new one on me this on the way to my mates yesterday

got a clonk went i change steering from left to right or right to left…. but if im going right and turn right again – no noise.

have checked the steering UJ and the track rod ends

I can feel the clonk in the steering uj(with my hands on it and someone else doing the steering bit) indicating its somewhere in that area – but there is no play in the UJ its self.

have not had a chance to have a good rake about yet but is there a bevel gear box between the steering column and the rack that might just need greasing – or is it likely to be a dying steering pump as a google would reveal as an issue with “metalic clonks” in the steering

anyone been here before ? chrisdiesel or any of the other mechs got anything to add ?

Maybe of no help as not on a Partner / Berlingo but I had a similar clonk recently – most evident at roundabouts unwinding the steering from left to right – and the culprit was a drop link.

ill have a look at them again- but i changed them both at last service (its just coming up for 10k since that) – they used to clonk over bumps when they were gone. easy cheap change if it is.

but just feels like an entirely different kind of clonk. good chance they are were cheap drop links and have likely expired – dont have alot of faith in stuff from eurocarparts.

I would normally say track rod ends or if it’s got high mileage the inner joint on the track rods (from experience they seem to last a long time though).

Could also be the lower balljoint and you are just feeling the knock up through the steering. Symptoms normally lie somewhere between a droplink and a TRE. ie you feel a bit of play in the wheel and gt a bit of a clunk over bumps.

Are you getting any wheel deviation over bumps?

No other symptoms bar the knock on steering. Will get it jacked up tonight and get my pry bar on the ball joints.

Ill revise my earlier statement ….

Noise in power steering pump area …. Noisy .

Turn steering wheel and make the pump work and it goes quiet …. Dead bearings/clutch mech in the pully on power steering pump ? I intend to get the aux belt off and give the pulleys a going over but the tensioners being a gype . Its one of em spring loaded mother **** and its toying with me …..

Have you checked the power steering rack bolts….one of the more simple things first. Don’t know if there is clutch in the power steering pulley,. More likely the one in the alternator pulley which when they go a knacker in turn can fubar your power steering pump and or water pump.
And of course the other thing they bugger up is the spring loaded tensioner as the jerking can cause the springs to snap…..experienced the same on VW tdi engine.

Broken spring (as in suspension spring), check the top and bottom for completeness, with the vehicle jacked up.

Cheers guys

Have checked the uj bolts , not the rack bolts yet

Good chance the alternator is the issue…. It was second hand off a 206 many moons ago 🙂 if only the tensioner would come off 🙁 but unsure why the noise would disapear when the steering is used ??

Spring – would be a good shout – ive already had one snap on me before but ive jacked it up and cant see any damage to the spring – but it does seem to pull to the right more than it used to ….

Have you checked both sides?

Yah man i compared them to each other – but then when i was putting the car on the ramps i thought it was lower than before – as in wouldnt go up the ramps without the bumper hitting……

Maybe both sides have snapped :/ although last time it snapped it was very obvious.- although twas the bottom that snapped

Im going for another look now im doubting my self

If they are only just starting to clonk the track rod end can require quite a bit of effort to make clonk manually. Have you tried bar in various positions?

Its not the TRE they are shiny new and tight 🙂

Benji wins …. Jacked it up again and got my hand right up the top and found the end of the spring snapped off round the back.

Only about 1/3rd of a coil – compared to the last time it went i lost bottom 3 coils and the car just about fell over.

Just what i need. My jeeps on three wheels atm having a new wishbone and wing fitted…..grrrr.. Tempted to go chop for a vito sport dualliner ……

Excellent, at least you now know.

I hate doing the job though …. Ive had the strutts out a couple times – even with compressors i struggle to get the strutt out without pulling the drive shaft out-i assume you havedone this before- do you remove the hub ? ( the book of lies says specifically not to remove the hub.

Theres jack all room under that arch:@ can camp under my jeeps arches

Ok I’ve not read all the thread so don’t flame me if it’s already been said BUT if it’s an early ( new shape I.e mk3 it was a common fault and is a combination of hydro fluid knock from the pipe movement and front shockers if you cannot feel any play and only hear it when stationary lock to lock then don’t worrie about it. Or give me the last 8 of the vin and I’ll tell you the parts you need to sort it.

My Berlingo Mk2 is developing intemittent stiff spots when steering. I thing the bearings at the top of the shock are going/gone, but I’ll be getting the garage to sort that out.

Cheers chris but its a mk2 2006

I suggest you do trout, ive got a fairly equipped garage and still hate doing them…. Ive changed the strutt tops in the past.

Now i think about it – its a bit triggers brush…. Not much left worth swapping that i dont have….and the engine will run for ever…. Is got to the age now where bits on ebay are cheap 😉 just bought another used alternator for 28 quid….

Just the rear axel that worrys me haha-

If the noise is only in one direction are you sure your not hearing the power steering ram ” knock ” at full extent that again is to a more or less normal. Give me the last 8 I’ll look into it for you.

I got a refurbed rear axle assembly from Fraser Brown in Evanton (just N of the Black Isle) for about £400. Lifetime warranty.

T_r if you certain it is the spring then this will be no help but I have some power steering fluid in the garage if you need, it is in the same cupboard as where you got the suspension oil.

Haha now you mention it….. Although its not power steering fluid its atf-d for the ute – i did fire down halfords tonigth and get some as it was at the min mark – but not below.

I think you might be on to sommat with the alternator – alternators low down and m sure they dont like getting wet – last one went the in heavy rains also – we live on a road that gets monster puddles.

Good to know re axel t-w thats a good price and its and it looks an easy unit swap.

Check out frasers website. I got my axle for my 106 from down south years ago and never knew of Frasers place (so local too,pity)

My partner’s power steering has a leak. It might have been topped right up or tampered with when I bought it as the evidence on the ground where I park it has died down but the level looks fine on the stick. It also had a bad free-play feeling in roundabouts when I got it. It’s since backed off and is only barely noticable. It’s high miles and after 5k of hassle free driving with it, I’ve just noticed black strips of paint/coating that’s flaked off a spring where I park too! I’m guessing its a broken spring as I’ve noticed a slight knock here and there.

I hate doing the job though …. Ive had the strutts out a couple times – even with compressors i struggle to get the strutt out without pulling the drive shaft out-i assume you havedone this before- do you remove the hub ? ( the book of lies says specifically not to remove the hub.

If the pinch bolt on the hub carrier undoes, then yes I tap the hub away from the shock absorber, makes it easier to handle. Yes done it plenty of times i’m a vehicle tech/mot tester at an independent garage.

As for rear axles, refurbed is the way to go, that way you know what you are fitting, rather than the don’t when’s it going to fail from a breakers.

Alternator/power steering type noise, only really come across it on VAG cars.

Trout I’ve sent you an e mail before you have it looked at try GT85 on the steering u/j in the engine bay, they are open to dirt and salt off the road getting to the bearing and get stiff spots on rotation. Soak it and try again.

My steering near seized on me once turns out it was the coupling in the steering column. These wee vans certainly make sure you see your mechanic often, mine is there at the minute after an idler pulley bounced across the driveway. A rear beam is on my horizon shortly too as it looks like it has the camber of an old sierra. Last time it went it snapped a torsion bar so I put a secondhand unit in, have had 4 years out of that so far for £130. If it goes again a reconditioned unit is £300 with a fella near Ballymoney over here in NI.

http://www.imaxle.co.uk/berlingo-van-all-models

“If the pinch bolt on the hub carrier undoes, then yes I tap the hub away from the shock absorber, makes it easier to handle. Yes done it plenty of times i’m a vehicle tech/mot tester at an independent garage”

oh ive done that.

thinking back i dont remember if i took the disk rotor off – that might give me the clearance i need to get it over into the arch – if i didnt that is. – my biggest issue is that i cant get the hub low enough to go back on – even with the spring compressed up as much as i can (arch liner gets in the road of the compressors) then i push the hub too low resulting in the gear box oil exiting stage left….. speaking of which – im going to add some ep to the shopping trolley incase that does happen.

It’s possible to get it back on with nothing more than a prybar, just to push the hub carrier down against the bottom of the shock absorber, at that point slot it in, and bingo, worst part done.

I think i might have been a stupid mother **** last time. I dont recall taking off the disk rotor- so i was trying to create an extra 6 inches of room i didnt need to………

I always use the jack under the front hub so I can put the compressors on with it already compressed. Saves about 10 minutes of swearing.

took a couple hours on saturday morning – spring was definantly broke.

replaced the top mount bearing as well as i had it out anyway.

knocking still there – doesnt seem to be any play in any of the ball joints in the front end on either side

been told to look at the rear engine mount on the LHS by the driveshaft – but also to try holding the car on the bitepoint/handbrake and doing the steering then to see if any knocking under tension.

Any more for anymore knocking still there under tension. Will take a good rake about in day light tomorrow

Shopping for a new trolley jack before i do much more….jacked up my dads van yesterday and the jack folded up like a wet newspaper- van was well under jacks limit.

Suspecting inner tie rods may simply be shot

Got the bugger!

Exhaust had slipped on its rubber and was hitting the suspension arm when i was changing direction

Pulled it back over in its rubber and zero noises since.

Still – spring was snapped and needed doing none the less.