Noise from front suspension

[Jason Trevor]

Out driving and I turned into a junction with a big camber change in road . There was a noise from drivers side front wheel suspension area sounding like a spring had snapped. It did this again when I reversed into my drive again camber change as my drive slopes down. I jacked up car took wheel off to check wishbones , bushes , shock , spring etc and it all looks good. When I put wheel back on car and lowered car off jack it made the noise again. Does not make the noise when turning wheel lock to lock very strange. Are there any known issues out there with Evora front suspension this is my 2 nd Evora and not had this problem before . Any idea,s thanks everyone 

[Bibs]

Did you check the bushes on the ARB?

[EGTE]

Drop-link broken?

[mcdonaa]

Something to eliminate is checking that the TPMS sensor hasn’t detached in the wheel. The happened on my car recently, and sounded very much like suspension noise. In my case, when the wheel was rotating, it would be flung out on the tyre, and slowing down it would clunk down onto the inner wheel and make a right racket! Very easy to check and rotate the wheel - you would hear it in the tyre. In my case, the tpms still worked too!

[Barrykearley]

As Bibs has said - almost sure to be an ARB bush. Easy to swap but need a ramp to do so. They are pretty much a service item and when the knock it sounds like the whole front ends falling off.

[TdM]

I've heard a similar noise a couple of times. Everything checked, bushes are new, no play all good. The noise only happened a couple of times then went away. The first time I stopped immediately as I thought, as you said, a spring had snapped. I heard it again a few months later and went away. Checked again, nothing to be found, all seems fine and the noise has gone again. Initially suspected to be a stray stone or something but it seems odd it came back.

 

I'll let you know if I ever find it but it only happened a couple of times and then disappears for months on end so who knows! Currently no noises at all.

[Jason Trevor]

Thanks for all the replies hopefully its not too serious

 

[Hal]

Jason - did you replace the bushes and has the noise gone away?

I am having similar noise that is best described by Barry above that a spring has snapped and collapsing the front end! Only happens when slowly turning with one wheel higher.

I only realise tonight from searches that ARB bushes are a weak spot. I only put new ones in a year ago!

what, does anyone know, is happening to make such an alarming noise? Is it that an arm of the ARB is momentarily stuck out of position and then finds itself back in position causing the bang?? How can simple bushes do this..???

[Hal]

I am about to order the Powerflex ARB blocks. I will do the rear as well although I do not hear much noise back there, but maybe worth doing.

I see from the German Powerflex outlet that they do a set of ARB blocks plus engine/transmission mounts - maybe I will do these as well. Question: Are these difficult to replace does anyone know? The car will be on a lift which might be half the battle, but once under the belly plate, is replacement straight forward?

Thanks

[DH2]

Could be ARB bush, they are quite common on Evora, but yours aren't very old.

So I'd also check other things, the ARB drop links, they can make a noise.  Balljoints can cause a knock, or even bushes. Or damper developed a knock.

Better to diagnose accurately before throwing parts at it.

Dave

 

[Hal]

Yes, I am in total agreement.

An issue for me is the complete indifference that Lotus has for SW France in sacking a very competant dealer in Toulouse that now means a 700km round trip to another reputable dealer. I have a general garagiste locally though who will put the car on his lift, remove the belly plates and give eveyrthing a thorough shake.

The noise returned this morning leaving the car port. It definitely is spring related - far too alarming a noise for a ball joint..!

I will report back! Thanks!

[DH2]

It wouldn't be the first broken road spring I'd seen either.  Sometimes you will get a noise from the spring just turning the steering without the car moving.

Hopefully it will be obvious once you get eyes on it.

As for Lotus dealer network... well, they decided what direction they wanted to go in.  Finding a good local garaiste is probably a better bet!

Dave

[Hal]

Hope to lift the car in a fortnight as I am away next week.

Will report back…

[Jason Trevor]

The noise now seems to have gone away , just had MOT and service at Lotus dealer and it did not highlight any problems . Maybe wait for something to fall off ha ha