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[Rob Hart]

I have a 1995 3.0l elite saloon. When I drive over a bump in the road such as a sleeping policman I get a real klonk from under the front of the car. The automatic gear stick also wobbles when this happens.
On the straight the car drives and steers very well, its just when i go over a small bump that this very prominant klong happens
any ideas !? rob

[VX1]

I suspect your lower wishbones are knackered. Change the wishbones and the drop links and this will stop the knocking.

Paul  

[Jimbob]

Sounds fairly droplink like
poss wishbones  :-/

[Rob Hart]

hi Jimbob.
I found a thread from a chap who had the same problems, he changed the wishbone bushes and droplinks and it solved his problems.
With your comments thats got to be it. Thanks very much

[Elite Pete]

I would replace the drop links first, thier cheaper

[Rob Hart]

Hi.
Thanks for that suggestion and apologies for my ignorance but what exactly do the drop links do? are they responsible for smoothing out the impact on the front wheels when they go over a bump? Rob

[andyiow]

The droplink connect the front anti-roll bar to the suspension system. Thus doing thier best to keep the tyres, as best they can, at the correct angle when cornering etc.

Someone will know doubt have a more technical explaination

[philhoward]

Close..an anti-roll bar tries to keep the wheels parallel to the body.  As the road is (usually) flat and the body tried to roll to the opposite side to that which you are travelling (its called inertia), the anti-roll bar (I'll call it the ARB from now  - too many words) tries to keep the body and wheels at the same distance from each other.

As a wheel goes either higher or lower than its counterpart on the other side, the ARB (which is actually a torsion bar, or uncoiled spring) uses its resistance to twisting to try and stop the body buggering off at a silly angle.

The drop link are what connects the ARB (which is bolted to the body) to the wishbones (which are connected to the wheel).  If they're shot, then there's a bit of free play before the ARB finally gets chance to do its job.  When the free play movement stops, then things stop moving rapidly (usually with a clonk)...

Why is body roll bad?  For 2 reasons - the occupants feel ill, and also the centre of gravity shifts that far that the tyres are overcome, hence you end up losing grip and usually the car no longer faces the right direction.  The heavier the object, the greater its resistance to a change of direction.  At some point, this will overcome the friction of tyres and tamac.  An ARB will lower the effective lever point for the mass of a Mig...as well as allowing more tyre rubber to stay in contact with the road to increase the frictional resistance to the inertia.

Does that make any sense?  Had a couple of sherberts, so i tend to waffle..

[Lazydocker]

Close..an anti-roll bar tries to keep the wheels parallel to the body.  As the road is (usually) flat and the body tried to roll to the opposite side to that which you are travelling (its called inertia), the anti-roll bar (I'll call it the ARB from now  - too many words) tries to keep the body and wheels at the same distance from each other.

As a wheel goes either higher or lower than its counterpart on the other side, the ARB (which is actually a torsion bar, or uncoiled spring) uses its resistance to twisting to try and stop the body buggering off at a silly angle.

The drop link are what connects the ARB (which is bolted to the body) to the wishbones (which are connected to the wheel).  If they're shot, then there's a bit of free play before the ARB finally gets chance to do its job.  When the free play movement stops, then things stop moving rapidly (usually with a clonk)...

Why is body roll bad?  For 2 reasons - the occupants feel ill, and also the centre of gravity shifts that far that the tyres are overcome, hence you end up losing grip and usually the car no longer faces the right direction.  The heavier the object, the greater its resistance to a change of direction.  At some point, this will overcome the friction of tyres and tamac.  An ARB will lower the effective lever point for the mass of a Mig...as well as allowing more tyre rubber to stay in contact with the road to increase the frictional resistance to the inertia.

Does that make any sense?  Had a couple of sherberts, so i tend to waffle..

Waffle away... Pretty good explanation actually!!  

[philhoward]

I'll do a better one when i'm a little more compos mentus...like Saturday morning!

Glad it made semse to someone!

[feeutfo]

i find 4 is about right. Pints i mean, 5 and i start arguing
With experts, like a twonk.
Made sense to me.

[Rob Hart]

Hi.

Thanks for all your help guys. I took the elite to a main Vauxhall dealer (county motor works in chelmsford, possibly the worst garage on the planet) who reported that the noise is being caused by the fact that both front wishbone bushes are split.
They quoted me £800 for them to be replaced !( apparantly they have to send the wishbones away to have the old bush taken off and new ones squeezed on) this seems to be a lot of money for a couple of bits of rubber, am I being had here? Any ideas what a normal general garage would charge to do the job?

[Lazydocker]

Hi.

Thanks for all your help guys. I took the elite to a main Vauxhall dealer (county motor works in chelmsford, possibly the worst garage on the planet) who reported that the noise is being caused by the fact that both front wishbone bushes are split.
They quoted me £800 for them to be replaced !( apparantly they have to send the wishbones away to have the old bush taken off and new ones squeezed on) this seems to be a lot of money for a couple of bits of rubber, am I being had here? Any ideas what a normal general garage would charge to do the job?

Struth I'm going into business changing wishbones!!!! I'll do it for £400 for you   and still make a huge profit!!!  

On a serious note. That is horrendous! You can buy a pair of wishbones for around the £50 mark and they are easy to fit... Just a bit fiddly for access!!! If you come along to the East Anglian meet with the parts I'll give you a hand there!  

[Lazydocker]

Oh, and can you update your profile please so we know where you are and what you drive???  

[feeutfo]

 wtf... being had?!?... Thats gang rape.
...£800...
If you want the same quality parts
Lemforder make the wishbonds for vx they can be
Had from autovaux for 120 plus delivery a pair. Mention
The forum and i hear they will knock some off.
As said tho pattern parts can be had for 50 a pair. But
Are said not to last as long.
There is a guide on here. Not hard to diy. Just remember
To do the rear mounting point first and torque up
Correctly. 120 nm or something like that. So you need
A big torque wrench i suppose. There is a post
On the board same page as this one that gives the correct
Torque setting.

Never ever ever ever EVER let a dealer work on your
car, unfortunately some things only they can do, but
They are phew
  Honestly.
God alive,...  800 bloody quid.

Welcome to the forum, by the way.


edit.  link added
http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1216930435