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Brit01 · Gold Cloverleaf Joined: 24 May 2010 Posts: 665

Last few kms coming home last night and I felt a knocking/clunking noise when I turned the steering wheel either way (not on full lock), coming from the from left wheel area.

Not necessarily on full lock, wheels can be straight and appears to be some looseness somewhere. Parked, wheels straight, turn wheel and a slight clunk in either direction.

Will take the wheel off and inspect hub bolts and everything around there.

Strut pan bearings was mentioned. Possibility I guess and not so serious as to take the car off the road immediately.

Will double check all main hub bolts etc are tight before driving with my small son in it though.

Cheers
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S2 33 1988 1.7 QV
Dellorto DRLA40 (32mm venturi)

Oggie · Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 8:13 pm Post subject:

Are you sure its not the plastic indicator pins that automaticly switch the indicator stalk to the off position that are behind the steering wheel?.
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PHAT 33

Brit01 · Gold Cloverleaf Joined: 24 May 2010 Posts: 665

It's coming from behind the wheel area.
I was parked, stretched my hand in and wiggled the steering wheel left and right.
Clonking noise from behind the wheel area.

Sad

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S2 33 1988 1.7 QV
Dellorto DRLA40 (32mm venturi)

Oggie · Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 8:44 pm Post subject:

Sounds like a knackerd strut pan bearing (the FAG one) then not letting the spring pan rotate back to its correct position , they are quite easy to replace if you have a set of spring clamps.
If you are lucky a miss aligned spring thats not set on the pan correctly, this can happen if you have jacked up the car on one side and the spring becomes loose rotating of its correct axis.
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PHAT 33

john 33_16v · Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 8:44 pm Post subject:

Possibly track rod end or bottom balljoint??

Not sure about 33, but on other cars the lower balljoint will often knock as you come to a stop on the footbrake when they're bad, and give wandering steering when shot, which points more to the track rod end.

John
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If it aint broke, fiddle with it until it is!
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93 33 16v Mirtle Met
08 Fiat Grande Punto Exotica Red
90 Yamaha FZR600 Genesis- Silky white/red/blue

Brit01 · Gold Cloverleaf Joined: 24 May 2010 Posts: 665

Now you're getting me worried guys.

john 33_16v · Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 9:05 pm Post subject:

The FAG (the make) bearings are the yellow plastic race strut pan bearings.

Probably strut pan bearings but to eliminate ball joint- jack up car and turn steering lock to lock with road wheels on, you'll see the play as it hits lock if there's a problem.

Track rod end - you can probably try and move the track rod by hand with the wheel off to feel for play.

John
_________________
If it aint broke, fiddle with it until it is!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
93 33 16v Mirtle Met
08 Fiat Grande Punto Exotica Red
90 Yamaha FZR600 Genesis- Silky white/red/blue

Brit01 · Gold Cloverleaf Joined: 24 May 2010 Posts: 665

Thanks John/Oggie for the advice.

I'll try and get out tomorrow to jack her up and see what's going on there.

Ah yes I've heard about the yellow bearings. Are these on the series 2?
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S2 33 1988 1.7 QV
Dellorto DRLA40 (32mm venturi)

john 33_16v · Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 9:29 pm Post subject:

Brit01 · Gold Cloverleaf Joined: 24 May 2010 Posts: 665

what about these ones?
Which part are they here?

http://www.alfa-service.com/product_info.php/info/p761_Rubber-ring-front-spring-Arna-Sud-Sprint-33-SW--905-7-.html

Or turin:
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S2 33 1988 1.7 QV
Dellorto DRLA40 (32mm venturi)

Brit01 · Gold Cloverleaf Joined: 24 May 2010 Posts: 665

[url] http://turinimports.com.au//index.php?main_page=index&cPath=2_41&sort=20a&*****_filter_id=66&page=3 [/url]

http://turinimports.com.au//index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2_41&products_id=1519
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S2 33 1988 1.7 QV
Dellorto DRLA40 (32mm venturi)

Bobkelso · Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 9:47 pm Post subject:

Hi Brit, probably you already know this:
My methode is:
put the car on crick and I try to move
the wheel by hands before take off the wheel,
because this gave more 'lever' to my hands
to move the hub searching some play.

Trying to oscillate the wheel on the vertical axis
you can find play and rumors if present
in the ball-joint of the steering bar-strut connection,
trying to oscillate the wheel on the orizzontal axis
you can find some play in the wheel bearing..

For transmission outer joints, mechanics test it driving
with steering full lock (if problem they to rumor on that),
inner transmission joints rotating them by hands or
by driving and breaking/accelerating rapidly.

Unfortunately is instead not easy find by hand some
play in the lower ball-joint (down the hub) because
there is too much weight on to move it by hand..
mechanics use some long lever to force the joint
to see if it move but it require some practice to be
a significant test..but usually lower ball-joint do
rumors driving on holes (or breaking as sayd).

Also I was never able to test the play of the ammo
on his axis (the play of his teflon bush) without
completely take him off the car and dismantling the coil..

Probably your rumors are the yellow strut-coil bearing as other sayd.
they need to be replaced every 50-70.000 km.
If not replaced (my father have tried..) you can go on
but they start to do rumor (90.000 Km) and little
effect on the precision of the steering, and finally
steering wheel became more heavy to use (120.000)
and coils are no more in the correct positions, at that
point the strut-coil bearings are disintegrate..

In my father car this was at the extreme..
steering was not so heavy to notice (thanks to power steering)
but one coil and the lower big washer where so inclinated
that they tend to block the axis of the ammo metal against metal
(doing terrible rumor 'gnek - gnek' on holes),
and the suspension was terribly blocked..
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Alfa 33

Bobkelso · Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 9:52 pm Post subject:

Ps.: there are 2 type of that strut bearing,
the one with external shell in plastic (usually yellow)
are the more modern type (33 serie 3 years '90-93),
but there are also one type in metal (sure for 33 serie 1)
I honestly don't know if 33 series 2 (89-90) need the metal
one or the yellow one and if they are different in dimensions..
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Alfa 33

john 33_16v · Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 9:56 pm Post subject:

Brit,

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Alfa-164-33-SPRINT-FRONT-STRUT-SPRING-PLATE-BEARING-/250879804343?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item3a699a03b7#ht_600wt_698

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Strut-Bearing-Front-Left-Right-ALFA-33-1983-1993-QAM126-/200704575628?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&fits=Car+Make%3AAlfa+Romeo%7CModel%3A33&hash=item2ebaecc88c#ht_3358wt_823
_________________
If it aint broke, fiddle with it until it is!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
93 33 16v Mirtle Met
08 Fiat Grande Punto Exotica Red
90 Yamaha FZR600 Genesis- Silky white/red/blue

Brit01 · Gold Cloverleaf Joined: 24 May 2010 Posts: 665

Thanks John for the links.

Big difference in price there. I'm sure the 9 quid one will do just fine.

Smile

_________________
S2 33 1988 1.7 QV
Dellorto DRLA40 (32mm venturi)

paulhide · Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2012 6:33 pm Post subject:

Don't forget CV joint too?
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Owner's Club 33 Registrar. Now from P4 & S2 1.7 QV
http://www.alfa-pages.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=5188

Brit01 · Gold Cloverleaf Joined: 24 May 2010 Posts: 665

Brit01 · Gold Cloverleaf Joined: 24 May 2010 Posts: 665

checked out the car tonight. Didn't have much time.
Full lock - no movement

wheel off, pulled around on the strut spring and heard some groaning/clicking noises. There was looseness there but just a fraction.

Strangely 2 of the hub bolts (inner side) had moved slightly (I marked their position when torqued up) BUT they had moved a fraction clockwise to a tighter position
I checked their torque again and all very tight.

Put the wheel back on and lowered it.
Then moved the steering wheel side to side. Couldn't hear anything now!!!!

But I need to take it out for a drive to see if it feels weird and I hear clicking again.

Anyway dinner time now.

I need to adjust the ignition timing and put smaller idle jets in so got to sneak out again hopefully tomorrow evening.
_________________
S2 33 1988 1.7 QV
Dellorto DRLA40 (32mm venturi)