The motor vehicle questions and answers thread

[Deleted member 26715]

They did work a little, but the tyres did the same job anyway.

I thought their whole purpose was to bypass the tyres? they created a path from the metal body via the rubberised strip which had a copper core down to earth so that any stored static had a way to dissipate, instead of using the human that put a foot on the floor & then touched a car part.

 

[fossyant]

Those straps made a terrible noise at slow speeds and reversing.

 

[Electric_Andy]

My parents always told me that those strips were to reduce motion sickness

 

[Deleted member 26715]

My parents always told me that those strips were to reduce motion sickness

I believe they were sold as that, they did cut down the static bussing around the car, lot's of whirly bits, generating their own fields

 

[Drago]

I thought their whole purpose was to bypass the tyres? they created a path from the metal body via the rubberised strip which had a copper core down to earth so that any stored static had a way to dissipate, instead of using the human that put a foot on the floor & then touched a car part.

The tyres also have a metal core, a flexible steel mesh ply thingy, an by a process of inductive coupling they worked pretty much the same as the rubber dangly bits.

 

[Smudge]

Also the rubber strip would wear down so after a while it wasn't touching the road anyway. For a few years in the 80's i saw them everywhere, but i cant remember when i last saw one.

 

[Accy cyclist]

My car has developed a knocking sound coming from what sounds like the front left hand side. It's more prominent when i slow down. I'm thinking it's a brake problem. Am i right in thinking so?

 

[Deleted member 26715]

is in time with the speed you are driving & regular, or does it depend on road surface, unusual for brakes to knock, it's normally droplinks that knock

 

[Drago]

Drop links, less likely strut top mount/bearing. Check the wheel nuts/bolts are tight before paying Fred in a Shed to look at it.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Also check the glove compartment for something rolling about, you may laugh but ti wouldn't be the first time

 

[fossyant]

Also check the glove compartment for something rolling about, you may laugh but ti wouldn't be the first time

Don't - been there -thought it was drop links, got them changed, still doing it. It was the glove box clunking. I bit of tape over the pivot stopped the wobble.

I'd go for drop links. They usually start to clunk over bumps or rough roads. Sometimes not easy to tell is worn when inspecting them, unless there is loads of play - but once 'off' they are quite loose if worn. Not a difficult job to do, but you'll need a gas torch to heat the bolts up to make the job easy. We could hardly hear the 'knock' on my wife's Qashqai, but it came up as an advisory on the MOT last year. The knock was so quiet, I only bothered to replace this year. Couldn't feel and movement when installed, but when removed one of the ball joints was free to rotate, rather than feeling tight.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Just use an Angry grinder, I always buy new ones if I'm changing bottom arms or springs, then take them back if not needed, which is about 1 in 5, they get 5 minutes if they haven't come off attack with grinder

 

[Drago]

Also check the glove compartment for something rolling about, you may laugh but ti wouldn't be the first time

And check underneath the car for a pedestrian wedged in there. They can get a bit rattly if they've been there a while.

 

[Accy cyclist]

is in time with the speed you are driving & regular, or does it depend on road surface,

The first,not the latter. if it is drop links,can it wait till MOT time in 2 months? BY then i'll have probably done another 200 miles at most.

 

[Drago]

Could be ball joints, but I reckon less likely. ARB bushes a possibility, but drop links are still the favourite. Provided your wheel is not loose its liable to be fine until the MOT. You need to get it on the air and u load the suspension, so the MOT is an ideal time to diagnose it.