10 replies to this topic

[Mini_Rob_Cov]

Hi guys, i've searched for this but cant find a solution.

I have a knocking noise coming from (i think) the front suspension. The knocking only appears when i turn left, so i assume its a problem with the drivers side suspension.

Any idea's guys?

[yorkshirechris]

Could be the CV Joint?

Or I could be talking absolute balls!

But mine knocks, it's not a heavy knock, it's like a click-come-knock, when i've got the full right lock on.

[mini_kel]

As above sounds like the CV needs replacing!

[dklawson]

CVs go tick-tick-tick rather loudly when you are accelerating away from a stop with the wheels turned. You said "knocking".

How old is the car? What Mk is it? The early cars (Mk1/2 ) had steering racks with felt bushes on the passenger side. Those "disappear" with age and create a knock in the front end when you accelerate/decelerate hard or go over bumps. If you grab the inner tie-rod end (the one near/under the rack boot) for the steering on the passenger side and give it a strong push or pull forward and/or back and hear a click or loud tick, this could be your problem. It's a quick thing to check.

[Mini_Rob_Cov]

it's a 1994 Rover mini 35, mk7 i believe its classed as, not to sure about that though

The noise has also appeared when steering right, i noticed tonight on my way home from work, and the noise isnt only on full lock, for example it appears when i'm going around an average sized roundabout at about 20 (yes i know its a bit fast, but i'm young )

[dklawson]

Pay close attention to the sound. When you're experiencing this is very consistent with failing CV joints (under load in a turn). However, I wouldn't describe bad CV joint sounds as a knock. If you hear loud "CLICK-CLICK-CLICK" or similar, start securing the parts to replace the CV joint. When they go, they go completely and without much additional warning than the sound.

[Big_Adam]

Damper make sound when bugged. So you could wip that off and try driving a bit,

[Mini_Rob_Cov]

Yea, sounds like it's the cv joints then.

How hard is it to replace cv joints? Because i can see a garage charging the earth to do it.

Also, what happens when they fail? appart from the sound?

[dklawson]

Also, what happens when they fail? appart from the sound?

When they fail... you don't go anywhere. The CV is a pair of nested steel cylinders with annular tracks machined along their perimeters. The inner and outer cylinders are "connected" to each other by a bunch of steel balls held loosely in a cage (each ball is half an annular track on the outside of the inner cylinder... hand half way in a track on the inside of the outer cylinder). Think of a large ball bearing where instead of being able to rotate the outer race when you hold the inner race... you can push the inner race back and forth THROUGH the outer race. When a CV fails the clearance between the balls and the parts they contact is increasing and/or they are running out of grease. Eventually the balls get shot out of the cage so they are no longer in position to couple the inner and outer steel cylinders. by the way, the outer cylinder of the CV is connected to the drive flange the road wheel is on, the inner cylinder is on the end of the driveshaft.

I have yet to replace the CVs on my Mini but I've done it on other cars. You have to remove the driveshafts from the car. With the driveshaft removed, you take the boot off the CV. Most CVs I've worked on use a spring type c-clip to hold a splined shaft in the inner portion of the CV joint. Removal can be done with well aimed hammer blows on the back side of the inner portion of the CV (driving it off the shaft). My preferred method though is to open up the jaws of a bench vice wide enough to just clear the driveshaft. I then hold the driveshaft "up" with the CV pointing toward the ceiling and quickly pull the driveshaft downward until the CV hits the jaws of the vice. The sudden impact usually pops the joint off the first time. Mini specific details and recommendations will certainly be in your Haynes manual. Tools you need will include the normal basics PLUS a big 1-1/2 socket (or is it 1-5/16?... correct me people), a torque wrench for re-assembly, and preferably a BIG flat washer to use during re-assembly to "pre-torque" the wheel bearings. We can elaborate on that later if you decide you want to do this yourself. If you don't already have one... a Haynes manual or similar is your first item to purchase.

[Mini_Rob_Cov]

Its sounds like a big job for me, i have little experience or knowledge with mechanics even with my haynes, and i'd hate to get something wrong and rugger it up even more. I live pretty close to the jonspeed garage, so i might take it in there an see what they say.

If a pro confirms that it is the cv's, (not that your not dklawson ) how much do you reckon the job would cost?

[cowboy]

Its sounds like a big job for me, i have little experience or knowledge with mechanics even with my haynes, and i'd hate to get something wrong and rugger it up even more. I live pretty close to the jonspeed garage, so i might take it in there an see what they say.

If a pro confirms that it is the cv's, (not that your not dklawson ) how much do you reckon the job would cost?

trouble with taking a car to a garage is the labour cost. as garages pay by the hour. what you need to do is to find a good machanic who works on the side, will save you loads of money.

before you do that, try a few things.

1, jack up the car and put it on axle stands
2 get someone to turn the steering from lock to lock and watch underneath it and look to see if you can see if anything rubs or knocks. do both sides to confirm
3 turn the wheel by hand on full right lock then full left lock and listen to see if you have any knocking some where then change the lock and do the same. check both wheels.
4 chock both rear wheels and turn the engine on (while its on axle stands) the front wheels should turn dont worry about this. turn it from lock to lock and listen for your knocking, find which side its on and look to see if you can find it. again check both sides
5 get someone who knows about minis to confirm what the fault is, sometimes teh wrong diagnosis is given when not all the facts are known, i had no drive from my mini thaught it was the gearbox, was told it was a pin in the gear box, had a dead battery so couldnt start the car, when i did get it started while someone who knew more than me about minis was there found out it was a totally differant fault that took an hour to fix. morale here its hard to diagnos without seeing the fault.
6 post up the answers to the questions to confirm dk's answer he is usually right.