Morning folks,

'10 Clubman S, stock base suspension, 55K miles. I've started hearing a clunk in the front end that is more pronounced when its cold outside, and gets quieter the warmer it is. Here's the facts:

- when rolling at low speed or stopped, if I saw the wheel back and forth rapidly, in a choppy motion, I can hear the clunk clearly.

- when rolling at 25-35mph, It will clunk repeatedly over things like manhole covers, especially when turning.

- on the highway, the car wants to pull right or left, and the steering is slightly vague. It's especially vague on turn-in if taking a spirited approach to a turn.

My thoughts are loose tie-rod ends, control arm bushings, sway bar bushings, end links... my money is on passenger side tie rod assembly. I know the wheels aren't loose, and it isn't a failing wheel bearing.

Thoughts?

 

My guess would be control arm bushings. If it was a tie rod assembly you could jack up that corner of the car and grab the wheel at the 9 and 3 position and shake and see the movement. Control arm bushings are also fairly easy to visually inspect for failure.

Have you changed anything in the front suspension of the car recently?

 

No, I've only had the car 8 months, so everything is stock. I did have the right corner on a jack this past weekend, and tried the 9 & 3 tie-rod trick and didn't feel anything wrong, so maybe it is the control arm bushings? Would I need an arbor press to do that, or just a good 'ol dead blow mallet?

 

Unfortunately the bushing replacement is fairly involved. There are a few methods you can use...

1. Remove entire subframe to unbolt control arm bushing bracket. Kind of a pain and unnecessary.
2. Loosen rear of subframe to give you enough space to just barely unbolt the control arm bushings bracket. This is the method I think most people use.
3. Burn out the old bushing. I would highly recommend against this method.

The new bushing will probably be polyurethane if you go with the incredibly popular Powerflex bushing. You'll need a 2-3 jaw puller to get the control arm out of the bushing and then a press to press out the part of the bushing that is in the bracket.

Way offers a pre-pressed bushing for only a little more. This prevents you from having to take the bushing to a shop to get the old one pressed out.
http://waymotorworks.com/powerflex-f...shing-kit.html

 

the rubber strut mount may have failed. they can cause some noise as they come apart.

 

Thank you both for the helpful responses, are there DIY guides for these repairs?

 

There are lots of discussions on the control arm bushing replacement since it's a common failure. The bolts holding the bushing carrier onto the subframe are on there super tight and are pretty hard to get to. Honestly, I didn't even do mine. I got a quote from a local shop for $200 which the dealer matched so I just had them do it. I did drop the subframe recently for a differential install and it wasn't too bad. The v-band clamp on the exhaust might have been the most PITA.

For the partial lowering of the subframe to remove the bushings you can follow the below steps ish... They might not be exact so best to find one of the DIYs floating around and follow that.
1. Jack up and support car. Place jack under subframe.
2. Pop outer control arm ball joints out of knuckle
3. Remove under tray if you have it so that you can get to the 6 bolts holding the subframe to the car towards the back of the car.
4. Remove swaybar endlinks
5. Unbolt one side of the engine pitch stop mount attached to subframe.
6. Climb into drivers footwell and disconnect pinch bolt for steering column
7. Loosen 6 (I think 6 torx bolts) connecting subframe to bumper pieces
8. Remove 6 bolts at the rear of the subframe.
9. Loosen two bolts holding the subframe upright parts to the top of the wheel well enough to get in there and break the bolts on the bushing carrier loose.
10. Pry bushing carrier off control arm
11. Pry bushing off control arm
12. Press old bushing out of carrier and press in new one.
13. Put new bushing on control arm
14. Installation is reverse of removal :D

As you can see it's not a super simple process. I would call around for quotes and then you get to make the judgement as to how much your time is worth.

If the noise is the upper strut mount that's way easier to fix. You should be able to see cracks in the upper strut mount if that's the problem.

To remove strut mount...
1. Try to loosen the strut top nut. The weight of the car should help keep the strut shaft from spinning. If you're not successful here you can always use an allen key and a wrench later to loosen the nut but that's more of a pain and you can round out the allen key hole.
2. Jack up and support car. place jack under control arm so you don't stress brake lines when you remove the strut from the knuckle.
3. Remove swaybar endlink and unclip brake/speed sensor lines from strut.
4. Remove pinch bolt on knuckle. Careful these can snap.
5. Separate strut from knuckle. Lots of people have trouble with this when the two are rusted together. I spray some PB Blaster in there to help aid me. Then grab the factory scissor jack and put it in the wheel well with a 2x4 against the top of the wheel well. The 2x4 presses on teh top of the wheel well and the jack presses against the top of the knuckle. Then use the jack to "jack" the knuckle down and off the strut. Don't forget to lower your jack as you're moving the knuckle down.
6. Remove 3 nuts holding strut to strut tower then remove strut from car
7. Remove top strut nut and replace strut top with new
8. Put it all back together ;-)

You might be able to get away with not removing the strut from the car. So basically disconnect the endlink and the 3 top nuts and drop the strut down into the strut tower and there might be enough room to slip the old strut top off and put a new one on. You'll have to jack up the knuckle to compress the springs to get the nut back on. This may also not work at all. I've never tried it.

 

With a pull to one side as well as a clunk, sounds most likely like a ball joint failing. Also may be a failing control arm bushing too but if you go this route may I suggest that whatever you replace on one side of the MINI you duplicate for the other side so if you replace the bushings and/or ball joint on the passenger side, do the same for the driver's side.

In addition to the above instructions, take a look at our walk-through covering this topic here:
Control Arm Bushing & Ball Joint Replacement

And a link to ball joints and bushings we offer here at Pelican (appear towards the bottom of this page) - click here.

Let us know how this progresses.

Mark/Pelican Parts

 

Wow, seriously guys, thanks for all the helpful responses. I'll be taking a closer look this Sunday, and I'll post pictures and my findings. I might try to tackle this myself, but working a full-time engineering gig, and returning to school at night has left me with very little wrenching time...

Again, thanks in advance for your help, guys!

 

Subscribed...

My '12MCSm (sport susp. pkg) has a similar clunk. I only hear mine in cold weather at lower speeds (due to ambient noise at higher speeds). I haven't tried sawing at the wheel to make it clunk, and while I do note I have to fight the crown in any road, turn in seems normal for me.

MINI has had a look, and was unable to find any fault (late winter/early spring), and all summer I had no clunks.

In August I replaced my stock shocks with Koni FSDs and the installer didn't note any faults - though I didn't mention the problem as I had had no problems for quite a while...

I did note the clunk this morning on the drive in to work +10C or so.

Good luck!
E

 

Ok, finally got to spend some time under the car, and I'm worried now.

With either front wheel in the air, (1 at a time) I wasn't able to replicate the noise at all, despite it clearly and loudly making the noise when I drove it into the garage. All bushings, boots, joints and so on look fine. However, I noticed that with the engine on, hood open, and front left wheelin the air I was able to replicate the noise by sawing the steering wheel back and forth, but the moment I turned off the engine the noise nearly stopped altogether. The clunking occurred when ever changing direction with the steering wheel, and it seems to come from the middle of the engine bay, under the engine. Could it be the steering rack?

Any advice or feedback would be much appreciated!

 

Yikes. I have a 2010 with exactly the same issues under the same conditions i.e. cold temps and low speeds only. I want this resolved before my warranty expires.

 

What about the engine mounts BikerBob? Did you get a chance to check them?

With the outside air temps around 7C these days Summons is clunking daily, with no other symptoms...
E

 

Yeah, I looked at the lower engine mount, and it looked fine to me... didn't get a look at the upper engine mount.

I also noticed that my steering doesn't lock with the engine off and key removed, is this normal? does anyone else's steering lock?

Ceoengr, if you go to the shop with this, please let us know that they say, I'm out of factory warranty!

 

The steering hasn't locked, I think, since the 2007 model year--and only some of the 07s did.

 

Well, at least that question is solved!

Doing more research, it seems almost anything in the front of the car can produce these symptoms,

 

I just spotted something, maybe I missed the obvious this past weekend during my inspection? Anyway, the pictures show both front strut mounts, cracked about the circumference of the center cap. Is this a likely culprit?

Passenger side:





Driver's side:




Thoughts?

 

Interesting... l had to go look at mine!
Very different look to mine... SIGH!!

 

Summons, it looks like yours are separating similar to mine... I'm wondering if this is the culprit. I'm not sure how to be certain though, and I'd like to know for sure before dropping $90 per mount. I find it hard to believe that these small cracks could make all this fuss...

Anyone? Bueller?

 

I have an R53 but your symptoms sound similar. In my case, thunkety thunk thunk when cold going over bumps or manhole covers. Would go away after driving for a bit. My mech said everything looked fine including the bushings. Did some research on NAM and someone with a similar problem fixed it by changing the front sway bushings. Did that and the problem went away.

As some have mentioned this is labor intensive, so I recommend changing control arm bushings at the same time since you have to remove some of the same components.

 

Much of the searching I have done also points to the sway bar bushings... That said, BMW did have a look, and I have as well - in summer though - no fault found...

I go on days off tomorrow and will try to have a look at the bushings with the car up on jack stands; if I can find the energy. Day 1off is usually my lazy day, and I do have driving to do in the afternoon!

BikerBob, I am unsure if my upper mount bushings (if thats what they are called. I don't actually know) are the fault in my case. Yours have very distinct cracks and a big gap. Mine seem to be peeling away in the locations pictured, but only slightly and I don't think I have the gap that seems evident on yours.

We may not have the same source or sound (for that matter).

Funner and funner!
E

 

Indeed, the plot thickens.

With the swaybar bushings, is it stiction or looseness that causes the clunk? In other words, are the bushing lacking lubrication, causing a slip-grip-slip situation that causes noise, or are they just worn and allowing the bar to flail around? I haven't been able to find a definitive answer one way or the other.

I have a feeling this will be a classic case of start with the cheapest solution and work up...

 

Considering that the strut mounts are not supposed to be cracked I'm going to guess that that is your problem right there, you have to get new ones regardless. Good luck

 

I visited my fav tuner who works only on BMWs & Minis. His prognosis.... I have seen this before, it is the front & rear sway bar bushings that either need to be replaced or lubricated. In my case probably because of low mileage it could just be a need for lubrication. The car goes in about 2 weeks when I return from an out of town assignment. My thoughts, replace it while at it. Will post update.

 

Interesting as the rubber bushings shouldn't require any lubrication and they should last a fairly long time.

Typically, clunks are targeted to sub-frame bolts which need to be re-torqued. The last two generations of the VW Golf/GTi also suffered from this, in small numbers/cases. Sub-frame bolts which haven't been touched since the factory originally installed them shouldn't be an issue at all but could be a possibility in this case.
Mark/Pelican Parts