Worrying noises from rear suspension

[del320]

We've just returned from a week in Helmsley exploring the North Yorks Moors. Over the bumpy lanes I could feel and hear occasional dull and heavy sounding clunks/thumps from towards the rear.

I suppose it might be some or all of the suspension bushes requiring replacement - they are all original @ 105k miles. As the car is due in later this week for a service and mot, what am I letting myself in for?

Is there anything I would see if I grovelled underneath the car and tried to wiggle something?

 

[lynall]

On my 210 you can see the front bushs on the rear subframe through the wheelarch area.



Lynall

 

[grober]

Possibly a broken rear spring--quite common. They can be changed quite easily up on a ramp by undoing the inner suspension arm pivot bolt and dropping the suspension arm. Don't let anyone tell you the hub or suspension arms needs dismantled. They usually break at the bottom where they sit in the suspension arm BUT NOT ALWAYS OBVIOUS AT FIRST GLANCE. If you jack the car right up and remove the rear wheel you can inspect the spring for breakage. Rear springs are about £50 each from Merc and about £30 from ECP Always change both even if only one is broken.

 

[Druk]

Do you want to come out some night and 'grovel' under the car up on the hoist?

 

[del320]

Thanks, Derek - PM sent.

 

[Ade B]

I had a stone from my drive trapped in a rear spring once which made an awful noise...

Before I had the subframe bushes done, no noise, just a wayward feeling from the rear. There was noticable play in the rear end and the shagged bushes were visible with the car on a ramp.

Keep us updated.

Ade

 

[del320]

Well, I've got her back serviced and, as usual, she passed the MOT first time with no advisories . Nothing less than I would have expected having only covered 3764 miles over the past year. (still more than the 3284 miles the year before.

Anyhow, the garage claims (and I have no reason to doubt them) that they have examined every link and bush as well as the road springs - and everything is perfect. And they all oooh'd and aaah'd at my beautiful motor. (Shades of The Boss here...)

Maybe I'm just being over-sensitive - on normal roads, silence - on rough roads (and to be fair, I rarely drive on them) a low dull thunk from time to time... and, no, I don't have a bottle jack in a sack rolling round the spare-wheel well.

So, looking forward to another year of trouble-free C124 motoring. :bannana:

BTW, for anyone interested, the scores on the doors after my 39559 miles of ownership are:
Fuel - £5580; servicing/maintenance/parts - £5072; tax/insurance/AA - £3453 - equals 36p per mile.
Include the £3700 refurbishment, and that brings it to 45p per mile, all at 27 mpg.

Perhaps not the cheapest, but worth every penny to me!

And for those guys at GTGs who accuse me of being an obsessive who never gets the car dirty...

...not so...