Hello, I really need some help on this one folks as I'm rapidly going bald tearing my hair out!!

I've got a 2002 ST170 on 42,000miles, with a seriously annoying knock. It sounds as though it should be a knackered bush, like a bottom arm, but I've had a good look at the front suspension and nothing's split, broken, worn or loose. It doesn't knock if you rock the car on the handbrake, or if the you floor it and let off, there's no play or slap in the steering either. If I drive over a cobbled street it sounds like chattering teeth!! However, if I ride the brake pedal the noise stops. I've checked the brakes and the pads are a little down, but they're not on the metal, and ideally the discs need swopping when the pads are changed but they're not exactly razor blades. The pads seem a really good fit in the caliper (had to tap them out with a small persuader lol), because i thought it might be them, rattling.

Anyone come across this before?

 

Possibly the half shaft bearing mate on the drive shafts that bolts to the sump
.

These have a habit of going and retail at around Ł40 so not to costly

 

Specific Suspension Checks for Ford Focus (1998 - Present):


AREA: Anti-roll bar links
What to look for: Listen for a knocking noise as you drive over uneven road surfaces.
What it means: A knocking noise from any corner of the car indicates failing anti-roll bar links. Most likely on cars that have done over 25,000 miles.
What to do: replacing front and back links,

 

Drop links??

 

i'd suggest drop links too, although it sounds a bit premature for them to have gone.

Exhaust / cat heatshields are forever working loose on them, this could be worth looking into.

 

Heatshields on these are beyond gay!! I've replaced them once but this time all the bolts sheared so i just threw them in the bin!

I'm definately gonna try the drop links. Think I'll just disconnect it and go for a test drive. No noise, buy some new ones!

Cheers guys!!

I'll let you know how I get on.

 

give the ends of the drop links a hard hit inwards with your fist, if you can hear a metallic knocking, they're fooked

 

well I disconnected the arb drop links but the noise remained! :-(

Someone told me it might be the dualmass flywheel giving up!

 

I hope for your sake it is not the flywheel, new clutch and flywheel will cost you between Ł800-Ł1200 fitted. I very much doubt it is, i have the exact same knock on my ST170

 

by God it's annoying! have you any idea what it is? I've had my pal run alongside my car down a cobbled street, and it knocks like mad, and we're convinced it from the OSF. But what the F*CK it is I just dont know. When it jacked up, no play in anything, no unusual noises with the mallet. Dont want to just start buying parts willynilly. Wondering if it's a strut top? could be anything!

P.S., I think dual mass flywheels suck :-(

 

I was thinking either drop links or top mounts, mine does it on both sides!! I am going to investigate once i fit my new disks and pads.
My mate has an escort cabriolet and it has the same knock but slightly worse and we have never got to the bottom of it and it flies through every mot!! ?

 

hahahahaha, yes, mine had no prob with the mot either, hahahaha. I'm pretty sure its the strut tops. Not sure why it doesn't move about when jacked up though, but maybe can see some damage when it's off.

 

Sorry to bring up an old thread, but thought I'd post the answer to help out anyone else.

It was the damper. Had about 1mm of side to side play in it, bought a new one from ford for about Ł30 and the noise went away! Couldn't see the play with it all built up and never made a sound when it was knocked around but once I stripped it down was obvious.

Hope this helps someone in the future.

 

hi, could you tell me exactly what it was you had replaced to cure the knocking..ive got this on my st170 and its drivin me mad as ive tried all kinds to find it...when you say it was the damper what do mean??? do you the part number at all??

cheers

 

I had a similar problem and it turned out to be a knackered engine mount.