So I have fitted an 80mm lowering kit and ARB bocks to a mk3 (mk2f) polo and now there is a really annoying knocking sound.

Myself, B-Shaw and MoustacheG40 have even gone to the effort of taking it all off again to then re-fit to ensure everything is correct, tight and as it should be. The car handle perfectly fine and tracks well. There are also no signs of catching due to steering arms or driveshafts against the body.

The knocking is very irregular, its not just a case of....... it does it every time I turn left, or every time I brake. Its a random combination of many things.

It can occur when braking, when pulling away at a junction, turning in either direction also.

The worst case would seem if you brake hard, stop then pull away it creates several knocks, and also when you first begin to turn in either direction.

You can feel it is from the front end an feels low down, can feel it in steering and pedals.... very strange.

We have tried to eliminate all the obvious problems but we are left with just one idea (which I will not disclose, would rather see if you guys come up with the same)

Any help and advice will be very much appreciated as I would like to come to the poloshow in the car, would be a shame if I cant sort it in time.

Cheers

Higgo

A mate of mine had the same problem, and it turned out to be the caps that hold the shocks inside the strut tubes wasnt clamping the shocks tight enough, allowing a few mm of travel. Firstly make sure they're as tight as possible, if so, you could try dropping a few 2 pence peices down the tubes before the shocks. This will make sure theres no movement.

Good luck dude!

Done that Max....Like I said we have checked all the common issues. Dropped 2p down there and bollocked the caps up with stiltons.

Please Help :(

Your sure its comming front the front end suspension?

I didn't say it was coming from front end suspension, I said sounds and feels front end low down!

It has only started since fitting a lowering kit that's all I said.

Did you renew the top mounts as they are pretty common after lowering to cause a knocking noise. Lower tca bush or joint split from the new angle they sit at?

I didn't say it was coming from front end suspension, I said sounds and feels front end low down!

It has only started since fitting a lowering kit that's all I said.

What sort of fit are the ARB blocks? I had some that id made slightly too big (0.2mm), and they knocked badly.

The lower track control arms seem fine, the topmounts were not replaced and look in very good condition, if you jump up and down on the car and rock it side to side when stationary the noise is not apparent.

Max they are the ones that I had off you for my mk1 :s

They seemed fine on the mk1 though, I have bollocked them up and there is no apparent sign of movement.

Edited 2 July, 201313 yr by higgo

Top mounts ae hard to diagnose although if play then when jacked up you can move the wheel up and down, however even if there's no movement this doesn't mean it can't be at fault

Washers on ARB through TCA catching with the changed angles of things?

Isn't your brake pads kicking is it, you got the anti rattle springs fitted?

It could be an issue that's always existed, just now emphasised now it's lower for one reason or another.

Is it a new lowering kit or used? If a dampers lost oil it could be knocking due to cavitation as you effectively end up with too little gas pressure due to loss of oil volume.

could be CV Joint due to the new mental angle they are at, if they are old and have worn- this new angle at which they are running at now will be clonking in and out. pull off with your wheels turned both directions and then straight and see if you hear a noise difference

I didn't say that purely because what you said on Facebook lol, or is that your suspect thing?

Kiz has come up with what we also figured it may be, I hope not as may not have time to sort it out. Will try that Kiz, what will that show if the noise is different?

1st thing i said when i heard it was CV's

Then on further hearing i thought topmounts/springs not sitting in seats correctly.

Fuck knows

Drive it until it breaks... if i can live with my gearbox noise you can live with this

YOLO

When it falls off you know what it was

When you rely upon a car 40miles a day that's not the attitude I think I shall be taking.

I've had a similar thing since lowering my car, I put it down to the cv joints, can't find play anywhere and I replaced all of the suspension components, arb bushes, tcas etc when I did it.

its more likely to knock when pulling away with wheels turned than straight if its CVs, or when when pulling off straight after returning from full lock (when not moving- so static steering)

you could try putting your hand thro the arch and wobbling the cv to see if it has play in it, and if it does- does it make the noise after you have moved it in/out

When you rely upon a car 40miles a day that's not the attitude I think I shall be taking.

AHEM 60 lol i win

mine started to judder every nw and again when i pull away, my driveshaft angles arent too pretty so maybe my cv's are playing up too. been thinking of raising my engine slightly to compensate

Edited 3 July, 201313 yr by erixtar1992

you will have very poor clearance on the driveshafts if you raise the engine- will end up requiring a notch or you will just slam the shaft into the chassis over bumps which will damage not only the shaft- but the gearbox differential bearings and the chassis itself.

yeahh man. got a few things to concider. why so difficult ahhhhh haha

Did you replace cv's? Did it cure the problem?

Top mounts ae hard to diagnose although if play then when jacked up you can move the wheel up and down, however even if there's no movement this doesn't mean it can't be at fault

So if the car is jacked up and you can move the wheel more than normal,is that top mounts

Mine likes to smash the steering arm into the brake res . fun times :)