Passenger Side Front Tyre Noise

[rush123]

I GOT A CELICA 190 VVTI T SPORT 2002 REG WHICH HAS DONE 82 K MILES. LAST WEEK OR SO THERE IS THIS THUMPING NOISE COMING FROM THE PASS SIDE FRONT TYRE AREA. ITS LIKE A KNOCKING/ ROLLING SOUND. IT ONLY HAPPENS WHEN IM STARTING OFF AND IN 1ST 2ND AND THIRD GEARS-. BASICALLY LOW SPEEDS. IF I DROP THAT SIDE ON A POT HOLE THE THUMPING SOUND IS INTENSE. I CHANGED THE WHEEL AND ALLIGNED IT AND STILL THE PROBLEM PERSISTS.

TOOK IT TO A GARAGE TO HAVE A LOOK AND THEY PUT IT UP THE RAMP AND SAID IT LOOKS LIKE THE SHOCKS HAVE NO TENSTION AND MIGHT BE LEAKING. I SEE NO LEAKS THOUGH. THE SHOCKS ARE GAS SHOCK ABSORBERS AND IM WONDERING HOW THEY WOULD LEAK? ANYWAY I ASKED THEM TO SEE IF IT WAS A BALL BEARING , CV OR SIMILAR AND THEY SAID EVERYTHING ELSE LOOKS FINE BUT ONCE I REPLACE THE SHOCK ABSORBERS IT WOULD STOP THE KNOCKING NOISE.

MY QUESTION IS IF THIS IS REALLY THE PROBLEM ? OR IF THE GARAGE HAS GOT THIS DIAGNOSTIC RIGHT?? I ASKED THE GARAGE IF THIS 100% THE PROBLEM AND THEY SAID THEY ARE NOT SURE BUT KNOCKING / THUMPING NOISE FROM THE TYRE AREA SOUNDS LIKE A LEAKING SHOCK ABSORBER.?? WONDERING IF I SHOULD GET A SECOND OPINION FROM ANOTHER GARAGE TOO.

I WILL HAVE TO TAKE MY CHANCE AND REPLACE THIS SIDE BUT MY UNCLE SAID THAT I NEED TO REPLACE BOTH SIDES NOT JUST THE FAULT SIDE AS IT WOULD CAUSE IN-BALANCE AND HANDLING PROBLEMS? DO I REALLY NEED TO DO THIS ? I TRUST MY UNCLES ADVISE BUT HAVE NOT GOT TOO MUCH MONEY I COULD SPEND IF THIS IS NOT THE PROBLEM.

ALSO CAN SOMEONE PLEASE HELP AND ADVISE ME OF PART NUMBER OR WHAT SHOCK ABSORBERS I NEED FOR THE FRONT AS I HAVE GOOGLED AND CANT FINF ANYTHING FOR THE T -SPORT 190 CELICA VVTI.?

THANKS

[edwardio]

Yep shocks need to be replaced as a pair, just like springs.

Have you tried the bounce test? Push down a couple of time on that corner. When you let go, the car should go up, down, up, then either stop on go down a tad & settle. Any more bounce than that & your shock has gone.

Are the top mounts all tightened up properly?

If the shock is leaking, it's probably got a little hole somewhere. They don't last forever anyway.

CV joints on tend to go if the CV boot has failed & not been replaced straight away.