Clunking noise from front of the car

[Qussan]

Hi all, Quick introduction my name is Karol and I own ed30 no. 2202.
The car have developed clunking noise or more like when rubbing fingers over a ballon  coming from both sides of the front of the car when going over speed bumps even at very low speeds. I just have changed front top mounts, shocks and drop links and noise is same as it was before. The shocks are ST Suspension along with 30mm lowering springs. The noise is when wheels are straight or turned, it doesn't make any difference. What weird thing is, is that the noise seems to be quieter when driving for the first time of the day or in the mornings. And you can't hear the noise from the outside of the car. Thanks for any info, if anyone want's a video I can send upload it on YT or something and attach it. Thanks for any info!

[Clarkj93]

Hi Karol!

Stiffer suspension like your st dampers with lower springs can cause the stock soft top mounts to squeek sometimes, upgraded top mounts like the audi TT ones or the ecs tuning/034 motorsport ones should sort this I imagine. Shouldn't be an issue in terms of driving though bar the squeeking as far as I know anyway. Weird they seem better in the mornings, maybe from driving for a bit the added pressure softens them up? But that is a proper stab in the dark guess!

[Sean_ED30]

Hi Karol , if possible get the car on a ramp and look for movement in the usual areas. If your saying it’s a rubber type noise then it is possibly ARB bushes or control arm bushes. Does the noise disappear when you get up to speed or is it always there ?

[chimp400]

Standard top mounts can do this, very common issue.
My Arb bushes do this as I changed them to poly recently and wish I had not bothered but I don’t expect the standard rubber to make this noise.

[Qussan]

Hi Karol!

Stiffer suspension like your st dampers with lower springs can cause the stock soft top mounts to squeek sometimes, upgraded top mounts like the audi TT ones or the ecs tuning/034 motorsport ones should sort this I imagine. Shouldn't be an issue in terms of driving though bar the squeeking as far as I know anyway. Weird they seem better in the mornings, maybe from driving for a bit the added pressure softens them up? But that is a proper stab in the dark guess!

The noise was the same before changing top mounts, I am gonna put car up again to see for anything catching, I've been told that it could be anti roll bar brackets as they go bust easily. Could it be bump stops by any chance as they are made out of rubber too?

[Qussan]

Hi Karol , if possible get the car on a ramp and look for movement in the usual areas. If your saying it’s a rubber type noise then it is possibly ARB bushes or control arm bushes. Does the noise disappear when you get up to speed or is it always there ?

Hi Sean, control arm bushes are brand new as they were gone, someone else told me about anti roll bar brackets which I assume have bushes inside them. There is no noise when driving normally or hitting a pothole on the road, the sound is only when going over speed bumps or when wheels go up towards arches rather than going down. If I go slow enough there is no noise but it's like a snail speed.

[Qussan]

Standard top mounts can do this, very common issue.
My Arb bushes do this as I changed them to poly recently and wish I had not bothered but I don’t expect the standard rubber to make this noise.

Weird thing is that there is nothing to be heard when outside. I guess im gonna have to change every bit to see what was causing the noise as its really bothering me.