Front End Noise

[meditek]

Seem to have developed a noise :-

Type :- a sort of brief knock, dunk, clunk
Where :- ? offside front
When :- at very low speed 1-3 MPH on applying brake, releasing brake or going over an uneven surface. Possibly more likely after driving for a while.

Any ideas?

Thanks

BMW E39 540i 1996

[bryan1970]

sounds like either a lower ball joint, which would require a lower control arm replacement. or it is prolly a sway bar drop link.

[meditek]

Originally posted by bryan1970@Apr 22 2005, 11:05 PM
sounds like either a lower ball joint, which would require a lower control arm replacement. or it is prolly a sway bar drop link.

[snapback]336710[/snapback]

Odd thing is that it only appears after I've been dring a while and things have got warm? Anyway, I gave them a squirt of WD40 and it's gone.

Well, it hadn't gone as it turned out. Just wasn't warm enough.

It went to the local BMW dealer today and they couldn't really trace it. Checked the ball joints and bushes OK. Came up with something lame like ' It may be the tie bar.' You mean the bushes I said.... 'No, the tie bar' said the man. I don't fully understand what he was talking about so I'm going to find the mecahanic that checked it.

[meditek]

Seems an edit needs a bump, sorry.

[bryan1970]

i don't mean to come off as rude just correcting. what you are talking about are bushings and what they were talking about were the tie rods. it could be a slight possibility that the bushings are causing the noise. but all the symptoms poitn right at a lower ball joint. if you wanted you could check the ball joints yourself, and the bushings. you of course have to jack the car up. and to check the bushings it is pretty simple. just look for any rips or tears in the rubber. to check the ball joints you must also put it in the air. and with the front wheels off the ground grab the front tire with both hands one on the back edge and one on the front egde. then just turn the wheel back and forth slightly and the wheel should turn failry smoothly. if there is any clunk type movement then your ball joint is bad.

hope this helps

[meditek]

Originally posted by bryan1970@Apr 25 2005, 06:54 PM
i don't mean to come off as rude just correcting. what you are talking about are bushings and what they were talking about were the tie rods. it could be a slight possibility that the bushings are causing the noise. but all the symptoms poitn right at a lower ball joint. if you wanted you could check the ball joints yourself, and the bushings. you of course have to jack the car up. and to check the bushings it is pretty simple. just look for any rips or tears in the rubber. to check the ball joints you must also put it in the air. and with the front wheels off the ground grab the front tire with both hands one on the back edge and one on the front egde. then just turn the wheel back and forth slightly and the wheel should turn failry smoothly. if there is any clunk type movement then your ball joint is bad.

hope this helps

[snapback]337625[/snapback]

Thanks. I got my bars confused. I had advice somewhere that it was a ball joint on the stabiliser bar link. The garage suggested it could be a joint on the tie bar end. The say that they had the car on a ramp with the wheels off the ground and the suspension parts checked out solid. Unfortunately, as the problem is only there when the car has driven 40 miles or so they were unable to hear anything. However, although they couldn't guarantee anything, they said the symptoms suggested a tie bar joint.
Hope this clarifies?

[screwdriver]

ive exactly the same problem di you find out what the problem was

[meditek]

Originally posted by screwdriver@May 29 2005, 02:07 PM
ive exactly the same problem di you find out what the problem was

[snapback]348695[/snapback]

I renewed the stabiliser bar drop link and it made no difference. I'm now wondering whether to renew the central tie bar (rod) and both tie bar ends. I'm reluctant to do this unless I can be quite sure it is the problem!

PS I thought you had 'creaking' too? I don't have any creaking.

[screwdriver]

just stripped suspension down and the only fault i can find is a faulty wheel bearing which feel very notchy as you turn it and is noisy, this is with wheel and disc removed , all bushes and ball joints are fine , check your bearings because i am having exactly the same problems as you but check with wheel and disc removed and turn by hand

[SlateM535i]

hey there ..
well the problem sometimes is much simpler and more silly than we can think .. try checking the cooling fan and the radiator .. the fan bolt might be a lil loose ...