My car generates a thumping noise when I drive it. It is like a low frequency rumble when driving at low speed over the cobble surfaces which exist out here and a sharp thump when I go over bumps. It sounds a bit like the exhaust pipe hitting the body but it is not. The suspension is very hard and the car has adjustable shock absorbers which have been fitted at some time. If I press down on the rear corners a dull noise seems to come from the suspension turrets.I have replaced front and back top suspension mounts and also both lower suspension arms at the front. I don't know the condition of the rear bushes but when these were worn on my son's car the result was a heavy bang when the car hit a pothole rather than a more regular rumbling sound.
Any ideas would be welcome.Also I am puzzled as to how the top mounts are supposed to do their job since although the metal cups inside the car bolt down tight to the top of the shock absorber spindles there is still a gap inside the car between the metal cup and the turret top so the nut is not actually anchoring the shock absorbers to the body work. This appears to be normal but does not make a lot of sense to me since the top mounts are effectively kept in place by the weight of the body pressing down and the springs pressing up so there can be movement there and I am wondering if this is where the noise comes from. The only way of anchoring the top of the shock absorber to the turret top would be to reduce the depth of the top cup/trumpet so that it pulls the spindle and top mount up against the turret top and add a spacer above it before putting the nut back.
Any ideas would be welcome.Also I am puzzled as to how the top mounts are supposed to do their job since although the metal cups inside the car bolt down tight to the top of the shock absorber spindles there is still a gap inside the car between the metal cup and the turret top so the nut is not actually anchoring the shock absorbers to the body work. This appears to be normal but does not make a lot of sense to me since the top mounts are effectively kept in place by the weight of the body pressing down and the springs pressing up so there can be movement there and I am wondering if this is where the noise comes from. The only way of anchoring the top of the shock absorber to the turret top would be to reduce the depth of the top cup/trumpet so that it pulls the spindle and top mount up against the turret top and add a spacer above it before putting the nut back.
