Loud knocking, rear driver's side

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goltho
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Loud knocking, rear driver's side

Post by goltho »

I replaced our 05 with a low-mileage 52 plate a couple of weeks ago. It had been stood for 8 months in a driveway and only needed rear brakes, an anti-roll bar link and an minor exhaust leak repair for the MoT, all of which I did. It has however got a loud metallic knock from the right rear side which occurs on road bumps - not potholes so much as quick undulations. 80% of the time, it happens when the car bottoms out i.e. after having encountered a "up" bump when the car is pushing down as it's levelling again. The remaining 20% happens during the "up" bump itself.

I've had it on the ramp at my MoT-tester friend's garage this morning after I changed the rubber exhaust hangers to no avail (wrong side anyway, but still). I demonstrated the noise to him on the road and he checked all things rear on the ramp but had to admit defeat after almost 30 minutes on it. We're both satisfied there's nothing amiss with the suspension and other usual suspects, so I'm now thinking outside the box. I've had the back seats out and stripped the boot to check all accessible cavities - nothing. The bumper is solid. Any ideas? :cry:
Last edited by goltho on Tue Jan 29, 2019 11:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Jan 2004 (53) 206cc/1.6L Allure/83k/black

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gazza82
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Re: Loud knocking, rear driver's side

Post by gazza82 »

Could be the trailing arm bearings ... hard to diagnose but check angle of wheels and gaps between tyre and wheel arch liners.
Family Fleet: ex-Cayman Green 206 CC 2.0 LE, Indigo Blue 206 1.4 HDi Hatchback, Subaru BRZ Auto, Alfa Romeo MiTo

goltho
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Re: Loud knocking, rear driver's side

Post by goltho »

Interesting you should mention the wheel angles. They both angle out at the bottom but I did notice the left side is more than the right, to the extent that the gap between the top of the tyre and the wheel arch liner reduced the distance I could put my fingers between them.

What specifically would make the bang then? And what is the correct angle?
Jan 2004 (53) 206cc/1.6L Allure/83k/black

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rhume
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Re: Loud knocking, rear driver's side

Post by rhume »

If you jack the car up. get hold of the top and the bottom of the wheel and see how much play you have got. This would indicate collapsed bearings if you have play.

Mine where the other way and completely rusted up and seized into a solid lump. Lots of squeaking and very hard suspension.
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I find myself the owner of 2 silver Peugeots: 206cc Allure and a 4007 (7 seat 4x4)

goltho
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Location: Market Rasen, Lincs.

Re: Loud knocking, rear driver's side

Post by goltho »

rhume wrote:If you jack the car up. get hold of the top and the bottom of the wheel and see how much play you have got. This would indicate collapsed bearings if you have play.
Usually you can get them to move with a lever pushing up between the elevated ramp and bottom of the tyre. We tried that today but they didn't move. At all. Also no other play at all anywhere. :scratch:

It's a real "sharp" loud knock like metal on metal, not a thud.
Jan 2004 (53) 206cc/1.6L Allure/83k/black

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Capncol
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Re: Loud knocking, rear driver's side

Post by Capncol »

Assuming shocks OK, almost certainly as others have said.
Cheers Col.


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gazza82
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Re: Loud knocking, rear driver's side

Post by gazza82 »

We only saw how bad ours when it was on a four post ... I couldn't make them move but it was obvious what the problem was.
Family Fleet: ex-Cayman Green 206 CC 2.0 LE, Indigo Blue 206 1.4 HDi Hatchback, Subaru BRZ Auto, Alfa Romeo MiTo

goltho
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Re: Loud knocking, rear driver's side

Post by goltho »

Capncol wrote:Assuming shocks OK, almost certainly as others have said.
Yep, they're fine.
gazza82 wrote:We only saw how bad ours when it was on a four post ... I couldn't make them move but it was obvious what the problem was.
What was obvious, exactly? The puzzlement we had was the fact that there was no movement vertically (or in any direction) when the tyre lever was applied under the wheel on the ramp.
Jan 2004 (53) 206cc/1.6L Allure/83k/black

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gazza82
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Re: Loud knocking, rear driver's side

Post by gazza82 »

The weird angle on the wheels. We didn't get any movement either so passed MOT but he didn't look at wheels from distance as I did. The bearings were shot but not loose so I think it jams up tight with the weight of the arms and wheels.

Few weeks later it wore through an inner liner which then fell out dragging under the car.
Family Fleet: ex-Cayman Green 206 CC 2.0 LE, Indigo Blue 206 1.4 HDi Hatchback, Subaru BRZ Auto, Alfa Romeo MiTo

goltho
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Re: Loud knocking, rear driver's side

Post by goltho »

gazza82 wrote:The weird angle on the wheels. We didn't get any movement either so passed MOT but he didn't look at wheels from distance as I did. The bearings were shot but not loose so I think it jams up tight with the weight of the arms and wheels.

Few weeks later it wore through an inner liner which then fell out dragging under the car.
Gotcha. So did you have the car repaired successfully?
Jan 2004 (53) 206cc/1.6L Allure/83k/black

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rhume
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Re: Loud knocking, rear driver's side

Post by rhume »

You can replace the bearings which are cheap. It is a git of a job though if the swing arms are seized on (10 hours of hammering and swearing in my case. Alternative is to get a reconditioned axle for £300. On reflection this can be a quicker job.
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I find myself the owner of 2 silver Peugeots: 206cc Allure and a 4007 (7 seat 4x4)

goltho
Posts: 56
Joined: Fri Oct 09, 2015 5:02 pm
Location: Market Rasen, Lincs.

Re: Loud knocking, rear driver's side

Post by goltho »

rhume wrote:You can replace the bearings which are cheap. It is a git of a job though if the swing arms are seized on (10 hours of hammering and swearing in my case. Alternative is to get a reconditioned axle for £300. On reflection this can be a quicker job.
I've pretty much decided to replace the bearings but have my buddy do it mainly because the cost of replacing the axle is uneconomic, but equally because I know what kind of job it is and I'm not up for what you put yourself through.:no: :? I get mate's rates on the labour so it should make it palatable.

Thanks guys for all the input. This has been a new one on me. Every day's a school day, eh? :censored:
Jan 2004 (53) 206cc/1.6L Allure/83k/black

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rhume
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Re: Loud knocking, rear driver's side

Post by rhume »

Not sure how good a mate he will be after doing that job. My mate give me a hand with mine and now gets a nervous twitch every time I mention the car :)
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I find myself the owner of 2 silver Peugeots: 206cc Allure and a 4007 (7 seat 4x4)

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gazza82
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Re: Loud knocking, rear driver's side

Post by gazza82 »

goltho wrote:
gazza82 wrote:The weird angle on the wheels. We didn't get any movement either so passed MOT but he didn't look at wheels from distance as I did. The bearings were shot but not loose so I think it jams up tight with the weight of the arms and wheels.

Few weeks later it wore through an inner liner which then fell out dragging under the car.
Gotcha. So did you have the car repaired successfully?
Reconditioned rear axle ... and daughter traded car in 6 months later ... or "before something else expensive goes wrong"! (Clutch release had gone year before. Oh and brake cable snapped .... )
Family Fleet: ex-Cayman Green 206 CC 2.0 LE, Indigo Blue 206 1.4 HDi Hatchback, Subaru BRZ Auto, Alfa Romeo MiTo

goltho
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Joined: Fri Oct 09, 2015 5:02 pm
Location: Market Rasen, Lincs.

Re: Loud knocking, rear driver's side

Post by goltho »

*Success!* :box:

After discussing the job with my buddy, it was pretty clear it would be more straightforward to replace the axle, so I bought & collected a guaranteed clean one from a breakers' yard off eBay for £85. It came off a front-end accident-damaged write off which had 11 months' MoT and a good history which went a long way towards confidence. They were really helpful guys (had a "wee blether" with them for ages after a long-ish drive) who check all parts before stripping them for sale. They'd broken ten 206CCs in the previous month and salvaged seven of the axles. They definitely knew all about the toe-out bearing issues!

I stripped everything off the axle at my mate's request except the ABS sensors, and took it and the car to the garage today for surgery. It took 2 hrs 15 mins of which around 1 hour was dealing with seized fasteners (especially those :censored: torx screws holding the rear cross-braces on) and removing the hubs from the old axle (the bearings didn't much like it although they came good). If it had been a 206 hatch with rear shoes, it would have probably been an hour tops for the job! I'll be asking Santa for a 2-ton ramp for crimbo this year (although I know what the answer's gonna be.) :?

Anyhoo, it runs as sweet as a sweet thing in a sweet shop - not a rattle, bump or knock to be heard AND with vertical wheels - and in my euphoria, I spent another £20 for a valet on the way home (car's now probably double the value it was this morning...). Thanks to everyone who chipped in and made me the wiser! It's been a good learning experience with a happy ending.
:love-thx:
Jan 2004 (53) 206cc/1.6L Allure/83k/black