Noise at crawling speed from front

[StuLD]

Morning Chaps,

 

This is really starting to do my head in and any suggestions as to potential diagnosis would be gratefully received. I have a 2007 2.7 manual Cayman. At crawling speed in gear and out of gear I get a tinny clunking (as if a rod or something similar was tapping the sub-frame) from under the front of the car and its intermittent but more often than not, depending on the road surface I guess. Anyway, in order to rectify the problem which I thought was correctly diagnosed but evidently not, the anti-roll bushes, lower suspension arms(Coffin arms) and tuning forks have been changed (as an aside the steering since has improved greatly) but I've still got that frustrating sound at low speed and its driving me nuts.

 

Any ideas guys please?

 

Cheers

 

Stu

[@carnewal]

Have you checked the front drop links ?

[StuLD]

Hi Gert, No I haven't but will do now you've suggested it. The exhaust is sounding wonderful by the way! Thanks, Stu

[@carnewal]

Hi Stu,

Good to hear :-).

As for the drop links :
You can always disconnect the lower side from the L & R drop link and tie them so they can't touch anything.
Then drive slowly to see if the noise is gone.

Edited August 8, 2018 by @carnewal

[jonflat2]

My Cayman has literally just gone in for some work some clunking from the front.  It  only happened at slow speeds and over uneven surfaces.

 

OPC have said the "trailing arms"  are the culprits and these are currently being replaced.  

 

It might have nothing to do with your issue, but thought I'd mention it.

 

 

[Nis200K]

Likewise my car has been into OPC recently with similar symptoms, nearside lower suspension arm was replaced but interestingly they tracked the noise down to air-con pipes that had come out of clips and were banging on the underside of the car, which ever it was its cured it and I am now driving free to enjoy the sound of the engine uninterrupted by annoying knocking :-) 

[StuLD]

choose files...---------Click to choose files.urlchoose files... Guys, 

 

Many thanks for your comments. I've had the drop links done yesterday and the noise is still there(the DL's needed changing though so it wasn't all in vain). So with the following replaced:

1.Lower suspension arms

2.Tuning forks

3.Ant-iroll bushes

4.Drop links

 

Jonflat2's suggestion above looks like a possibility and also Nis200K's suggestion of the air con pipes banging. It almost sounds like cutlery clinking together. It's putting me off listening to @carnewal's exhaust its so frustrating!!! Will let you know how I get on but thanks again for the advice.

 

Best

 

Stu

[DKR_77]

brake shims?  Is it a metallic rattle?  

[StuLD]

Guys,

 

All sorted now - TFFT! It was the near side front brake disc(rotor to our American friends)cover plate.  One of the retention screws had sheared off  (and the plate through age was very malleable) which meant the plate occasionally slapped against the disk.

 

Fortunately I was at a Porsche Club GB regional meeting last Sunday and one of the Cayman owners there came out for a ride to hear the noise and nailed the problem as the plate straight away. Managed to get the car booked in today and got it back already all sorted. Thank you all once again for your comments and suggestions and I hope my experience will be of use to someone else in the future.

 

Cheers

 

Stu