Cheap Cure for Suspension Noise

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

l5foye

Active Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2003
Messages
926
Location
N.Ireland
Car
ML 300CDI
My friend's E320 cdi developed a noise from the front suspension. It turned out to be a worn bushing at the bottom of the shock absorber. The cure - remove bushing, separate rubber bushing from metal insert, lag insert with insulation tape, hammer insert back into bushing, re-assemble and refit shock. Result- no noise. Cost-5p. No insulation tape, then use a cutting from a plastic bottle. Life of repair = indefinite ( last repair of this nature on a different car is still good after 30000 miles)
 
Glad to hear that it has worked ok but just curious as to why you'd take this approach instead of fitting a new bush? :)

Will
 
How much is a new bush ?

10p ? ;)
 
all

It is likely it need not have cost anything ............because if the suspension has been disturbed previously, then the technician did not let the car down on the suspension before tightening the damper lower fixing.

By correctly loading the suspension first before tightening the rubber, it will be in the corrrect position and its elasticity will allow for suspension movement without noise due to excess twisting action.

However, as in this case, the car damper lower fixing was probably tightened when the suspenion was hanging free of load. Then when the car was lowered the rubber was not in it's normal relaxed state but was under the stress of a twisting action already. Then when the car was driven it was under more twisting stress, more than it was designed for, and of course something had to give, and the squeeking occurred.

So in conclusion, all that needed to be done was to undo damper bolt, jack car so that fixing point was free of load, lower car down so that load was now on the fixing point which restored the rubber to it's natural state, THEN tighten the bolt. Nil cost and very quick.
 
The noise was not a sqeaking but a knock (going over a pothole, for example) There was quite severe wear on the part of the shock absorber where the bushing fits into. Normally the only effective cure would be to fit a new shock absorber ( in fact, 2 as it is a bad idea to fit 1 new shock)
So it is not a case of 5p versus 10p but 5p versus a lot more (I haven't priced new shocks for a long time)
 
l5foye

OK, but I am sure you agree that would not have happened if the rubber was not under undue stress and the bolt had been tightened properly.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom