tonyT

Good news Barney- just goes to show how diverse this problem can be, Really pleased with mine now, silence is Golden as they say!

OK- this is purely my findings with my own car- so don't blame me if it doesn't work the same on your car. With hindsight I had 2 knocking noises- one was an almost constant 'chattering' medium frequency. The other was a hard bang but only over certain road surfaces. The 'chattering' was cured with new Sach shock aborbers- hard to find but not expensive imo. The hard knock I found was a simple thing- the caliper pins on the front brakes wear so the calipers 'jump' over bumps, completely different in the sound the pads can make going backwards and forwards while parking for instance. I bought an overhaul kit off e-bay (loads available- make sure you also get the pin bushes and the correct silicon grease) cost very little. Took a short time to do and Yippee- noise gone! Also check your drop links- these can wear as well. If I was starting from scratch- calipers 1st- as soon as you undo the pin bolts you'll know if there's wear, you can feel and see it so a no-brainer. If ok, check drop links ( these are all cheap and simple to replace) Failing those, shock absorbers- mind you if the car has done a few miles always good practice to replace them as a matter of course. Good luck- it can be cured!

The shocks aren't difficult to replace , but you will need a spring compressor. If you haven't done this sort of thing I strongly suggest you get someone who knows what they are doing to help you!

OOPS double post!

NOISE GONE!!!! I had both the ARB drop links replaced recently, and the one agravating rattle from the NSF was left. I remembered vaguely reading something about worn caliper sliders causing a bad rattle. So I took the car for a drive near were I live that made the rattle fairly constant. once the noise started I rested my foot lightly on the brake pedal, et voila, the noise stopped- foot off pedal back came the noise........I wonder...... Long story short. When I got home I tookoff the caliper and lo and behold the bottom slider pin was very loose (more like a pr**k in a sleeve) I didn't need to pull it out- it fell out of it's own accord! I wrapped it with insulating tape until it was a close fit, greased it and refitted the caliper. Took the car for a test drive along the bad road I mentioned above- silence!! Total silence. I'm about to go on holiday, when I get back I'll order a service kit and repair it properly.

Yes they're a straight swap, so easy to fit, the company were superb to deal with, e-mails from that at every step plus a tracking number. The only problem were Royal Fail who seemed to have a problem finding where to deliver them- only a garage that has been there for at least 40 years!............

The Sachs shocks seem very good indeed. Certainly quieter and smoother than what was replaced, presumably stock shocks!

Hi Barney- sachs shocks from here- http://www.bestpartstore.co.uk/1225250 The parts are shipped from Germany. I replaced the n/s/f arb drop link a few days ago and the noise has reduced a little more. I'm going to replace the o/s one in a few days. I think I'm going to be left with the noise from the cheap tyres the car was fitted with when I bought it.

Ok- getting there! Just replaced the front shocks with Sachs shocks. 50% of the noise has gone. Just left with a knock on certain road surfaces, especially diagonal ruts, where one wheel then the other is affected. I rode in the car as a passenger the other day and the noise from the NSF was horrific over these sort of bumps- could even feel it through the floor, so something is shot. I've ordered a ARB drop link because I am deeply suspicious of this- nearly impossible to check in situ (it's usually in tension or compression so good luck with testing that!) The other day I parked the car on the flat, turned the wheels to full left lock and stuck my hand in to feel how stiff the drop link was. It felt as loose as anything and I think it is FUBARB'd I'll report back in a few days. So far my experience is several things can cause this problem, so one thing at a time!

Further news in the Saga- My car went to be serviced and MOT'd at my (good) local garage. The MOT tester tends to be a bit overzealous, so I thought if anything was wrong with the suspension he would find it. The result- clean bill of health even though he had been briefed to be extra vigilant. Beginning to look like Shocks. I've found a place where I can get Sachs at a reasonable price. Don't want to use KYB as I'll probably be back in the same place in a couple of weeks! Anyone used Sachs? Where they quiet? I'll have a good think before I spend money.

I haven't tried them so can't compare. Years ago I used to work on BMW's and we always specified Sachs or Bilsteins as they were the best.

found this place that has Sachs front shocks in stock at a reasonable price- http://www.bestpartstore.co.uk/1225250

As long as you have the same either side I doubt if it matters to much if they are different back to front. I've been trying to source Sachs shockers, loads of places list them but have no stock! When do you think you'll do yours?

The one thing that would worry me is that I have heard of people replacing their shocks with OE KYB's and getting the knocking return! I would prefer a different make, Sachs or suchlike.

Thanks Barney. I have to admit that I am leaning towards shocks and mounts as there is no play in any of the ball joints/calipers. What make of shocks do you intend to get?

Thanks Ivan. Yes, I am turning the correct adjuster.If it's as slow as you say I'll give it another try, but to me it 'feels' like it's not connected. I do have Zenon dip beams, but have no issue with these. The problem is with the O/S main beam which is aimed just in front of and to the middle of the car, which is useless!

Needing to adjust my os main beam I parked the car ('02 sportcross) in front of the garage doors this morning and turned on the lights. As i found when night driving the beam is low and to the left. Popped the bonnet, grabbed a philips screwdriver and went to work. Sadly, the adjusters don't seem to work. The beam does not move at all! Anyone else had this? Is there a simple cure? I really don't want to have to remove the headlamp unit as watching how to do it on you tube looks a nightmare for me as I can't kneel down due to a leg injury :(

That's interesting Paul, as far as I can tell I have no problems with any of the ball jounts and drop links. I put my old tatty MOT testers hat on the other day and spent nearly 2 hours inspecting, levering etc all the components only to find all is good. The only thing I couldn't test was the shock absorbers. I have got the tools to remove them and the springs, which I may do at some point to see if there's any play in the shafts. You're right Ashar- cheap tyres don't help. Shame they had already been fitted before I bought the car.

I'm now pretty much convinced the 'suspension' noise and harsh ride is down to the cheap tyres. I've done several searches on the forum and this topic crops up regulary. It would appear these cars are really fussy about tyres (for silence and comfort). As you say those Dunlops are hard to find. The current recommendations are Uniroyal rainsport and Vredestein centrac. Both appear to be quiet whilst providing a smooth ride. When I manage to wear out the front tyres I'll try a pair of Uniroyals which I always used some years ago and found them impressive.

That's really interesting Ashar. I used the car today and concentrated on the noise- or at times lack of it when driving on a good surface. You know I am really getting suspicious of these cheap tyres. Just a thought- have you thought about swapping wheels with your friend and going for a drive in both cars? If your noises go away but he gains some then we've cracked it!

In fact Ashar, the job of replacing the front shocks is quite straightforward- hard to do it wrong really. I'm coming round to thinking my ,problem, is tyre related. The 1st is I had was an early 200s, which had 16'' wheels with 60 series tyres (from memory) that was really quiet. But my Sportcross 300 has 17'' wheels with 45 series fitted. I think the stiff, low profile, sidewall has little give and is thus inherently noisy. Another forum I frequent had a similar thread and a guy made this very point. To be fair it's only noisy over poor roads.

So, who's going to take the plunge with new shocks and top mounts?

Difficult one isn't it? At least I am happy that the car is mechanically sound and does not pose a danger to myself or any other road users. On smooth roads it is absolutely silent- perhaps what we are experiencing is a sad reflection of the absymal state of the roads in the UK. Where I live (near Gatwick) no car drives in a straight line as we are too busy avoiding potholes :((

Ok, I spent nearly 2 hours yesterday going over my front suspension etc I jacked the car up, removed the wheels and let it down onto axle stands under the lower arms, so the suspension was in a 'normal' on the ground position- if that makes sense. After visually inspecting all the components I used various levers to test joints for wear. All was fine. Even the much maligned ARB links. I loosened and retightened the subframe fixings as well. The brake calipers were tight- no play at all. No leaks from the shock absorbers. In short I found no faults at all, everything I checked was a good as new! I can only think that the noise is down to cheap tyres or noisy shocks- probably a combination of the two. As the tyres are all but new and shocks are working fine I'm going to leave spending money on this for another time when I can justify the expense!

Going back to what you said Ashar, it's noisiest at lowish speed on sharp bumps. A normally uneven but not potholed or damaged road is ok. It happens (on my car) going over high frequency small bumps/road defects if you understand what I mean- very hard to describe really. If I drive fast over these 'noisy' roads it's ok. It's as though the fault needs more time to react- does that make sense and does that give anyone any clues?? My car has got 'Chinese' tyres on it, all new, fitted before I bought it. They grip fine wet or dry but are noisy over bumps, but more of a slapping sound rather than a heavy metallic like clonk!