[Mango1991]

Hey all I am new on here and looking for a little advice. The past month I have noticed that I am getting a knocking noise from drivers side front when going over bumps or uneven roads surfaces. I have replaced as follows shock absorber spring and strut top anti roll link and anti roll bar bushes all control arms. I am now starting look towards steering rack or steering shaft/column as when you shake the steering shaft you can make it knock. Any suggestions would be great thanks Martin

[relative4]

For me it was my missing pair of pliers.

[gbalthrop]

Originally Posted by Mango1991

Hey all I am new on here and looking for a little advice. The past month I have noticed that I am getting a knocking noise from drivers side front when going over bumps or uneven roads surfaces. I have replaced as follows shock absorber spring and strut top anti roll link and anti roll bar bushes all control arms. I am now starting look towards steering rack or steering shaft/column as when you shake the steering shaft you can make it knock. Any suggestions would be great thanks Martin

Welcome to the Forum Martin!

I haven't had this happen on my E91, but on older Jags I have owned it was common for the Anti-Sway Bar Bushing, large rubber bushing in the bracket that holds the Sway Bar to the Chassis/Subframe, to deteriorate and get dislodged, allowing the bar to "clunk" on the bracket. Visual inspection is quick & easy. Here is TIS photo of Bar/ Bracket/ Bushing:
https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/e...ll-bar/GOJwR3n

Link bushings can also fail:
https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/e...ll-bar/GTTDdfu

Please let us know what you find,
George

[gbalthrop]

Originally Posted by Mango1991

...and anti roll bar bushes all control arms. I am now starting look towards steering rack or steering shaft/column as when you shake the steering shaft you can make it knock.

Sorry, I got interrupted while reading your post & realized after Replying that I had failed to read the part quoted above.

So is there any "play" in the steering? Can you move the Steering Rack laterally? Are the Steering Rack Mounts tight? When you say "shake the steering shaft" how are you shaking it & where? Lower shaft? If someone turns the steering wheel ~ 1" L to R, is there any play in the lower U-joint at the rack pinion?

Trying to devise proper tests to isolate/locate the play or clunk is the trick. Have you tried jacking the front beneath the front-center jacking point, placing stands under the front-side jacking points, and having a helper turn steering wheel, shake shaft, turn each wheel, etc. while you look for play or movement where there should be NONE?

Please let us know what you find,
George

[Mango1991]

Hi George yeah pretty much tried all of above. Had it on 4 poster jacked up trying all the above also the steering shaft has play in it but the play is coming from the column more than anything I think this may be normal movement. A friend has shakers plates so going to see if he can diagnose anything on them I think it’s the rack personally

[colorado.e9x]

Can you possibly make a video while driving?

[Mango1991]

It’s like a rattling kind of knock

[Mango1991]

Has no one every had this with their e92?

[PhaseP]

Originally Posted by Mango1991

Hey all I am new on here and looking for a little advice. The past month I have noticed that I am getting a knocking noise from drivers side front when going over bumps or uneven roads surfaces. I have replaced as follows shock absorber spring and strut top anti roll link and anti roll bar bushes all control arms. I am now starting look towards steering rack or steering shaft/column as when you shake the steering shaft you can make it knock. Any suggestions would be great thanks Martin

Have you ever removed the air filter box for some work on the engine and after that the noise started happening? If so, there is a rubber dome shaped piece that goes over a stud on the top driver side rail which the air box sits on top. This can get bumped out of its stud and fall down while putting back the air filter box in. Then air box will rattle against that rail. If you have your engine belly pan intact, and if that happened, that rubber piece will be lying somewhere on the belly pan.

[Mango1991]

Had the under tray off the other night their was no rubber but I will check. Would that knock tho?

[PhaseP]

Sorry I noticed now you have 330d which doesn't have that rubber piece under the air filter box. Your knock would not be what I suspected.

[Mango1991]

Think it’s fucked

[NYCiROLL]

So I had a similar metallic sound that took me two years to trace down.
The noise would disappear when it was wet out.

Check the front brakes. In my case, the wrong anti-rattle/ brake pad retaining clip was installed. The shop installed rear anti-rattle clips on the front calipers. The reason they didn't make noise when wet, is due to brake drying for improved brake response in wet conditions.

The noise was so bad that I thought the front subframe was loose.
For two ducking years I couldn't locate the noise. Good luck!

[mweisdorfer]

Check your swaybar links

[henri777]

Would suggest also check the coil springs, mine made a cracking sound when going over bumps.

[Mango1991]

Any other ideas on what this could be. Had like 4 different mechanics look over it and can’t find a problem

[mainbearing]

When you turn the steering wheel you got the same "knock" as going over bumps and such?

If so try raising one front wheel, then rock the steering wheel back and forth (key on, engine off). See if you hear the knocking (would be more like clicking) from the steering rack boot area.

Another possibility are the rack mount/bushings.

[Mango1991]

It’s had another steering rack fitted last week and exactly the same

[Mango1991]

Originally Posted by mainbearing

When you turn the steering wheel you got the same "knock" as going over bumps and such?

If so try raising one front wheel, then rock the steering wheel back and forth (key on, engine off). See if you hear the knocking (would be more like clicking) from the steering rack boot area.

Another possibility are the rack mount/bushings.

Where are the bushes u mean in the column?

[mainbearing]

Not the column but where the rack mounts to the engine cradle. Looking at some pictures now, there might not be bushings for the rack, because if those are deteriorated the rack will move side to side and knock.

If you think the noise is from the steering column, then check the u-joints and their lock bolts.

[mainbearing]

A replacement rack comes with new inner tie rod joints, so those might not be the problem.

With both wheels on the ground, and you turn the steering wheel, is that when you hear the noise? Maybe have a helper check the u-joints then with a replacement rack already in place. See where the noise originates.

Originally Posted by Mango1991

It’s had another steering rack fitted last week and exactly the same

[Mango1991]

Originally Posted by mainbearing

A replacement rack comes with new inner tie rod joints, so those might not be the problem.

With both wheels on the ground, and you turn the steering wheel, is that when you hear the noise? Maybe have a helper check the u-joints then with a replacement rack already in place. See where the noise originates.

Don’t hear it knocking when turning steering just when going over uneven roads