Citroen C5 X7 front clunking noise.

[GolfMk1Vr6]

I think mine is clunking. I'm soon going to remove it and I'll find out

I will refurbish the steering rack next week, keep you updated.

Have you had any success with this?

I have removed the steering rack at the weekend , refurbished and modified it (updates to follow on another thread) and refitted and the car is driving. I still get the same clunk.

I replaced both inner steering joints, outer track rod ends, rebuilt the rack after checking the rack internal bushings for play, tightened the pinion spring plunger a small extra amount - steering is slightly tighter to move than before. And of course, tightened the 2x mounting nuts to 140N.m. all of this I'd think would eliminate the steering rack from the blame..

On the front axle the inner control arm bushes were changed (all4) last year, the outer lower bush, anti roll bar droplinks.

I am unsure where else can cause a knocking. The upper arm bushes, to me I feel these wouldn't cause a knocking but I could be surprised....

I looked at the anti roll bar bushes and couldn't detect any movement in them.

It only seems to knock at low speed with the steering turned.

So, I'm not so sure what the cause is. MOT test coming up and perhaps their rolling road test will show something.

Hi!

Today i took the car from the steering rack repair shop. All the way home i felt the same klunking noise on bad road surfaces and i also have a clunk when steering to the max left/ right. Also the car became again very stiff (see my other topics with suspension stiffness).



So everything on front end is replaced, steering rack rebuild, what else can i do instead of setting the car on fire?

The mechanics from the repair shop told me to keep the hand on the upper part of the hydraulic shock (the cast iron one) to show me that it feels some kind of a knock inside when moving the car left/ right. Personally i didn't feel anything, is there a normal noise there or you shouldn't feel anything?

The next thing that's in my mind that i want to check is the frame screws (if anything loose) or bushes.

I'm honestly out of patience and nerves about this car...

[PaulC5]

We had a knock on a 2015 C4 and it was the shock absorber that had some wear so that the chrome shaft could move sideways a bit. I could not detect the wear on the car but once off it was bad. It was the Citroen parts dept at our dealer that suggested to check it since it was a known problem to Citroen. Whether this can apply to C5 hydraulic suspension I do not know.

Have you checked the front brakes, you could see if it clunks whilst turning but with your foot on the brakes a bit.

[aerodynamica]

That's a good point, I also still have the clunking. Brakes still have not been checked. The pads are getting a bit low as well and both front calipers were renewed a year ago. One of my front struts was renewed in 2022 and the other appears to have been in 2018. But in the X7 the struts are not involved in the steering forces like a true macpherson strus arrangement.

[aerodynamica]

I will refurbish the steering rack next week, keep you updated.

Have you had any success with this?

I have removed the steering rack at the weekend , refurbished and modified it (updates to follow on another thread) and refitted and the car is driving. I still get the same clunk.

I replaced both inner steering joints, outer track rod ends, rebuilt the rack after checking the rack internal bushings for play, tightened the pinion spring plunger a small extra amount - steering is slightly tighter to move than before. And of course, tightened the 2x mounting nuts to 140N.m. all of this I'd think would eliminate the steering rack from the blame..

On the front axle the inner control arm bushes were changed (all4) last year, the outer lower bush, anti roll bar droplinks.

I am unsure where else can cause a knocking. The upper arm bushes, to me I feel these wouldn't cause a knocking but I could be surprised....

I looked at the anti roll bar bushes and couldn't detect any movement in them.

It only seems to knock at low speed with the steering turned.

So, I'm not so sure what the cause is. MOT test coming up and perhaps their rolling road test will show something.

Hi!

Today i took the car from the steering rack repair shop. All the way home i felt the same klunking noise on bad road surfaces and i also have a clunk when steering to the max left/ right. Also the car became again very stiff (see my other topics with suspension stiffness).



So everything on front end is replaced, steering rack rebuild, what else can i do instead of setting the car on fire?

The mechanics from the repair shop told me to keep the hand on the upper part of the hydraulic shock (the cast iron one) to show me that it feels some kind of a knock inside when moving the car left/ right. Personally i didn't feel anything, is there a normal noise there or you shouldn't feel anything?

The next thing that's in my mind that i want to check is the frame screws (if anything loose) or bushes.

I'm honestly out of patience and nerves about this car...

Ah yes your video shows the same thing that mine does. I think yours is worse though. Mine also feels like the same as bad droplinks but it is not that.

I'm going to concentrate on the brakes next

[GolfMk1Vr6]

@aerodynamica

That clunk when steering max to right / left was heard after i've replaced all the bushings/ arms/ joints shown in the first pictures of the topic and it also can be heard after rebuilding the steering rack and replacing the steering rods.

My front brake pads were also replaced, if everything was wrong there i think it should be seen already by the mechanic, since i didnt participated to the reparation, i cannot guarantee anything.

I suspect something is loose on the frame, or maybe some torn frame bushes.

Please keep me updates since my patience with this car is almost done.

[Kupsberg]

Hi!

I actually got this clunking as well! I had my suspension adjusted from the front too high and once lowered to correct drive height yesterday I noticed clatter/clunking from front left (footwell area, sounds close to left foot position). Very similar to link rod joint gone bad on roll bar. Changed the link rods to new on both sides, but sound persisted. I could not find anything loose when car jacked up on one side or both when suspension at high position.

End of the day I jacked up my front left wheel, opened LDS reservoir cap ( happy I did, as it overflew a lot!), lowered the jack a bit. Started the car and lowered the ride height from high to normal position so that the FL corner was drawn in. The right hand side went pretty much to bottom and the left side returned to "normal position". LDS reservoir overflew maybe 3dl, I think I had over filled it a bit..
This procedure assured I could try out all the linkages as they are "relaxed state" and still nothing was loose. Eventually I put some torque to the top side of the roll bar near the link rods bottom, using crowbar stuffed to the subframe slots. This way I could move the hub as it would travel up and down and what do you know! I hear some very subtle sounds from the FL suspension strut. When placed a hand on top of the FL suspension sphere and vibrating the crowbar back and forths (up-down) you could feels some subtle clattering from within the strut itself or the top connecting plate.

Just thought to give in my notices and maybe you can locate your clattering from your FL suspension strut as well. I hope this will help you! I would also like to know if is there something changable in the top part of the strut system or does the whole strut need to be changed?

Note: I don't know if it does good to the suspension to alter the height whilst on jack on one corner. Use these steps on with our own risk assesment.

-J

[aerodynamica]

Hi!

I actually got this clunking as well! I had my suspension adjusted from the front too high and once lowered to correct drive height yesterday I noticed clatter/clunking from front left (footwell area, sounds close to left foot position). Very similar to link rod joint gone bad on roll bar. Changed the link rods to new on both sides, but sound persisted. I could not find anything loose when car jacked up on one side or both when suspension at high position.

End of the day I jacked up my front left wheel, opened LDS reservoir cap ( happy I did, as it overflew a lot!), lowered the jack a bit. Started the car and lowered the ride height from high to normal position so that the FL corner was drawn in. The right hand side went pretty much to bottom and the left side returned to "normal position". LDS reservoir overflew maybe 3dl, I think I had over filled it a bit..
This procedure assured I could try out all the linkages as they are "relaxed state" and still nothing was loose. Eventually I put some torque to the top side of the roll bar near the link rods bottom, using crowbar stuffed to the subframe slots. This way I could move the hub as it would travel up and down and what do you know! I hear some very subtle sounds from the FL suspension strut. When placed a hand on top of the FL suspension sphere and vibrating the crowbar back and forths (up-down) you could feels some subtle clattering from within the strut itself or the top connecting plate.

Just thought to give in my notices and maybe you can locate your clattering from your FL suspension strut as well. I hope this will help you! I would also like to know if is there something changable in the top part of the strut system or does the whole strut need to be changed?

Note: I don't know if it does good to the suspension to alter the height whilst on jack on one corner. Use these steps on with our own risk assesment.

-J

Hi, thanks for that. It's completely OK to change the suspension height when there is a jack supporting it. Just a long and you are taking precautions. In this case, LDS cap off etc.

I wonder why there are sounds from the struts when it's unladen. In the old Citroens there was often a push rod and a piston and it was possible to have them loose when they're is no fluid pressure. I'm not sure what the structure for the C5 front struts is like.

[aerodynamica]

@aerodynamica

That clunk when steering max to right / left was heard after i've replaced all the bushings/ arms/ joints shown in the first pictures of the topic and it also can be heard after rebuilding the steering rack and replacing the steering rods.

My front brake pads were also replaced, if everything was wrong there i think it should be seen already by the mechanic, since i didnt participated to the reparation, i cannot guarantee anything.

I suspect something is loose on the frame, or maybe some torn frame bushes.

Please keep me updates since my patience with this car is almost done.

I'm the same. I think the subframe fixings is not likely because I just refitted mine to the torques and the knocking sound was the same after the work as before.

[GolfMk1Vr6]

@aerodynamica

That clunk when steering max to right / left was heard after i've replaced all the bushings/ arms/ joints shown in the first pictures of the topic and it also can be heard after rebuilding the steering rack and replacing the steering rods.

My front brake pads were also replaced, if everything was wrong there i think it should be seen already by the mechanic, since i didnt participated to the reparation, i cannot guarantee anything.

I suspect something is loose on the frame, or maybe some torn frame bushes.

Please keep me updates since my patience with this car is almost done.

I'm the same. I think the subframe fixings is not likely because I just refitted mine to the torques and the knocking sound was the same after the work as before.

Do you also have a stiff suspension?

[aerodynamica]

My suspension is very soft front and rear. All 7 spheres were fine in 2023 and the ride height is correct

I've not had a chance to look into this yet but I might very a chance one evening

[aerodynamica]

I just changed the remaining swivel joint (frip type) and I could be dreaming but the knocking improved
. Still there though.

[aerodynamica]

Here's a picture of the state of the frip joint that removed from the car.

It's an SKF one so I assume it's the factory original

[GolfMk1Vr6]

My original joint (also SKF) looked way better than yours, my mechanic told me it shouldn't be replaced yet, but since i did everything on front end i replaced them also.

I'm still having the knocks and stiff suspension.

[aerodynamica]

My original joint (also SKF) looked way better than yours, my mechanic told me it shouldn't be replaced yet, but since i did everything on front end i replaced them also.

I'm still having the knocks and stiff suspension.

Regarding the stiff suspension, has the middle sphere been checked? This is the one responsible for the soft suspension.

It's impossible to remove on most models without at least lowering the subframe.

[GolfMk1Vr6]

Yes, i have firstly regassed 6/7 spheres (without the center one), the car was very stiff, after some months i checked the front central sphere and it was blown, replaced with another regassed sphere but it is not as soft and enjoyable as it was before. It's stiff and harsh on bad roads.