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Clunky front shocks?

Posted: Tue May 01, 2012 9:47 pm
by Gripped
We've had a clunk for a while when the Bongo shifts weight from side to side as it goes along. I thought it might be the drop links or maybe even the wishbones, but a local garage thinks it is the right hand front shock top mount where they meet the turrets. Apparently, they have a rubber mounting where they bolt into the turret, and if the rubber goes, you get a little bit of movement and a clunk as the shock extends and compresses.

Anyone had similar?

Re: Clunky front shocks?

Posted: Tue May 01, 2012 9:53 pm
by nigelgibson
Had the same symptoms and diagnosis from a local garage on a bongo a few years ago , difficult to confirm without stripping down i was told. Never did get it done and sold it with knocking still there but told buyer of problem.

Re: Clunky front shocks?

Posted: Tue May 01, 2012 10:21 pm
by lazyb5
The rubber mounting is visible from inside the bonnet. I have just removed both front shocks on mine and the rubber was ok. I would think that the noise would be drop links or anti roll bar bushes. If the rubber mounting was to perish there wouldnt be that much movement due to the way the turret is shaped. The drop links and anti roll bar bushes are a lot easier to change than the shockers
Hope that helps

Re: Clunky front shocks?

Posted: Tue May 01, 2012 10:53 pm
by Gripped
I've been underneath and can't seem to hear anything from the drop links, but I'll ask my local Bongo Jedi to have a look
Cheers ! =D>

Re: Clunky front shocks?

Posted: Wed May 02, 2012 3:39 am
by Northern Bongolow
there is a little bearing mounted in the top plate, that is sometimes siezed,yours may have worn or worse. pull the top rubber bung out at the top and check/feel for movement while someone jumps on the roof [-X :wink:.
most knocks that are hard to detect seem to be from the bottom ball joint in the wishbone or droplinks, it only takes a tiny amount of wear to knock. if you can feel the knock under your/passy's feet that usually is antiroll bar bushes.

Re: Clunky front shocks?

Posted: Wed May 02, 2012 8:27 am
by mikeonb4c
lazyb5 wrote:The rubber mounting is visible from inside the bonnet. I have just removed both front shocks on mine and the rubber was ok. I would think that the noise would be drop links or anti roll bar bushes. If the rubber mounting was to perish there wouldnt be that much movement due to the way the turret is shaped. The drop links and anti roll bar bushes are a lot easier to change than the shockers
Hope that helps
I'm inclined to agree with this and with Ady likewise. I'll ne following you, as I'm just starting to get a clink when braking to a stop. Last time I had this, new droplinks and bicycle inner tube to rejuvenate the arb bushes, and the clink disappeared. That was 4 years ago.