Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Entwood]

The old dear (car not Chris !!  ) has developed a clonking / knocking from the front left corner when doing slow speed, tightish, constant radius, turns , especially to the right, but also but to a lesser degree, to the left ... most noticeable when turning into parking bays etc. No noises when passing over sleeping policemen/speed humps/potholes etc.

My thinking from reading numerous past threads on here is that the droplinks need replacing ?? and I believe these are always done in pairs ?? Is a full geometry check needed post droplink change ??

Am I on the right track, or is it something completely different ?? I've had a poke around with a pry bar but I have no idea what I'm looking for and what is right compared to what is wrong !!

Any advice, as always, much appreciated

Nige

[tunnie]

Droplinks typically show up as worn, when going over speed bumps. But you say nothing going over them?
Easily to test, car in air both sides at front. Wiggle the droplink for play, usually very easy to detect. Even I can see it on old GM ones fitted to 3.2 before Meyle went on.

Suspect something else though. 

[Entwood]

Droplinks typically show up as worn, when going over speed bumps. But you say nothing going over them?
Easily to test, car in air both sides at front. Wiggle the droplink for play, usually very easy to detect. Even I can see it on old GM ones fitted to 3.2 before Meyle went on.

Suspect something else though. 

Thanks for that... could it be the steering idler then ??

http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/index.php?topic=90626.0

 

[Nick W]

At around a couple of minutes(once you've jacked up the car) and a tenner per side, it's not worth doing just one. They do not affect the alignment.


But if the problem is happening when steering, it's more likely to be something in the steering linkage; outer trackrods, center trackrod or idler. My experience of steering box linkages suggests it won't be the idler unless the devil skated to work, but that goes against OOF dogma.




I've also had this problem with catastrophically failed struts and/or topmounts & bearings, but they would be a longway down the list.


Droplinks are the only part that don't require alignment, although I might chance wishbone replacement without

[Entwood]

At around a couple of minutes(once you've jacked up the car) and a tenner per side, it's not worth doing just one. They do not affect the alignment.


But if the problem is happening when steering, it's more likely to be something in the steering linkage; outer trackrods, center trackrod or idler. My experience of steering box linkages suggests it won't be the idler unless the devil skated to work, but that goes against OOF dogma.

It doesn't knock whilst moving the steering wheel when stationary, but if the steering is used at a hardish lock (turning into a parking bay) and the car is rolling forward slowly, then the knocking / clonking can be heard throughout the manouvre, so I guess the steering is constantly changing throughout. The idler has never been changed on this car ... 177,000 miles, the drop links and outer trackrod ends were done at 100,000 ..

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VAUXHALL-OMEGA-B-3-2-Idler-Pitman-Steering-Arm-01-to-03-Y32SE-920352-920368-Febi/332358430957

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-x-FOR-VAUXHALL-CARLTON-OMEGA-86-94-FRONT-PAIR-STABILISER-ANTI-ROLL-BAR-LINK/291285459903

For the sake of £41 and a days work  I'm tempted to do all three I know it is NOT "proper" diagnosis, but I don't have the skill set to know what I'm looking for !!

[Nick W]

I wouldn't replace the idler until I was utterly certain that all six trackrod balljoints were satisfactory.


Droplinks are such a common failure and cheap repair whatever they're fitted to, that I would replace them without checking. My experience of them makes this the most efficient use of time.

[Kevin Wood]

Drop links normally rattle noticeably in the straight ahead position. When turning they are loaded by the anti roll bar so tend to quieten.

They are the most common failure, though, as said.

If you jack up both sides so the arb is unloaded, you can normally feel play in them. My gut feeling is that it's going to be track rod balljoints or the idler, though. (or a wishbone bush)

[Doctor Gollum]

With the front end off the ground, the offending item will be easy enough to find

[Doctor Gollum]

With the front end off the ground, the offending item will be easy enough to find

Might also be the ball joint on the wishbone... Top mounts tend to creak or click rather than clonk.

Basically if it has a ball joint, then check it. 

[Entwood]

With the front end off the ground, the offending item will be easy enough to find

Might be for you .. but I ain't got a clue !! 

Oh how I wish we still had OOF meets ... experts to tell me exactly what I need to change and the fee for the "consultation" little more than a few cans, a decent bottle of scotch, and for one special memebr .. a good glass of port ...

[Andy B]

With the front end off the ground, the offending item will be easy enough to find

Might be for you .. but I ain't got a clue !! 

Oh how I wish we still had OOF meets ... experts to tell me exactly what I need to change and the fee for the "consultation" little more than a few cans, a decent bottle of scotch, and for one special memebr .. a good glass of port ...

When you have your car MOTd, the tester will raise the front & use a pry bar under each wheel and lever up against it. The other tester will have a hand on bottom ball joints feeling for play. This is what you are looking for. Also with a hand at 3 o'clock & 9 o'clock try rocking the wheel left & right .... also feeling for any clunks which will be track rod ends or steering linkages.

[Doctor Gollum]

With the front end off the ground, the offending item will be easy enough to find

Might be for you .. but I ain't got a clue !! 

Oh how I wish we still had OOF meets ... experts to tell me exactly what I need to change and the fee for the "consultation" little more than a few cans, a decent bottle of scotch, and for one special memebr .. a good glass of port ...

Does everyone lose their faculties when they retire?

Nige, have a little faith... you know your car almost* as well is I knew my plod estate

*I say almost as I don't recall you having rewired yours. Twice

Joking aside, if you genuinely cannot identify a ratty balljoint or two from the ten across the front of the car then you should probably bring it over here one day

[Entwood]

mmmm .. might be a bit more to this than I thought ...

Due to a friend being taken poorly and being in a bit of a predicament, today I drove my car about 40 miles to their place, then drove their Audi A6 just under 200 mile round trip back to their place, then the omega back home ........ 

On the drive home in the omega I was instantly surprised by the amount of "wander" in the steering, I'd not noticed it before and can only guess that it has "crept up" on me and that driving the A6 for a decent distance has given my tired old brain a better reference for comparison..   

So, investigation will occur as soon as possible, Up in the air, weight off the wheels and I'll prod and push a pry bar into anything I can think of and hopefully I'll notice what is wrong !!

BTW DG .. it's not a matter of losing faculties ...  I've never been shown/taught/learned how to diagnose suspension bits using a prybar ... can't lose something you've never had !! 

[Doctor Gollum]

Most of the trick with the Omega is getting the geometry right. The mechanicals are all pretty clear cut.

For your purposes, a pry bar isn't necessary 

Jack the front end and support it.

1. turn the steering lock to lock with the engine off.
2. grab the track rods and try to twist.
3. grab the wheels in turn. key out, steering lock engaged and rock side to side (track rod play) and top and bottom (bottom ball joint).
4. grab the tie rod and try to twist.
5. grab the drop links and try to twist.
6. grab the steering idler and box drop arm and try to move up and down.

You're looking to identify any noises or excessive movement... a good ball joint will move by hand but will feel tight. A knackered one will literally rattle as you shake it

If gripping is an issue, use mole grips. Same applies but allow for the extra leverage wrt movement

[Entwood]

Most of the trick with the Omega is getting the geometry right. The mechanicals are all pretty clear cut.

For your purposes, a pry bar isn't necessary 

Jack the front end and support it.

1. turn the steering lock to lock with the engine off.
2. grab the track rods and try to twist.
3. grab the wheels in turn. key out, steering lock engaged and rock side to side (track rod play) and top and bottom (bottom ball joint).
4. grab the tie rod and try to twist.
5. grab the drop links and try to twist.
6. grab the steering idler and box drop arm and try to move up and down.

You're looking to identify any noises or excessive movement... a good ball joint will move by hand but will feel tight. A knackered one will literally rattle as you shake it

If gripping is an issue, use mole grips. Same applies but allow for the extra leverage wrt movement

Printed off, ready for tomorrow if its dry ...   

Many thanks