Hi guys, was wanting to ask if anyone may have any ideas on what to look at before i bite the bullet and take it to a garage.

Drivers side wheel area has started knocking / rattling - usually over any surface thats not really smooth - also mainly under 30/40mph, over that you dont really hear anything.

I ordered a pair of anti roll bar links? to replace thinking it may just be those (havent arrived yet) but starting to think it may be something more.

tried to jack up the front end this morning to wiggle the drivers side wheel 9-3 and 12-6, no play in 12-6 but it has play at 9-3 - not amazing with cars but also noticed when wiggling the wheel 9-3 you can see the spring and is it strut or damper? twisting with the wheel.. im assuming thats not normal?

 

Any areas to have a look at or advice would be greatly apprechiated if i can try do it myself even better haha

 

cheers

Spring and damper do turn with the steering. There's a bearing at the top in the suspension tower.

15 minutes ago, mjt said:

Spring and damper do turn with the steering. There's a bearing at the top in the suspension tower.

Ahh brill, that's a slight weight off, so praying it may just be the sway bar / drop links then! The car doesn't feel wobbly when driving or drift badly at all. Also just read it could be the end links? Will have to go back out and try look at those too 

Droplinks is a good start.

Would also suggest getting a pry par in between the wishbone and the hub.  Worn bottom ball joint gives a heavy rattle over rough surfaces but you may not feel it through the wheel grab test.

4 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

Droplinks is a good start.

Would also suggest getting a pry par in between the wishbone and the hub.  Worn bottom ball joint gives a heavy rattle over rough surfaces but you may not feel it through the wheel grab test.

Ahhh I checked it's mot just now and it did fail in Feb on "Offside front anti-roll bar linkage ball joint" so possibly the drivers may have gone too now!

 

Thank you for the help so far guys much appreciated 👍

Replaced the 2 front drop links and it seems to have sorted it! Annoyed me tho - drivers side was replaced in Feb by halfords, didn't realise they only did one side & when I got to it it was loose at the top & knackered when it was taken off

 

Thanks for the advice guys! Just need to look at replacing the rears now lol

 

My old 2007 MK2 beater started making a lot of noise from the front passenger side suspension area recently as the weather warmed up (on a really hot day it sounded like the front end was dropping apart). I sprayed all the main parts with WD40 specialist silicone and it went completely silent for a week before becoming noisy again. So I sprayed everything one at a time until I found the culprit. I also expected the drop links so started there, but it ended up being the ball joint on the end of the lower control arm.