Advice on knocking sound

[chigmuss]

Hi guys, I'm confident someone can help diagnose or has had experience of an annoying problem I'm having.

I've finally completed replacing pretty much everything  chassis wise under the car. New alloy front arms/hubs, joints, steering arms, WALK, top mounts, springs/shocks (eibach/bilstein) brake discs, calipers lines and even more extensive out back with new rear subframe and arms.

Got the car MOT'd all fine and geo done after 4 new tyres.

All bolts were brand new VW stretch bolts. (Can you tell how deep I went into the piggy bank yet!!!)

So, it's disappointing that I now have a knocking sound coming from the front over uneven roads we have or hard acceleration/braking.

I've been over every bolt and checked for torque (despite the fact some torque plus quarter etc.) and nothing is amiss. The driveshafts weren't touched so I haven't tried those but everything else is as it should be. The car has the VW shims under the frame.

Does this sound like subframe creaking to anyone?

If that seems to be the opinion then a second question is are the Creation Motorsport kits any good compared to the Tyrol Deadset kits as they are much better value (for what amounts to a dozen or so inserts and bolts).

Any similar experiences/solutions greatly appreciated as I'm tearing my hair out trying to diagnose this....

[Jb55]

Steering rack is a possibility

[andyiseddy02]

Subframe spacers?

[Stupots]

When I had a knocking sound on an uneven road it was that the drop links, that I'd replaced 2 years previous, had failed.

Also, what top mounts did you use? The bearing should be a tight fit into the top mount and not fall out when inverted.
This video is discussing some aftermarket top mounts, but the point of this video is that if the bearing is not tight in the top mount you may get a knocking noise.

=214

Also, the top mounts have a certain orientation (arrow should point front and back of car (as same part fits both sides) and be on the inside nearest the engine).


Just throwing a few ideas out there; I hope you get it sorted (I've had a knock on 3 point turns for 3 years now so know just how annoying a knock is).

Stu

[chigmuss]

Cheers for the replies so far guys, I've checked the hub nuts and they're reading correct torque and more, which equates to the extra quarter.
Good shout on the top mounts Stupots, they are VW but I now wish I'd gone for the TTRS ones while I was there! It's gonna be a b*tch checking the torque on the top nut (I did it with my impact gun) so I know they're the right orientation, I just wonder if they've 'settled' now they're in.

I might take a punt on Creation Motorsports subframe kit as I'm starting to wonder if that's what it is, given most things are otherwise new.

[LC5F]

If you can wait - look into sourcing subframe kit from Aliexpress - I got a front and rear kit for less than £40.

Only issue I had was the ones going on the front upper subframe bolts - the ones you bolt through the control arms - needed the alloy subframe opening up very slightly with a rats tail file to get the centering bush to sit flush.

Other wise they all went in fine, the rear subframe was really easy 20 minute job - like crucifixion - it was a doddle!

[chigmuss]

@LC5F  cheers, I’ll keep an eye out on there then. It’s almost pointless asking, you must have been happy enough with the quality of their kit else you wouldn’t have fitted it.
I’m just wary after getting an Ali Express dog bone and then reading there’s been a few failures. Are the bolts marked etc eg 8.8 or whatever value it did you put new VW bolts through the bushes.
If there was some bronze at work I’d feel like having a go at knocking some out myself on the lathe. £200 off for the Tyrol kit did make me choke a bit. Sometimes you get what you pay for but then again there’s really not much there for the price.

[LC5F]

@LC5F  cheers, I’ll keep an eye out on there then. It’s almost pointless asking, you must have been happy enough with the quality of their kit else you wouldn’t have fitted it.
I’m just wary after getting an Ali Express dog bone and then reading there’s been a few failures. Are the bolts marked etc eg 8.8 or whatever value it did you put new VW bolts through the bushes.
If there was some bronze at work I’d feel like having a go at knocking some out myself on the lathe. £200 off for the Tyrol kit did make me choke a bit. Sometimes you get what you pay for but then again there’s really not much there for the price.

Agree - I wouldn't trust nuts and bolts of Aliexpress
The kit I got is just the aligning bushes, they just centre all the bolts and subframe, content that they are squashed tight - I sourced new bolts for the front subframe:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000344800378.html?gps-id=ru_edm_recommend&scm=1007.25755.141389.0&scm_id=1007.25755.141389.0&scm-url=1007.25755.141389.0&pvid=8029187e-beb4-4bc2-a082-1d9c9a445ad5&userTouchChannel=targetEdm&smiId=biz_add_cart:1002:5baa98ca616c47d99b13a6f30e505506&tracelog=rowan&rowan_id1=houyi_target_edm_1_en_US_2020-01-26&rowan_msg_id=8098biz_add_cart:1002:5baa98ca616c47d99b13a6f30e505506_69378

You could turn a set on a lathe but at currently less than £33 for their current price DIY does not make sense

[colesey]

I might take a punt on Creation Motorsports subframe kit as I'm starting to wonder if that's what it is, given most things are otherwise new.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the Creation kit can be bought off Aliexpress. ATEOTD is just a bit of metal to take up the slack in the overly large subframe holes though the point about using OEM bolts is a good one.

[LC5F]

In the past i found creation stuff to be ok for the money, but recently when you feel the quality of their current stuff their prices now seem a bit high.
suspect they get their kits made for them in China

[pudding]

When I had a knocking sound on an uneven road it was that the drop links, that I'd replaced 2 years previous, had failed.

Also, what top mounts did you use? The bearing should be a tight fit into the top mount and not fall out when inverted.
This video is discussing some aftermarket top mounts, but the point of this video is that if the bearing is not tight in the top mount you may get a knocking noise.

=214

Also, the top mounts have a certain orientation (arrow should point front and back of car (as same part fits both sides) and be on the inside nearest the engine).


Just throwing a few ideas out there; I hope you get it sorted (I've had a knock on 3 point turns for 3 years now so know just how annoying a knock is).

Stu

Yeah I orientate them so the rubber nub is outboard.  Doesn’t seem to make any difference if the nub is in or outboard anyway, not that I can feel/hear.  Interestingly, no aftermarket top mount mentions orientation!

[pudding]

The Tyrolsport kit comes with ARP bolts and is an extreme precision fit, which you will discover if you ever have to drop the subframe again.  Takes 4x as long to get it relocated, hence why VAG left such massive tolerances in it in the first place. Ease and speed of assembly.

Cheap copies of an established product are never quite as good.

[pudding]

Steering rack for the knocking if all other avenues are exhausted.

[LC5F]

Cheap copies of an established product are never quite as good.

But better than nothing.

[pudding]

If you say so.  Alloy collars in an alloy subframe.  Really good for preventing galvanic corrosion, not.