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MG MGF Technical - Rear driver-side suspension area noise

Evening all,

Over the last few days I've gained a kind of clanging/clunking (light metallic sound) from behind my right shoulder... so I thought I'd have an investigation today...

Found that if I lift and drop the rear of the car on the side (drivers) the sound can be repeated... it sounds like something is loose and just tapping against something else but couldn't 'see' anything obviously loose.

I've had the engine cover off (the main one under the hood - first time I'd ever done that actually!). When I did this and bounced the car with my head in there it didn't sound like it was coming from the top of the shocker area - which was my first concern as I have GAZ shocks on - but only on setting 5.

I've also had the wheel off and checked the bottom of the shocker and also the link bar but that wasn't broken - another suspect.

In summary - couldn't find anything but the noise is still there...

I think I'm going to drop it over at the MGOC in the next couple of days to get them to have a look - just had a full service and hydragas pump up so not sure whether its related.

Any ideas?

Chris
Chris Tromans

Standard dampers can become detatched from the the suspension at their lower end - could that be the problem here? Not heard this being a problem on aftermarket dampers before though.
Rob Bell

Chris
I have exactly the same creaking/clunking problem on the RHS of my Trophy 160 after having a hydragas pump up last week. The problem generally manifests itself on acceleration and deceleration and seems to come from the vicinity of the engine bay air intake. The workshop has spent some time looking at the suspension and hasn't been able to find anything but the problem persists. I will check the dampers as Rob suggested but will be interested in the outcome of your visit to MGOC.
Mark
Mark Hughes

Morning Rob...

Yeah... checked that when I had the wheel off as I had that problem with the original dampers a couple of years ago..

Mark... interesting that you have the same symptoms... I will let you know.

Chris
Chris Tromans

Hmmm... strange... the noise was evident again as I drove in this morning until the car had warmed up.

And again this evening when I left work... noise... but again it went away after 15 miles or so after the car was warm.

Then I bounced the suspension when I got home and couldn't repeat the noise.

Any more ideas?

Chris
Chris Tromans

I've had exatcly the same thing with my 'F in the past (with after market adjustable shocks), and spent an extensive amount of time investigating, including taking the shock off and testing it. Came up with absolutely nothing, although on certain 'click' settings the noise would abate.

In the end, after a hydragas pump up, the noise went away, but nearly a year later has returned again - and the hydragas is a bit low again too - partly because we are now enetering a coller time of the year, partly because the system needs it's regular pump up. Noting that the hydragas pressure is sensitive to temperature, it seems to me that it is hydragas related - hence the difference you notice Chris after the car has been driven for a while.

BTW, I have lowering knuckles fitted.
KEW

Yep... same again today... started off very noticable... then 6 miles later... all gone... bounce the car when I got to work... nothing...

I might try changing the setting on the GAZ shocks then and see if that changes anything before I go home tonight... Although, I'm going to dinner tonight and I feel if I get covered in dirt trying to alter them I will be in a little bit of trouble from OH... :-)

Chris
Chris Tromans

hi ive got the mgf trophy and the drivers side back end is lower than the rest of the car does this mean i need a hydragas pump up if so were would i get it done also would this cause my front left tyre to wear of on the inside ? had 4wheel tracking done and thats ok
paul dixon

This thread was discussed between 01/04/2007 and 08/04/2007

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