Prev: Audi S3?
Next: It wont stay shut by itself
From: Harry Bloomfield on 6 Jun 2010 04:54
I have been working my way gradually through some of the minor faults
and annoyances which came with this car and I have just got to a noise
from the steering as you turn the wheel at low speed.

It is a twang from the suspension spring as you turn it one way, then
another as you turn it back, close to the straight ahead position of
the wheel. This I understand is because of the bearing or bush on top
of the strut being slightly tight, then suddenly releasing. It works
smoothly the rest of the way either side of that.

Question - Can this bush or bearing be lubricated?
Alternatively, if I were to jack it up and undo the three nuts holding
the strut top into the turret under the bonnet, would it do any good to
turn that through 120 degrees to the next position along?

I cannot see much detail of how it works from the exploded diagrams.

--
Regards,
Harry (M1BYT) (L)
http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk


From: Dave Plowman (News) on 6 Jun 2010 05:42
In article <mn.32527da621aa0bc2.106911(a)NOSPAM.tiscali.co.uk>,
Harry Bloomfield <harry.m1byt(a)NOSPAM.tiscali.co.uk> wrote:
> I have been working my way gradually through some of the minor faults
> and annoyances which came with this car and I have just got to a noise
> from the steering as you turn the wheel at low speed.

> It is a twang from the suspension spring as you turn it one way, then
> another as you turn it back, close to the straight ahead position of
> the wheel. This I understand is because of the bearing or bush on top
> of the strut being slightly tight, then suddenly releasing. It works
> smoothly the rest of the way either side of that.

> Question - Can this bush or bearing be lubricated?
> Alternatively, if I were to jack it up and undo the three nuts holding
> the strut top into the turret under the bonnet, would it do any good to
> turn that through 120 degrees to the next position along?

> I cannot see much detail of how it works from the exploded diagrams.

It's more likely to be the spring moving slightly on its support. I dunno
if there is some form of 'gasket' between spring and housing which could
have failed. My SD1 Rover has done this from new after a cold start but
then never again that day. And the same after a suspension re-build. Which
included new ball bearings to the top mount - even although the originals
were ok.

--
*Being healthy is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die.

Dave Plowman dave(a)davenoise.co.uk London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.
From: Harry Bloomfield on 6 Jun 2010 05:56
Dave Plowman (News) wrote :
> It's more likely to be the spring moving slightly on its support. I dunno
> if there is some form of 'gasket' between spring and housing which could
> have failed. My SD1 Rover has done this from new after a cold start but
> then never again that day. And the same after a suspension re-build. Which
> included new ball bearings to the top mount - even although the originals
> were ok.

It is difficult to actually see what is happening, because it is not
easy to reproduce the noise and it only does it with weight on it.
There is not much room to see up there or get hands in with the road
wheel fitted.

A large swing left to right of the steering wheel tends not to cause
it, but a small amount of gentle rocking between 11 and 1 o'clock do.
The gentle you are turning the wheel, the more likely the noise.

All I know for sure is that if you touch the spring as the noise
occurs, you can actually feel it twang.

--
Regards,
Harry (M1BYT) (L)
http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk


From: Harry Bloomfield on 6 Jun 2010 10:05
Dave Plowman (News) used his keyboard to write :
> It's more likely to be the spring moving slightly on its support. I dunno
> if there is some form of 'gasket' between spring and housing which could
> have failed. My SD1 Rover has done this from new after a cold start but
> then never again that day. And the same after a suspension re-build. Which
> included new ball bearings to the top mount - even although the originals
> were ok.

After a little more investigation...

The spring ends are sleeved in a rubber cover and no sign of any
movement between springs a their 'dishes' at either end. The plate (and
I assume bush or bearing) which bolts under the turret can be turned
but will not relocate 120 degrees due to the plate being angled to
suite the angle of the turret. I am also now of the opinion that the
bearing is NOT the cause.

Difficult to be certain, but - The noise seems to be entirely generated
by the spring as it comes under slightly different pressure as the
strut rotates and spring rotates. A tie wrap pulled tight from the top
coil to the bottom one seems to help reduce the noise quite a lot.

--
Regards,
Harry (M1BYT) (L)
http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk


From: Duncan Wood on 6 Jun 2010 18:35
On Sun, 06 Jun 2010 15:05:51 +0100, Harry Bloomfield
<harry.m1byt(a)nospam.tiscali.co.uk> wrote:

> Dave Plowman (News) used his keyboard to write :
>> It's more likely to be the spring moving slightly on its support. I
>> dunno
>> if there is some form of 'gasket' between spring and housing which could
>> have failed. My SD1 Rover has done this from new after a cold start but
>> then never again that day. And the same after a suspension re-build.
>> Which
>> included new ball bearings to the top mount - even although the
>> originals
>> were ok.
>
> After a little more investigation...
>
> The spring ends are sleeved in a rubber cover and no sign of any
> movement between springs a their 'dishes' at either end. The plate (and
> I assume bush or bearing) which bolts under the turret can be turned but
> will not relocate 120 degrees due to the plate being angled to suite the
> angle of the turret. I am also now of the opinion that the bearing is
> NOT the cause.
>
> Difficult to be certain, but - The noise seems to be entirely generated
> by the spring as it comes under slightly different pressure as the strut
> rotates and spring rotates. A tie wrap pulled tight from the top coil to
> the bottom one seems to help reduce the noise quite a lot.
>

It's a fairly soft spring so it'll wind up quite a lot if there's any
stiction in the top bearing/bush, a little rubber lube won't hurt, or if
it's irritating you after that then undersealing the spring may well shut
it up enough.
 |  Next  |  Last
Pages: 1 2
Prev: Audi S3?
Next: It wont stay shut by itself