MR2 Owners Club

Hi.
I have a knocking noise on my rev 2 turbo. It happens when going over bumps and when stationary if I bounce the front passenger side.

It is lowered but I've had a quick look and can't tell how.

I've heard drop links are a common and problem so if this is a case is it an easy job?

Thanks in advance

Lowered - via springs or adjustable dampers.

Knocking noises - The bane of an MR2. I have spent the last 6 months having things changed / replaced around to the princely sum of about 2 grand including garage work time.. Each thing reduced my knocking noises one by one.. Suggest any of these as a cause (and not in any particular order):

1. Drop links - knock possibility #1

Kinda sorta easy to do. Just a pain to get off in the first place. Just get an angle grinder and grind the rusted nuts off them..

Edit: Have a look at KY2 here: http://www.mr2oc.co.uk/know-your-2-know ... bartid=110

2. Anti Roll bar bushes possibility #2

Again these had gone on mine, perished after 21 years. Still they made a rattling kinda sound from the front on mine, a full set of polybushes sorted this out

3. Shock dampers/absorbers possibility #3

Drivers side on mine had been gone for a long time... There were more obvious signs though as the steering/handling was pants.. Can't say if they made a noise as they were changed on mine yesterday along with item below.. suffice to say the last knocking noise on mine has gone replacing these on front and..

4. Top Mounts possibility #4

Again, these might give other symptoms but also can make a knocking noise when going over bumps.

Any one of those 4 above imho could be causing your knocking noise. I'd certainly do the drop links as they are the cheapest/easiest to do and most likely culprit if your not experiencing any other untoward symptoms.

Steering etc is fine.

Might go for the drop links.

Tbh I starting to build quite a list of things needed so maybe contacting pacific works to give it all a once over and sort everything.

I just found even the simplest of jobs on the MR2 (well, maybe it is just my old girl being a little cow just to me) to be a pain, i could've saved a lot of money had I just done the work myself, but i just didn't have the time, tools or patience or experience to do the work myself.

The garage that did all my work isn't a specialist dealer or "big name".. Not sure if you need a specialist really for suspension related stuff.. (there are some things though i'd only let a specialist do such as major engine internals/rebuilds and cam belt though rather than my local KAM autocenter).. But they've earn't my trust and done magic with the bits I've turned up in my hands and gone "can you fit these things for me please?"... Saying that though they had major issues getting off the N/S strut from top mount it was seized solid lol. I was puzzled also as they took the rear exhaust off to change the alternator too today but hey ho, that got done too.. so no more whining from the old one and worrying when that was going to seize.

Once you start though... you won't stop.. it starts with a drop link... and ends in a full rebuild lmao Best of luck that it's just drop links and good luck sorting it. They are great cars, best car I've ever owned and I truly believe I'll never have another car that will ever come close to the fun, and grins this one has given me in 9 years owning her.

sounds lie drop links to me. £20 off ebay
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TOYOTA-MR2-MK ... 3a56c66fb5
if the nuts undo dead easy.
If the dont undo due to age a bit more difficult (angle grinde the nuts off) job done.

Yep, definitely worth changing the droplinks. Just bought a full set from the seller Pete linked to for only £25.02:

http://bit.ly/15EKPMZ

Fitting mine tomorrow:)

Cheers guys. I've got an angle grinder so might give them a go myself.

While the weather is OK, I may just use the car though. Are they something that can damage the car worse if not done?

notroubleclubber wrote:Cheers guys. I've got an angle grinder so might give them a go myself.

While the weather is OK, I may just use the car though. Are they something that can damage the car worse if not done?

they will get so loud that you wont want to drive it before they break then yes they can do some damage if you are unlucky to brake lines etc Your steering will go off as you wont have the anti roll bar connected both sides.

Nobody has mentioned balljoints yet. Cheap, easy to change and on my white car they were responsible for a "donk" noise over bumpy roads.

Drop links will only sound when you hit a bump with one wheel but not the other. They'll also make a noise if you throw the car side to side, while bushes and balljoints may not.

A follow-up to an old post, but these knockings issues seem to be timeless....
My 1991 NA also has a knock coming from somewhere in the rear. Droplinks have been replaced, and I checked the top mounts: appear to be OK, being frugal I did not replace these (they seem ridiculously expensive compared to the front top mounts - which even have a bearing!).
I can generate the knocking sound by laterally applying force to the car (eg by pushing/pulling the brace bars over the engine bay, so a left-right kind of movement, not up-down). It's definitely not engine related (unless it's the engine mounts themselves?). Handling seems OK.
Any suggestions very much appreciated, thanks!

With so many suspension parts that are designed to swivel & rotate it’s a guessing game. Best advice is to get up in the air with wheels off ground and have a proper look and test of each part to see where the excessive movement is. Often it’s not obvious if you are not familiar to what what component is there to do. You can replace parts all day long using the argument that they are 20 years old so bound to be worn. Don’t fix what isn’t broken!

Jim

It's a case of a big crowbar corner by corner testing each joint. To be fair the cars are well engineered and not bad to work on. An angle grinder may be needed! but lots of penetrating oil.

Note if you only have one wheel jacked up tension will hide some play on roll bars etc.

Found it ... newly fitted droplink managed to loosen itself . Having the car fully off the ground was helpful