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Knocking When Engine Braking


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In the last 24 hours, the Lupo has just started knocking when engine braking. Doesn't appear to be the gearbox and it doesn't do it when coasting. Mate of mine at work who owns a Lupo reckons it could be Wishbones or Drop Links, but I've also been told it might be the CV joint... I don't think it's the gearbox luckily.

Is there any way of diagnosing without buying new everything, there's over £100 worth of bits there ? :P Unless I go scrappy of course.

I've got a video if that would help anyone.

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  • 2 weeks later...

are you going to do a how to on being stupid ?

I thought you'd already put one together... without even trying. After all, you are the expert.
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what caused the knocking noise?

Some ****er (I'm still trying to find out who and why) had undone the three wheel nuts in my passenger front wheel. The locking wheel nut was still in dispelling any conspiracy theories that they 'rattled' out. The noise started as a low rhythmic sound. Sounded like the noise a steam train makes when moving, but it was very quiet (as I described in the original post). To be honest, I'd come to the conclusion it was a wheel bearing. Anyway, yesterday on the way to work it quickly got louder while I was doing about 60Mph on the A500. I was unable to get off and there's no hard shoulder. The steering wheel was flapping like I've never seen. I eventually got onto the A34 and by this point the noise was almost unbearable, it was drowning out the radio which I have pretty loud. I was looking for a place to stop when I heard a loud clunk and immediately piled into the grass bank without even thinking about it.

The wheel was cambered outwards and the only nut remaining was the locking nut which had sheared off upon impact with the grass, so the wheel was actually held on by nothing and the car was resting on it, the brake caliper specifically. I couldn't jack it because scissor jacks are **** on tarmac, let alone bumpy grass, so I phoned the recovery guy and asked him to bring a trolley jack. We got the car in the air and my alloy had unfortunately grinded on the brake caliper and was left to rest, luckily, it seems to be just cosmetic damage to the inside of the alloy. We removed the lock nut, but as I said, the bolt had sheared off and the remnants were still perfectly tight behind the flange in the thread. I took a wheel nut from each of the other wheels and got the wheel back on. The recovery guy reckons if I'd been on the road for about a second longer, the wheel would have literally come off and I'd have nose dived into the road causing god knows how much damage.

I drove it back home (day off work :( so already a days wages down the drain ) and took it to a mate who was luckily able to drill the remaining bolt out of the thread. He was worried he might have to remove the flange which is a pretty big job but luckily it was just a case of cutting a new thread into the remaining bolt and twisting it out which didn't take too long.

I took it to Kwik Fit to get the wheels balanced as I was a bit worried about the scarring and found that the tyre had been damaged really badly on the inside :( so I had to get a new tyre as well (didn't get it from Kwik Fit mind, too expensive).

So I have two new front tyres (got the drivers side changed about 2 weeks ago) and the car is now perfectly balanced, and drives beautifully straight.

Which is why I'm worried the axle might be bent as it wobbles at about 70Mph :( I may fit my old steels on and see if I still get the wobble. If I do, I guess that's a telltale sign of a bent axle, which if so I'll be absolutely gutted. I thought I'd dodged a bullet considering how serious it could have been.

Lesson to all, if you're parking in rough areas, check your wheel nuts every so often :( Don't know if it was a thief, or someone simply trying to kill me, but it wasn't the best Monday morning I've ever had.

I've taken some pictures, I'm not sure whether it's worth going to the police, they'd probably tell me it's too much paperwork :(

Edited by Skezza
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What alloys you got, are they worth nicking ?

At least it didn't end up too bad considering the damage it could have caused, not only to you but other road users.

No. In my opinion not at all. They're only a set of Softlines, and I bought them for cheap because the front two have some kerb damage. I was just desperate to put a set of alloys on and I quite like Softlines so I bought them from chap on here who listed them a few months back.

Well there was obviously a car behind me who would have probably hit me. He pulled over after to ask if I was okay and we both looked and he was in disbelief. I imagine he'd have gone straight up my arse. There were cars going past of course, so if I'd waited a second or so, I might have ended up in the other lane or god knows.

In truth, I'm not complaining at the outcome, I'm very lucky. I was pretty close to writing off my car.

Edited by Skezza
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  • 2 weeks later...

I've had this before a couple years back on the Golf. Thought it was the rear wheel bearing, but on inspecting it after a short run into town and back (luckily), discovered that the locking wheel nut was the only one holding the wheel on proper, while the three remaining bolts (the fifth had gone walkies) where worryingly loose. Definitely some scumbag tyring to nick the wheel, they had even tried to drill the locking wheel nut off!

But you've definitely had a close one there!

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Many years ago I had some new tyres fitted to a car. Later that day I was overtaking a car, when the steering wheel shock like crazy, and it felt just like a wheel was loose. I pulled over to see what the problem was, and a wheel was severely cambered in. When I checked I noticed 2 wheel bolts missing. I got the wheel brace out and removed a wheel bolt from another hub, only it wouldn't fit the loose wheel, as the two missing bolts were actually snapped off.

I had to carefully drive 100 miles home, stopping every 5 miles to tighten the remaining 2 bolts retaining the wheel. Then I had to remove the wheel bearing housing and hub, get a friend to weld nuts on the protruding snapped wheel bolts, to then remove them.

I have never taken a car to a tyre fitter since.

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Hopefully whoever done this, will die of something nasty.

I'd say it's worth going to the police and getting a crime number, without evidence they'll do nout, but you never know they might catch someone in the act

Edited by danoid
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