[Guest]

Guess what?
My Evo is sick again. This time I am getting a regular clunk on full right lock. Its quite loud and certainly can be heard above the engine with the windows shut. I instantly thought CV joint and booked the car in (Wednesday this week) for a check. I have had a look at it today and and the driveshaft feels fine to me with hardly any play in it, in fact the left and right driveshafts feel the same. I have also checked the anti-roll bar and suspension bushes and they look and feel solid as far as I can tell. Of course when the car is jacked up it doesn't make the clunk (typical but I assumed it wouldn't anyway) so it is making it hard to diagnose.
I am starting to suspect the steering rack as there is quite a marked gurgle (possibly air but it just sounds like fluid moving) when moving from lock to lock. The fluid level is fine, actually a while back I had to take some out because it was over filled and leaking out the top, it is now on the Max mark. I have tried bleeding it (hold it on full lock for 20-30 seconds with the pump going) and it has made no difference so there could possibly be a leak sucking air in (thanks Paul for the info). It could also be a problem with the stop in the rack. Is the rack supposed to be silent? (I am talking about listening to it while under the car)
Before I condemn the rack however, I have heard that there is a problem with the top suspension mounts on the E6 with them drying up. I doubt that it would be this but could they cause a regular clunk (e.g. once every rotation of the wheel) and at no other time than on full right lock or just off full lock?
I sorted out the top mounts on a TR7 I had (cough, cough did you hear that, no? good!) just by cleaning them up and re-greasing them. The only symptoms of the problem with those was a squeak but it was all the time and not just on full lock.

I know its difficult diagnosing problems from a distance but any suggestions would be appreciated.

Watch out for a new thread......'How reliable is your Evo?' sigh

 

[Guest]

Track rod end maybe?
Yr right tho , it cud be anything , top mounts a definate poss , ar bushes also.

Can u feel anything thru the steering wheel or pedals when it clunks ?

Good luck

 

[Guest]

Sorry I didn't say but I also checked the track rod end and it was OK. The wheel bearing is also OK.

As for the feel, thats also the weird thing, can't feel much at all! I tried feeling the clutch and it seems OK. The steering is also nice and smooth. I will have another test run this afternoon and check but I'm stumped apart from the steering rack noise.

Thanks Evoboy.

 

[Guest]

I dropped the car down and had a quick run about on full lock up and down our driveway. The noise is gone with it only occansionally appearing on full lock and then only briefly. I must admit this makes think it is tending towards a suspension problem that was 'cured' when it was jacked up. I will take it to work tommorrow and see if it does again.

Does anyone know what the problem with the top mounts is?

I see what is going to happen when I take it into the (ahem) experts on wednesday. 'We can't find anything wrong and heres a nice fat bill'. I think I will get them to sort out the wheel alignment so its not a wasted day if they can't find anything.

 

[Guest]

Not knowing how loud it was, my tip would be a wound up spring. The standard springs have a tendency to wind up and they will unwind when the car is jacked up. I know this cause I had the same problem when I still had my standard suspension. One cure is to fix the spring to the topmount with locking wire. You'll probably have to drill holes into the topmount, but it's not too bad.

 

[Guest]

Ive got an E6 and had the same kind of noise you are explaining, mine happens when im turning into a parking space slowly on full lock its quite a loud knock.
I contacted alan at Dragon Autosport and he checked the car and there was nothing wrong with it. He told me that it was probably the power steering, something to do with the pump i cant quite remember but he said its not a problem so i left as that (if it hasnt fallen of why replace it!) maybe you could give him a call and ask him.

Be the way mine dosnt seem to do it any more (STRANGE)
Good Luck any way

 

[Guest]

HH6 try turning the car in to full r/h/lock and stopping,try to lift and drop the n/s/f wheel by holding the wheel arch and the inner wing,you might be able to get the knocking as the suspention is under load? ANNA

 

[Guest]

Thanks for all the replies.

MichealK,
I have heard about that before with the rear suspension so it looks like it happens to the front as well. As you say it could well be that as jacking the car up would unload the spring and perhaps shift it back. By the way the noise was very loud (you could hear it from several yards away with the engine running) so much so I only used the car for short journeys on the last few days.

Whatthef*,
I will give Alan a ring tommorrow and see what he reckons. If he thinks its not a problem and the noise has disapeared then I might cancel my appointment and wait for the 22.5k service (1k away). As I got the Dragon Brake kit off him I am sure he won't mind me giving him a ring even though he is a busy chap http://www.ltregister.f9.co.uk/graphics/wink1.gif border|EQU| 0 align|EQU| absmiddle >

Anna,
Good idea. I tried jacking up the bottom of the suspension arm while the car was up on axle stands. I did this so I could try and hear it from underneath while the strut was under load, unfortunately with no luck but thanks for the tip.

Elvis,
Thanks for the email, very interesting!

 

[Guest]

Drove 30 miles to work and the noise has come back http://www.ltregister.f9.co.uk/graphics/sad1.gif border|EQU| 0 align|EQU| absmiddle >
I am starting to think it may be power steering/rack problem but I will leave it up to the (ahem) experts on wednesday.

 

[Guest]

HH6 Is the noise only noticeable at low speed? If it is, it could be your glands - so to speak!

Front shock absorber/s that is.

A good test is get a friend - if you have any - to drive the car very slowly around a car park in a tight circle with the bonnet up. Put your hand on the strut top and you can feel the strut clonk.

Both my E5 and my RS450 had this and new struts cured it.

 

[Guest]

Thanks Dragon, I think! (How did you know I don't have any friends?)
I managed to feel the driveshaft, steering arm and anti-roll bar while it was clunking today and it is coming from the driveshaft or diff/transfer box.
I think I have it sussed thanks to Elvis (the king!) and I will let you know if we are right because if we are then it could be a very interesting development!

 

[Guest]

...however after speaking to GSRred I am still unsure. Oh well I will wait and see what the verdict is.

 

[Guest]

...and after I get it sorted I will be on the phone to Autotrader, enough is enough, Evo's simply don't like me

 

[Guest]

Play with FIRE, expect to get burnt! http://www.ltregister.f9.co.uk/graphics/biggrin1.gif border|EQU| 0 align|EQU| absmiddle >.
Anyway you could always be the first to own a RWD Evo VI [img]http://www.ltregister.f9.co.uk/graphics/wink1.gif border|EQU| 0 align|EQU| absmiddle >.

Paul.

 

[Guest]

Hi Heave HO.

My E4 does the Clonk while parking noise from the NSF and NSR from time to time. It has always done this since I have owned the car....18Months-ish. I have heard many people talk of this annoyance and most of them never have been able to fix it. The two main culprits seem to be the strut tops and the damper itself. I describe my noise as a DUG .
Almost like when you kneel down and your knee joint cracks but deeper !?!.

You will not sort this small problem easily without swapping the suspension leg and seeing if its gone. I wouldn't jump to the conclusion that its the steering rack as I have read many cases of this noise when the rack is replaced at considerable cost and the noise remains.

When(If) you finally sort it then please post the outcome as I would be keen to know what you find.

Cheers Jonathan

 

[Guest]

Jon,
I'm 99% certain its not the steering rack/trackrod ends. I have narrowed it down to suspension or driveshaft/transfer box. Anyway I will wait and hear the verdict today.

GSRred,
'Hey Cleatus get ma shotgun, I got me a irish possum to kill' http://www.ltregister.f9.co.uk/graphics/wink1.gif border|EQU| 0 align|EQU| absmiddle >
Anyway I thought you were the first with a RWD Evo.....sorry dressed up 1800GSR [img]http://www.ltregister.f9.co.uk/graphics/wink1.gif border|EQU| 0 align|EQU| absmiddle >

 

[Guest]

HH´6 don't despair. My car had lots of troubles at the beginning, but now it works. Incidentally, the problems on my car disappeared at about the same time when I stopped taking my car to PE.... Your Evo will pay you back when it gets sorted again.

 

[Guest]

Thanks Michael.

Just got the verdict from Mill Lane and the noise is from the...........Transfer Box. What a suprise the most expensive thing it could possibly have been (its more expensive than the gearbox!) and of course there are no service parts for it (I have been informed by someone else). Good job I have a decent Mitsubishi Warranty now although the claim limit will get a good caning.

GSRred,
Perhaps Elvis is right, although after our discussion I am not sure. Mill Lane can't sort it until Tuesday next week so I will check at the weekend whether I have a LSD on the front via your method. I gave Mill Lane a print of the email conversation I had with Elvis so they know the LSD fault could be a possible answer.
Will your method definitly prove that it is a LSD or not?

Cheers

 

[Guest]

HH6,
hmmmmmmm that was a LOW BLOW!!http://www.ltregister.f9.co.uk/graphics/happy1.gif border|EQU| 0 align|EQU| absmiddle >.
Anyway yes the method i described will teell you if you have LSD or not. My mate who rebuilds the group N VI gearboxes showed me this method and it hasn't failed yet.

Tell your bucktooth friend Cleatus that Possums don't exist in Ireland [img]http://www.ltregister.f9.co.uk/graphics/biggrin1.gif border|EQU| 0 align|EQU| absmiddle >..

Paul.C

 

[Guest]

How strange that always the most expensive parts have to be replaced...

I agree with MichaelK that there are significant sounds from the suspension mounts etc, probably also the springs (TME) when you exit turns on weight transfer etc.

Changing the suspensions helps indeed.