Rumbling noise under wheel arch

[Triple/R]

Eyup everyone~i know this is a common question (apologies) as i'm driving on uneven roads~potholes or raised manholes i get this horrible rumbling noise on drivers side~it can be the slightest hole or hump but when i drive over it sounds like a hollow rumbling sound~i've had the wheel off 5 times put a really big iron bar underneath all joints etc; & there is no freeplay in any of them~the droplinks have been replaced~~~i've driven on a dual carriageway (with nothing behind me) let go of the steering wheel slapped on the brakes & it stops dead straight so to my limited mechanical knowledge the steering seems alright.
I've crawled underneath (go knows how many times) to see if anythings loose under there e.g.exhaust~spare wheel~engine cover etc;(cus noise can travel) but everything seems fine~i can definitely hear the rumble just behind my right foot when driving.
Someone please help as it's doing me head in

[mikeonb4c]

Eyup everyone~i know this is a common question (apologies) as i'm driving on uneven roads~potholes or raised manholes i get this horrible rumbling noise on drivers side~it can be the slightest hole or hump but when i drive over it sounds like a hollow rumbling sound~i've had the wheel off 5 times put a really big iron bar underneath all joints etc; & there is no freeplay in any of them~the droplinks have been replaced~~~i've driven on a dual carriageway (with nothing behind me) let go of the steering wheel slapped on the brakes & it stops dead straight so to my limited mechanical knowledge the steering seems alright.
I've crawled underneath (go knows how many times) to see if anythings loose under there e.g.exhaust~spare wheel~engine cover etc;(cus noise can travel) but everything seems fine~i can definitely hear the rumble just behind my right foot when driving.
Someone please help as it's doing me head in

and are you quite sure the (front) antiroll bar is being held securely by good ruber bushes and steel u-clamps?

[Triple/R]

Well they look good to me Mike

[Northern Bongolow]

hi
is it two wheel or four wheel drive?
just behind your right foot may sugest front wheel bearing or drive shaft bearing,
does the noise alter when you move the steering whilst moving forwards?
see if you can jack it up again an rotate the wheel by hand, but may be silent with no weight on.

[Triple/R]

hi
is it two wheel or four wheel drive?
just behind your right foot may sugest front wheel bearing or drive shaft bearing,
does the noise alter when you move the steering whilst moving forwards?
see if you can jack it up again an rotate the wheel by hand, but may be silent with no weight on.

Hi it's 4 wheel drive~the noise is always the same~a rumbling noise~obviously on smooth roads it's perfect~the rumbling is after i go over the hole or bump.

[mikexgough]

Sounds like ARB bushes..... Ray...

is it like a slight knock?.... or slight tapping....when you go over the bump....?

Mine was like that last year..... passed MOT fine.... but it was the bushes....worn but not enough to fail.....
Now what I did...is to go the whole hog..... the Anti roll bar has the 4 connection points.....



2 x Drop links at the ends..... and 2 x Bushes and clamps....... worth changing them all at once....if not then you will probably revisit in a week or so to change another part in the "chain"....

[Triple/R]

Sounds like ARB bushes..... Ray...

is it like a slight knock?.... or slight tapping....when you go over the bump....?

Mine was like that last year..... passed MOT fine.... but it was the bushes....worn but not enough to fail.....
Now what I did...is to go the whole hog..... the Anti roll bar has the 4 connection points.....



2 x Drop links at the ends..... and 2 x Bushes and clamps....... worth changing them all at once....if not then you will probably revisit in a week or so to change another part in the "chain"....

Thanks for that Mike (good advise as usual) great to see a picture of work involved (even i could do that) as i said drop links done but would'nt hurt to take roll bar off as you have done & change bushes & clamps~just got to wait for the rain to stop

[mikexgough]

if the drop likes were done Ray.....then the bushes are probably now asking to be changed..... hence my "Change all the parts" comments....

[Triple/R]

if the drop likes were done Ray.....then the bushes are probably now asking to be changed..... hence my "Change all the parts" comments....

Yes sounds right to me Mike~were did you get your bushes from?

[helen&tony]

Hi
As Mike says...bushes can look OK, but be able to produce noise, and sometimes the brackets can look good, but, in fact, have cracks in, and likewise you'll only know when you remove them....did you check the bushings in the wishbone?...ball joint may be OK but the bushings worn...I have just had EVERYTHING done....wishbones, links (last year), and bushes...rides like new...now I just need a re-conned steering rack to complete the job...if there is time in the summer, might even try the job ourselves!...oh... and new struts soon!
Best of luck
Cheers
Helen

[mikexgough]

if the drop likes were done Ray.....then the bushes are probably now asking to be changed..... hence my "Change all the parts" comments....

Yes sounds right to me Mike~were did you get your bushes from?

Ray......... From Here and next day delivery too....pukka Mazda ones not copies

[Triple/R]

Hi
As Mike says...bushes can look OK, but be able to produce noise, and sometimes the brackets can look good, but, in fact, have cracks in, and likewise you'll only know when you remove them....did you check the bushings in the wishbone?...ball joint may be OK but the bushings worn...I have just had EVERYTHING done....wishbones, links (last year), and bushes...rides like new...now I just need a re-conned steering rack to complete the job...if there is time in the summer, might even try the job ourselves!...oh... and new struts soon!
Best of luck
Cheers
Helen

Thanks Helen for your input ~it will probably end up with doing the work you've mentioned then your pretty sure everything is as it should be

[Triple/R]

if the drop likes were done Ray.....then the bushes are probably now asking to be changed..... hence my "Change all the parts" comments....

Yes sounds right to me Mike~were did you get your bushes from?

Ray......... From Here and next day delivery too....pukka Mazda ones not copies

Cheers again Mike~i'm still waiting for the rain to stop (it's peeing down) i'll have another look with wheel off & see if theres anything else i need before ordering

[mikexgough]

sunshine here just now.....the rain has gone.....

[mikeonb4c]

No probs - happy to help

But seriously, I wonder if there is some way the antiroll bar theory could be tested before making what might be an unnecessary spend. For example, I followed a tip from Dandywarhol and simply sleeved my old ARB bushes with some bicycle tyre liner (click on thumbnail pics below). It worked so well that two years later, the job is still solid. The real point though is that if you do that and you still have the drumming sound, then it ought to prove (unfortunately) that the problem is somewhere else.