There seems to be a lot of knocking coming from the suspension when I go over bumps in the road (of which there are many round here… potholes too). Especially at the rear. I wonder if some bushes are worn out. See lotus-suspension-f42/front-suspension-bushing-turret-t40996.html#p287337 also.
Just wondering if it is supposed to be knocky. I’m guessing not, but jacking up the n/s rear of the car and moving the wheel didn’t show any free play.
I’m not sure how to test the rear turret rubbers - any ideas?
Hi Jon , your picture on the other post does not look quite right. I have just done my suspension front turrets and it used a large rubber bush on the lower section and a smaller rubber bush on the upper section , the smaller bush has a recess that fits into the chassis turret. There,s an upper washer on the top bush and a large washer below the bottom bush.
Jon
Your other post provably shows where some of the knocking is coming from.
You can access the top of the lotocones from the inside.
They should be tight and unworn.
You can of remove them of course for a better look.
However there’s an imminent danger that you’ll end up doing a rear end rebuild if you even start looking!
Mark
So be it, Mark. I’m not having that knocking sound. Besides, I have to remove the diff to fit new seals. Maybe I should man up and take the body off the chassis.
Could be, but it happens going over bumps with the clutch held in (that is, no power going through the diff). I thought it was stuff jumping about in the boot, especially the battery (which was loose at the time), so I sorted that out.
Does it come predominantly from one side or centrally ?
My first thought wasn’t so much the lotocones or bushes but the dampers, either having failed or somehow becoming loose. Whenever I’ve had a damper fail I could imagine someone hitting the underneath with a hammer over the slightest bump.
That was the knock on my +2 where the Shock Insert was moving in the Strut. The special round nut needed tightening and centre punched to lock it. With the car lifted and the rear wheel off the ground it was possible to move the Insert Piston Rod in the Strut
Alan
Well, I had a look at the off side top shock absorber nut. It’s tight (and that cotter pin took me an hour to get out!).
As I was having a spot of lunch I thought I’d try something else for the nearside wheel. I jacked the car up and using a spring compressor I took up some slack in the Chapman strut. Then tried to lift the wheel and there it was, lots of play but not where I expected it. The hub bearings are shot, and I can rock the wheel in / out along the camber line by about 5mm at the tyre edge! I can even see the disk wobbling.
So, this is the first proper problem I have found that could cause the noise. The bearing on the other side seems to be OK.
Obviously not well pleased. I’ve read the workshop manual and it appears you can change the bearings without dismantling the whole back end. The outer Rotoflex joint needs to be disconnected from the hub spider, then the hub nut is undone and the hub drawn out using a puller (which I probably don’t have). Then, remove the circlip on the inside of the inner bearing, push the shaft out and drive the bearing off the shaft. This does not look like too much bother to me… famous last words!
You mean on the nut at the top of the shock absorber? I torqued it up and didn’t bother with a pin for now, as I expect to be doing not many miles before undoing it again.
Jon,
it’s not the nut that holds the top of the Damper Piston rod to the Lotocone.
It’s the round special nut that screws into the Chapman Strut to hold the Shock Absorber body in the Chapman Strut. The special round nut is screwed into the Chapman Strut then locked in place by centre punching the Tube of the Strut. It is screwed in and tightened using a “C” spanner.
Alan
OK, OK… back to the drawing board with a new cotter pin and out with the parcel shelf (again!). My poor back!
I think I need a new thread to discuss the rear bearing, though. Or not? Let’s try here.
First question is about pulling the hub. Can I use the spinner to apply pressure to the axle (with suitable packing) in order to remove the hub? I read that using a puller on the hub edge will bend the hub itself.
Hi Jon,
sorry maybe i didn’t explain very well.
You don’t need to remove the parcel shelf.
If you lift the car so the back wheel is off the ground. Grab top and bottom of wheel and try to rock verticaly.
Look inside the wheel arche at the shock piston rod. When you look at the piston rod between the spring coils you will see it move if the special round nut (with “C” spanner slots) is not tight.
You may have an alloy ring/sleeve hiding the special round nut.
On my 1973 +2S130 the problem was on the nearside shock and at first i thought it was a worn piston rod.
I think the nearside shocks get more of a hammering always running in the gutter next to the pavement + potholes.
Alan
ps. I have always used one of the spinners to remove the hub with a packing piece under the spinner to press onto the stub shaft. After undoing the nyloc nut a little first.
Well it looks like you have found a problem that certainly needs addressing
I did mine and found that you need a hub extractor ( actually 2 because they are handed) , a puller will probably bend the hubs , also you might need a press to remove the shafts , lastly undoing and then doing up the rotaflex bushes is a pig of a job , imho
