MK spring/drag link contact

[festy]

I've been half-heartedly trying to track down a clunk in the front end of my MK for years - I think I finally found it.
Poking around last night, I found an arc scored on the top of the passenger side spring, from the bolt through the clamp on the drag link.
Can I rotate this clamp to gain an extra half inch of clearance, or is it attatched to the drag link? And is this lack of clearance normal? It clunks when I turn the wheel under brakes (ie front dipping slightly) or any sort of front end compression - even just pointing downhill, so I don't think half an inch more is going to solve it.

[DR Frankenstine]

Its probbably your front springs moving side to side on the solid front bushes

[festy]

No, not the spring moving sideways.
And I was wrong, It's the tie rod, not the drag link.

[DR Frankenstine]

Ok Ive read your post properly now.
Rotate the clamp and it will solve your problem

[badger]

dont mk's have rubber bushes
mq has solid :s

[festy]

MKs have rubber lower (spring) bushes, but solid upper (body) bushes - except mine has solid top and bottom, thanks to me putting s/h MQ springs and shackles on.

[jcclures]

I have had this clunk in my MK Nissan from new, it is also in my brothers. I have changed my front springs to MQ stile with the solid bush with brass thrust washers and used self lock nuts but this also did not fix the clunk.
The other day while I was working on my nisota conversion, which is down to the bare chassis on blocks. I noted that as I turned the wheels from lock to lock the drag link from the steering relay lever assembly on the chassis going to the left side of the tie rod, rolled severely for and aft, this gave the same sound as I hear when I drive it down the range going to cairns. I am thinking that if there was an angle in the drag link over on the left side this would stop the role in the tie rod. I am going to try this soon to see if it will stop my steering clunk.
John