safe is it gonna be to drive home? (about 20 miles)

cd.thomson - 12/2/09 at 10:09 AM

the wheel bearing went in my fiesta - before everything else broke .

I'd say not safe at all. I drove it on a "squeak/knock" which after 10 miles changed to a very painful sounding screech and by the time I got it into the garage I'd wrecked the ABS sensor on the wheel and it was apparently trying to detach itself from my car (the wheel that is, not the sensor).

It may not be the bearing though.. so dont worry

Daddylonglegs - 12/2/09 at 10:49 AM

quote:
Originally posted by cd.thomson
...It may not be the bearing though.. so dont worry




Think it may be a bit late for that

nib1980 - 12/2/09 at 10:51 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Daddylonglegs
quote:
Originally posted by cd.thomson
...It may not be the bearing though.. so dont worry




Think it may be a bit late for that




indeed, i'm gonna go out and check at dinner, but if it is shafted, i'm screwed, as i can't get home, my other car at home won't start and my kit is in bits again. another fantastic thing to add to the list.



but fingers crossed its the nuts....

MikeRJ - 12/2/09 at 10:56 AM

I had a Citroen AX GTi that had the exact same symptoms i.e. knocking noise would go away under power. I found out the cause when the diff made a bid for freedom!

[Edited on 12/2/09 by MikeRJ]

mcerd1 - 12/2/09 at 11:58 AM

what kind of car is it anyway ?
(or did I miss that bit)

nib1980 - 12/2/09 at 12:00 PM

quote:
Originally posted by mcerd1
what kind of car is it anyway ?
(or did I miss that bit)


Nissan Micra. 55 plate


( but I'm not at work at the minute )

John.Taylor - 12/2/09 at 12:27 PM

I had the same thing a couple of years back in an Audi A4 - started making a speed related ticking noise from the front on my way home from Manchester. I thought it must be a stone so carried on but it didn't go away even with a few wheel spins so I pulled over before getting on the M61 to check the tyres but couldn't find anything.

I was cruising at a good pace in the outside lane when the front left wheel blew out just before the Chorley junction - I managed to get over to the hard shoulder and change the tyre which I found had a chunk missing on the inside wall where an M8 hex coach screw that was embedded in the tread had poked it's way out.

nib1980 - 12/2/09 at 12:49 PM

well boy and girls, guess whose feeling like a special one now.

was just a bout to go up and have a look when a mate walked in and said i had a look, here the loose wheel nuts i took off by hand.

have fun


i feel such an idiot

Daddylonglegs - 12/2/09 at 12:56 PM

Better that he found them rather than the Motorway Maintenance crews

Glad it's sorted

cd.thomson - 12/2/09 at 01:00 PM

told you not to worry!

owelly - 12/2/09 at 02:27 PM

Do I win a prize??

What may have happened, is that when you fitted the discs, they weren't seated on the spigot correctly so when you tightened up the studs, they were tight but as the disc has wiggled onto the spigot, it has loosened the studs, if you see what I mean?

Anyhoo, a cheap easy fix!

mcerd1 - 12/2/09 at 02:39 PM

quote:
Originally posted by owelly
Anyhoo, a cheap easy fix!


.... as long as you catch it quick enough

Ninehigh - 12/2/09 at 07:31 PM

quote:
Originally posted by mcerd1
quote:
Originally posted by owelly
Anyhoo, a cheap easy fix!


.... as long as you catch it quick enough

Yeah this happened to me once, and when I checked it one bolt was firmly in, two others were loose and the final one had escaped. I normally recognise the noise of not tightening the bolts enough pretty quickly only I hadn't changed the wheel in months!