I've changed the drop links, Anti roll bar bushes and suspension (Which all needed doing anyway, the components were 10 years old and knackered), but I'm still getting a knocking, clunking noise at low speed over rough ground. It sounds like it's from the front passenger side. It's not a reciprocating noise, so I don't think it's a bearing or CV joint (although there is a very small amount of lateral play in the front diff) and it doesn't seem to make any difference if I'm cornering or going straight.
Any more suggestions for fixing this? Wishbone Bushes? Engine Mounts? Steering ball joint? Fire?
I'm grinding my teeth with frustration over this. All suggestion welcome.

 

Strut top mount?

 

Nope. I've got coilovers, so no top mount at all. It made the noise before I moved to coilovers and it still makes it now.

 

I assume bolts for the bottom arm have been checked?

 

Assume I'm an idiot that know nothing.
Which bolts? The ones on the wishbone?

 

The bolts that hold this to the body

 

They look a lot shinier than the steel arms on my wagon! But I'll add that to the list of stuff to check when I've got the car up at the weekend. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

Alloys arms from the sti are a good upgrade over the steel items

 

I had the same problem and after changing all shocks bushes, arb droplinks it turned out to be the rear passenger cv joint on the hub side never would have thought it but it was changed the full shaft and happy days

 

They're on the to do list. I've replaced the suspension, tweaked the brakes and now it's onto the engine. Then I'll be looking at wishbones and poly bushes.

 

Thanks for the tip. I'll see if there is any movement in it at the weekend.

 

If checking whilst driveshaft still attached on the car you can't tell as i checked all driveshafts for play before I changed the struts the cv joint was knackered on the side of the hub but only made the knock wen I went over a bump or on a bumpy road then sometimes even wen setting off changing gear sometimes on a smooth stretch aswell drove me mental, hope you get it sorted bro

 

That sounds like it may be beyond my skills. I'll have a go at tightening all the bolts I can find, and if that doesn't work I'll have to see if I can get an appointment with Tim Farmer.

 

Maybe lower ball joint that comes off the front arm above and fixes to the bottom of the hub

 

Cheers. I'll add it to the "to check" list. It's definitely only when the front passenger wheel hits a pothole or other lump. I've been carefully driving over a selection of graded holes to check.

 

Sounds like a ARB issue to me ,, my advice is remove the whole ARB set up and drive carfully down the pot hole road and see if it stops if it stops you know it's a issue with the roll bar if it's still there with it removed you can look elsewhere , as I had the same problem , bushes looked new but after swapping them it was fine ,, done everything else first as they looked ok but lesson learned was don't assume there good as it could of saved a fortune in new parts including new suspension

 

How do you think you have No top mount,
Think back to what BCs used to have knocking issues with . . .
You still have a top mount even if it has no rubber in it.

 

To be specific, with the coilovers I've got no top mount bearing as usually fitted (see picture below). However the noise was there before the coilovers (meister r) were fitted and is still there now. So while I can't completely rule it out I think there are more likely possibilities.

 

Thanks for the advice. Personally I suspect either the arb or drop links, engine mount or something in the wishbone/hub/cv joint area. The suspension was bouncy and knocking so needed replacing anyway.

 

Having read this, I really hope it's not the engine mounts...

http://www.iwsti.com/forums/diy-mods...or-mounts.html

 

If its intermittent I'd say cv joint as my 2 pence worth

 

check the nut that sits just underneath the adjuster in the pic

 

Will do.

 

Exhaust knocking on the diff? The exhaust moves a fair bit on standard mounts. Easy to check and rule out anyway.

 

Good point. I hadn't thought of that.

 

I've had a problem like this, Might not be your problem but something for you to check.

The lower c frame makes a click noise at slow speeds over bumps if it's not torqued up.
If it's been removed at any point for roll bar or anti lift fitting just go round and make sure all the bolts are torqued up.

 

I refer you to my earlier comment: "assume I'm an idiot and know nothing"
By C frame do you mean the big U shaped section under that goes under the front of the engine and the wishbones?

 

Yeah C frame U frame/Brace thingy!

 

So, I've had a crawl around underneath and it's not:

Drop links.
Exhaust.
Wishbones.
C/U frame.

I've also tightened the bolts at the top of the coilovers with no effect.
Therefore I'm suspecting an engine mount or cv joint. Both of which are out of my ability, so now I need a decent subaru garage in Cambridge. Or has anyone got a number for Tim Farmer?

 

Have you tried rocking the car side to side by giving it a good shove on the top of the door / b pillar, a bit like pushing a "heavy" person on a swing?

That helped me to pinpoint a similar noise.