Knocking sound and loose feeling on front

[vRS newbie]

Hey all,

Recently had my VRS fitted with eibach lowering springs, cupra bushes and super pro lower engine steady (don't know why I had that done, do not do).

Since the upgrades I've felt a slight knocking coming on at low speeds when cornering and if it's a little bumpy. Now it's doing when travelling along the motorway. The road is smooth but I can feel a knocking coming through the footwell and can just about hear it. The car feels planted enough but when travelling along uneven back roads it feels like something is loose underneath the car. The only thing I can equate it to is when I damaged the under tray on my last car and it was flapping at speed. It's not that by the way, I've checked.

Any ideas what it could be?

Cheers.

[MoggyTech]

Common after lowering, live with it I'm afraid.

[newskoda]

Why should you suffer from a knocking sound after you lower your car and uprate the bushes? seems very odd to me. I have lowered cars (not skodas) before and superflexed them and not experienced this sounds you describe.

Is this a common vRS fault, that when you lower it it makes a noise?

so far i'm sticking to standard springs and shocks on mine, but hearing this does put me off ever wanting to lower it.

[wja96]

The Cupra bushes add noise and vibration. Don't let anyone tell you different. They do make the car more responsive, but they also make it slightly fidgety. The Eibachs themselves just make the ride firmer (the car doesn't drop anymore when I get in). The knocking or drumming could be a tyre out of round (this seems very common on Fabias) and you're probably just really aware of how the car drives now, given that you've just spent money on having it 'improved'.

I'm not sure on the Super Pro lower engine steady, but it sounds like a dogbone mount, which could be the issue.

[tonto kowalski]

Why are you having mods done when you don't know what the end result will be?

Is it because everyone else is having mods done?

If it ain't broke,don't fix it.

[wja96]

I think that's slightly unfair tk. These are the classic modifications that are recommended for a more sporty drive. The Skoda suspension as it comes from the factory is pretty soft and they saved a bit of money by not fitting expensive bushes.

The Eibachs are pretty inoffensive, especially when combined with the Koni FSDs as they are compliant on the straights and stiff in the corners. My wife didn't even notice that I'd had the car dropped and stiffened. Now I'm used to them, I'd have them stiffer again to be honest.

The Cupra/Powerflex bushes should come with a warning I reckon - this will make your car noisy, but it will steer like a go-kart.

The dog-bone mounts DO come with a warning and reckon that's what the OP is hearing, drivetrain shunt.

[Confused_Cheese]

I'm sure others have had knocking issues after lowering as i've read many posts about this... It could be the drop links clonking, may need shorter ones now you're lowered? I'm sure a few members had issues with clonking on full lock when lowered too, not sure if this is the same for you? I think some lowering kits come with adjustment bits for the steering rack/arm to shorten the turning circle so it stops it, but this is all from strained memory!

My car is on standard suspension and it occasionally clonks from the front or sounds unstable when turning on lose ground (feels tight though)... spent over a grand trying to fix it but its still the same so i've been living with it for over a year now. Does it mainly when cold over speed bumps or brisk turning

[MoggyTech]

Just to try and clarify why lowering can screw up the car. The car is designed with a certain spring rate, and suspension loading is designed to operate at that spring rate. A different spring rate will effect almost every front end component, including the angle of the driveshafts, and hence CV joints. Now there is nothing wrong with lowering a car provided you (or the person who does the work) really understands what they are doing. Sadly this is seldom the case, or the kit used just isn't up to the job.

The solid Cupra bushes will transmit more front end noise, the original bush was voided to allow a certain amount of wishbone 'give' fore and aft and also side to side. The latest bush from Skoda is a compromise, double the rubber but still enough give to be almost silent. I had these fitted a month back, and the result is brilliant.

So the answer to where is the noise coming from has to be 'something that you fitted isn't doing it's job properly.'

[jamesrbeaumont]

I had a knocking/rattling sound which sounds a bit like what you are describing, mine was link bar (drivers side) connected to the farb only cost 20 quid to get the part and not much to fit.

[vRS newbie]

I forgot to mention that the knocking was there prior to the upgrades, just not as prominent.

Also, I'm getting clicking/creaking through the steering. It also happens when going over off-camber bumps.

Hope that clears things up a little.

[vRS chris]

I have exactly the same noise and mine has been lowered on the Eibach Kit.

I am just living with it.

[guy_gadbois]

Mine does this on full lock on bad surfaces, if it is not doing any damage I can live with it too (Eibach springs, std Dampers and Cupra bushes)

[newskoda]

It could be anti roll bar bushes?

[GREZA]

Gearbox/engine nearside mount maybe?

It's the one below the battery.

These seem to wear and the clearance isn't great to start with. Around £40 plus fitting.

Do a search for the posting entitled 'clutch release causes a knock'

Edited 7 July, 2010 by GREZA

[wilsonian]

I had creaking noise my old micra and it turned out to be a failed wishbone mount. Best check these out.