Gambit

iTrader: (6)

ball joint

ezesti330s

Brake caliper bolts loose ?? Worth a try

WRX_Wagon

iTrader: (1)

It sounds to me as though it may be a ball joint. Sometimes the play cannot be detected by pushing and pulling but certain load situations cause the noise. Hope you get it sorted.

Cambs_Stuart

iTrader: (3)

My Wagon is in the garage now getting looked at by someone who knows what they're doing.
Frustratingly, having driven the car to the coast and back at the weekend, with two adults, two children and a load of luggage the knocking noise seems to have reduced.
I bumped into the east coast mini club and joined them for a spirited drive on the way back. Perhaps that cured it.

Cambs_Stuart

iTrader: (3)

So with the help of a garage the following is eliminated:
ARBs and drop links.
Wishbones
Ball joints
All suspension bushes and components
Brake calipers
Engine mounts
C/U frame and bolts
All bolts holding the coilovers to the car.
The cv joints have had an inspection on the car and found to be in good condition.
In addition the garage (revivals in thriplow) has re-torqued all the bolts related to the above and greased where necessary.
Noise is still there. But car feels much tighter.
So we can't find anything wrong or anything that would get worse. Time to accept a 10 year old car with hard suspension will have a few knocks and rattles? Or throw more money at it?

mickywrx

iTrader: (29)

Front subframe straight and undamaged? Could be the track rod end catching the ARB, if the ARB mount has been squashed.

Cambs_Stuart

iTrader: (3)

Not that I can see.
The noise is quite specific, harsh bumps at low speed. Quieter as i speed up and nothing noticable once over 25mph. It doesn't make any difference if I'm cornering, power on or power off. It's not a huge noise, more of a subtle ker-lunk as I hit a pothole. It's a noise that you only notice once it's pointed out then you can't ignore. Which makes it really annoying.

mickywrx

iTrader: (29)

Stop hitting potholes, problem solved.

JDM_Stig

iTrader: (3)

are you sure its the front ? and not just the jack rattling in the boot.

scoobypaul_temp

iTrader: (2)

Or only hit them at high speed

ScottyPPP

Mine is doing the same at the moment on the front passenger side. Fairly sure its one of the CV joints on the shaft. It was also doing it on the drivers side, but I replaced the shaft at the end of last year and the noise stopped.

Cambs_Stuart

iTrader: (3)

Trust me, I've taken out everything that isn't bolted down. I've even duct-taped the bonnet strut in place in case it was that.

Cambs_Stuart

iTrader: (3)

My working solution so far is to drive it like I stole it and when that isn't possible, turn the stereo up.
However, I'm no legal expert but I'm fairly sure that a defense of "I was driving like that to stop it rattling officer" isn't going to get me far.

Cambs_Stuart

iTrader: (3)

The cv joints are one of the last possibilities.

mickywrx

iTrader: (29)

CV's tend to click when they are fubar'd, not knock.

ScottyPPP

Depends if its the inner or outer joint.

Gavscooby1

I would check ball joint yourself not difficult to do. Jack up car and get a bar in between bottom arm and where the ball joint goes in to bottom of suspension unit. Give it is wiggle up and down and check for movement.

Cambs_Stuart

iTrader: (3)

I'm sat on the sofa with two small ill children watching cars 2, but I'll give it a go when I can get back to the car. Thanks for the advice. I'm out of ideas so all hints and tips welcome.

Cambs_Stuart

iTrader: (3)

Bang on. It's having a service with Tim Farmer now and he spotted some play in the front ARB bushes. I can't believe this has been going on since April.
Now I just need to remove the brace to get at the nuts to change the bushes...

Cambs_Stuart

iTrader: (3)

Arb bushes replaced with super pro poly. The hole in the front passengers side bush was egg shaped, hence the rattling.
All sorted now. Thanks for all the suggestions and credit to Tim Farmer for sorting it out.