Notice: We request that you don't just set up a new account at this time if you are a previous user.
If you used to be one of our moderators, please feel free to reach out to Chris via the facebook Outerlimits4x4 group and he will get you set back up with access should he need you.
Recovery:If you cannot access your old email address and don't remember your password, please click here to log a change of email address so you can do a password reset.

80 Series knock in front suspension

Tech Talk for Cruiser owners.

Moderators: toaddog, Elmo, DUDELUX

Post Reply
Posts: 522
Joined: Sat Jan 29, 2005 7:40 am
Location: Melbourne, Vic

80 Series knock in front suspension

Post by Toy80Diesel »

I'm having some difficulty finding the problem with the front end on my 80. It has a knock that resembles a bad bush somewhere but neither I or my mechanic can find it. Its going on the hoist today for another look. Its got a 2inch lift with 30mm spacer and foam cell shocks, most of which has been in there for a few years now. I added the spacer about 4 months ago after installing a winch. The problem has started a couple of weeks ago.

What happens is if I go over a pothole or a situation where the front right wheel drops, there is a knock. It seems to resonate to where I can feel it under the drivers pedals and feet area. Since then, I suspected the sway bar bushes may be worn so the sway bar has been removed (replacement parts didn't arrive on time) and I drove it last night and it still does it. The main part linking to the chassis under there is the front trailing arm, but the bushes look good (OEM rubber). We have checked the steering arms (steering feels solid and the knock doesn't resonate to the wheel) and check the wheel bearings. Everything seems good including exhaust and mounts. I don't have a cracked chassis under my steering box (I remember this was in a previous topic). Any ideas on where to look next would be great! ;)

Thanks
Shut Up, Get Out, & Start Digging...
Posts: 42
Joined: Fri Apr 11, 2008 3:25 pm
Location: N/E Victoria

Post by Cyrel »

Sounds like it could be shocks, Bushes or valves.
The knock you feel will be traveling up the radius arm.

cheers
Posts: 294
Joined: Tue Feb 03, 2004 8:59 pm
Location: sydney

80 winch bar

Post by MUD80D »

also try the spring as mine done the same thing after fitting spacers some times the spring moves and then it hits the chassis
toyota 80#,d/cab ute chop,6" springs,20mm body lift, 315/75/16 muds, and 39" michelin XML play tyres , turbo 4.2 1HZ top mount intercooler diesel.now ENGINEERED.
Reece
Posts: 2186
Joined: Wed Oct 01, 2003 9:11 pm
Location: Melbourne, now with 1HDFTi power!

Re: 80 winch bar

Post by +dj_hansen+ »

MUD80D wrote:also try the spring as mine done the same thing after fitting spacers some times the spring moves and then it hits the chassis
This would be my guess, spring or spacer moving in the coil hat.
Cheers,
Dan.

[i]1996 HDJ80R[/i]
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Aug 25, 2008 10:00 pm
Location: Brisbane

Post by hudnut »

Mine did exactly this as well. 2 inch lift with king springs. No spacers.

I removed the springs and greased the ends of them, and the springs seats in the towesr and on the axle housing.

no more clunk.

I am guessing it was the springs friction binding on the seats.
Posts: 522
Joined: Sat Jan 29, 2005 7:40 am
Location: Melbourne, Vic

Post by Toy80Diesel »

hudnut wrote:Mine did exactly this as well. 2 inch lift with king springs. No spacers.

I removed the springs and greased the ends of them, and the springs seats in the towesr and on the axle housing.

no more clunk.

I am guessing it was the springs friction binding on the seats.
Interesting! I'll check it out. It seems to happen on one side of the car so maybe the spring needs some rotating within the spacer, you know how the spring ends need to line up in their correct position. Things look pretty dry under there, especially after the clean I had to do under there. Got stuck in some real sludge. I'll post up any results after I've had a look on the hoist.

Thanks
Shut Up, Get Out, & Start Digging...
Posts: 1293
Joined: Mon Jul 18, 2005 10:58 am
Location: Location Location

Post by vSAHARAx »

AAAARRRGGHHH! Mine does the exact same thing. I can grab the drivers wheel and shake the car side to side and it makes the noise. just cant find it :(
GXL HDJ80 Cruiser - Lifted, Locked, 315's, 3" Zorst, Safari Intercooled, High Flowed Turbo, All the fruit. AMMS tuned coal shovel, Pushing 148rwhp... + heaps of the black sooty goodness...
Posts: 6021
Joined: Sat Feb 15, 2003 11:01 pm
Location: Shed.

Post by dumbdunce »

have you fitted castor correction bushes? if so, there is a very good chance the bolts weren't done up tight enough. they will feel tight with a spanner but you need a good 18 inch breaker bar on them and really hook in to get them tight enough. they must be done up on whichever end has the washer, I don't remember without looking whether that is the bolt end or the nut end, but the end without the washer has teeth that bite into the plate to stop it turning.
Free air locker to the first 20 callers!
Posts: 751
Joined: Tue Jul 24, 2007 8:55 pm
Location: GlassHouse Mountains

Post by taps »

I would also check your body mounts, you might have a busted/worn mount or loose bolt

Just a thought
YOUR 4X4 ACTION
personalized 4x4 d.v.d's
"Let us capture your action" [url=http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=QefnzCt975c][b]Click Here To View Our Video Trailer[/b][/url]
Posts: 6021
Joined: Sat Feb 15, 2003 11:01 pm
Location: Shed.

Post by dumbdunce »

another thing that can cause this symptom is a cracked chassis around the steering box, causing cracks around the body mount in the radiator support panel. get under there with a good light and have a look at the inside of the chassis around the steering box bolts.
Free air locker to the first 20 callers!
Posts: 53
Joined: Thu Jul 24, 2008 5:29 pm
Location: melbourne

Post by V8 Hilux »

Have you done a castor correction? 2 inch plus spacer would probably need it. if you have rotated the diff back a bit too far the steering arm maybe can rub on the the radius arms. particularly if radius arms bushes lose or sloppy (iron man adjustable bushes?) Only a thought should be visable rubs on top of radius streeting arm tho. Mine only knocks when on streering lock and suspension travelled occurred.
Posts: 522
Joined: Sat Jan 29, 2005 7:40 am
Location: Melbourne, Vic

Post by Toy80Diesel »

V8 Hilux wrote:Have you done a castor correction? 2 inch plus spacer would probably need it. if you have rotated the diff back a bit too far the steering arm maybe can rub on the the radius arms. particularly if radius arms bushes lose or sloppy (iron man adjustable bushes?) Only a thought should be visable rubs on top of radius streeting arm tho. Mine only knocks when on streering lock and suspension travelled occurred.
It has 2 inch springs but they have never really lifted the car 2inch from when they were fitted, mainly due to weight (diesel engine, steel bar, dual batteries, winch) so the spacer was added just to level the car out. The spacer is 30mm. There aren't any castor correction bushes and I've had a wheel aligniment 2 months ago with good results. Refitted the sway bar with new toyota bushes but hasn't made any difference.

Only thing that has made a difference is: last night went offroad for a little play and the problem was occuring more frequently (more bumps). After going through some muddy water the problem is not so bad. This leads me to believe its possibly the bushes on the lower arms. I think they get lubricated and the problem isn't so bad. Again I mainly feel it under my feet where the arm mounts to the chassis.

Shaking the car around doesn't make it happen, it needs to drop the front right wheel and is more obvious when making a right hand turn!

I'm thinking to get the bushes looked at by a suspension or 4wd place over the break to see if they find anything. I can't see any cracks around the steering box, panhard rod bracing etc and the body mounts appear in good condition too.

Thanks again for all the advice.
Shut Up, Get Out, & Start Digging...
Posts: 407
Joined: Wed Aug 20, 2003 10:02 am
Location: Hornsby Sydney

Post by Surfin Alec »

I know you dont have any caster bushes but mine was doing the same and I found it. I have the 3* caster bushes (Blue nolethane ones and the steel inner sleave also has an offset hole), what I found was the inner steel sleave was cracked in a few places and even had a bit missing. Bugger, only about 6 months old too. I had my doughts when they were recommended by a reputable shop as to how long they would last. Not long. I even commented on them looking weak but told " nah mate, havent had any issues" blah, blah. Should have stuck to my senses and went with the OME ones as they looked heaps stronger.

So after digging around in the shed, I found that the inner steel sleves from my old original front pan hard rod bushes were the same dimension. So I removed them (by using a hole saw as they are a bastard to remove from the rubber) and cleaning them up I slipped them in place and no more noise. But now I have a 2* bush on the drivers side and a 3* on the passengers side.

Anyone have any old original front panhard bushes kicking around I can have so I can match the passenger side??

Just incase anyone else has the same bushes and is also looking for a strange noise....
GO the 80...The mods have started :-)
Posts: 9
Joined: Sun Mar 13, 2005 3:45 pm
Location: Morayfield

Post by bigfella13 »

try checking the bolts on your panhard mine did something similar and found that i managed to tighten the bolt about a quarter (using a 18" breaker bar) of a turn and the knock stopped
94 dx cruiser turbo 1hz 3inch lift ,305 MTR's,snorkel, daul batteries,roofrack 170 light force and a very long list
User avatar
udm
Posts: 659
Joined: Tue Apr 26, 2005 8:35 pm

Post by udm »

It isn't a problem with the suspension, if as you said , it is felt on your feet, then the car's firewall has started to rust. Check where the mud guards bolt (2 bolts) onto the firewall.


Image
Ulises

www.OzSigns.com - 0400008422
Posts: 363
Joined: Mon Feb 14, 2005 9:09 pm
Location: melbourne

Post by duck »

mine dost it to, been getting worse over the last year, i went really looking for it the other day, i saw on my right shock tower the bush had been moving on the top hat, i was thinking it might be moving and knocking the pin on the edge of the hole, i tryed to tighten it but im not strong enough to hold the shock and tighten it, ill get my bro out today and see if he can give a hand.


i have also had a mate shake the car wile i was under it, the bolts inside my carster bushes move but im not sure if it will make the clunk as i have tightend them to the toque that toyota says.


more info would be good
Posts: 57
Joined: Sun Mar 27, 2005 9:17 pm
Location: VIC

Post by dazlin »

i have the same problem with my 100 series. 2inch lift plus 30mm spacer at front. the knock was reduced after i replaced my front upper & lower shock bushes. this reduces that knocking noise heaps but i can still hear it slightly. Its got me buggered.
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 6 guests