left side wheel noise

bikeman17

When driving over humps or uneven road or in general I get a small clank noise coming from the front passenger side of the wheel area. I took my car to two mechanics and they both reckon they have identified the problem. Parts and labour was only £20 diff between the two so I went with the cheaper option.

Anyway after two days the noise came back! The mechanic I used is now on leave and not back for another week.

Any idea what could be the cause?

The car is a mercedes w203 52 plate

colino

Normally a clunk you would bet on a drop link, but the C Class control arms can give the same noise. Vast difference in price in getting it fixed, so the whole front should get a good check over before throwing money at it.
Only worry is that the noise, "came back" so maybe he fitted a real cheapo drop link and it's already failed?

bikeman17

It cost me £200 for parts and labour. The parts where quite a long metal bar for each side. It cost near £180. Both the mechanic showed me on their phone which part is required from euro car parts so I know what needed replacing

Quiet_Spark

bikeman17 wrote: »

so I know what needed replacing

You still haven't told us what the parts were that needed changing, nor whether they were genuine OEM or cheap Chinese crap.

scotsbob

I had this problem with my car. Drop links replaced, then bushes replaced and still had the "clank."
Then found someone in the car club who had the same problem and it was coming from the brake caliper as there wasn't enough grease on the brake sliders.

specialboy

I'm getting a rattling from my front end every time I drive (renault traffic) the sound goes if I lightly touch the brakes so I know it's brake related, I stripped it down and replaced the slider pins and greased the pads and slides but the noise is still there, having googled the problem it appears that the pads may be faulty. Have you tried applying e brakes gently when driving OP to see if the noise ceases?

gilbert_and_sullivan

Presumably the mech changed both front control arms/wishbones, if he didn't it could well be bottom ball joints, though those are usually replaceable on MB's, they tend to creak when seizing up.

Noises like this can be really difficult to trace, and you can't always trust your ears because the sound can travel.

I'd buy an aerosol can of dinitrol or any other similar waxy rustproofer, and give a single suspected section of the suspension a blast with the stuff until the noise vanishes, these rustproofers have a bonus of quietening suspension and creaking bodywork.

Not suggesting you leave it once you've shut it up, but it can help in tracing these things.

Above posts about brakes are worth investigating, but i'd have thought the mechanics would have eliminated that.

facade

My Nissan was driving me mad with suspension noise, took 3 weeks to sort it.

BANG! it went BANG BANG BANG! sounded like a broken spring twanging. With the window wound down it was like a pistol shot. :eek:

Nothing visibly broken, detached or cracked, nothing loose. Sprayed all the suspension rubbers and antiroll bar bushes with silicone spray.

BANG BANG BANG!

Got the wireless turned up to "ear bleed" and I can still hear it :mad:

It won't do it pushing and pulling on the wing, only when driving.

Changed those drop links

CREEEEEK CREEEEK CREEEEK! it went, nearly as loud as the banging.
(At least now I don't think the wheels are going to snap off )

But it still doesn't do it when I jump up and down on the car in the drive, or as I jack it up. :mad:

Finally, someone suggested that I take the suspension strut off, and smear rubber grease on the top bearing where it meets the car.
Unfortunately, this is a major stripdown on a Nissan, even the windscreen wipers have to come off :mad::mad:.

However, copious amounts of silicone spray around the inside where the strut comes through into the engine bay and allowing it to soak in and repeat has cured it!

Hurrah! :T:T:T

Unbelievable the difference it makes driving a car that doesn't CREEEK CREEEK BANG BANG


Don't use stuff like wd40 as it damages the rubber