Bell sound when bouncing on something

[AWo]

So this will become an inside job!

AWo

 

[Jean Mercier]

Last Friday, they replaced my steering damper at my dealer, under warranty (see my posts above).

The damper has the following reference:

To be honest I doubt if my problem came from the damper itself, but anyway, the problem was a Grenadier problem and not my driving behavior. I explain ...

• I got my bell sound when driving over stones, in holes, or speed limiters, since the beginning I had my car.
• The sound was clearly the sound of the damper (see my video's above), I can't imagine something else doing that same sound.
• But, I discovered also a loose nut on a stabilizer some month ago, see my post of October 1. I fixed that myself!
• I didn't drive on bad roads since that date, but didn't hear the noise anymore.
• Only one time, on a speed limiter, I drove (on purpose) full speed: no sound at all.
• The technician at the garage tried - after putting the new damper - to provoke the bell sound again and ... he succeeded, only once!

My conclusion, with some doubts: the loose nut of the stabilizer was the cause of the sound in the damper, but ... due to the many times this happened, probably there was some minor damage in the damper. If you hit long enough on a clock, it will crack!

Therefore, my advice: as soon as you get a "bell sound" when driving on a small obstacle, check the stabilizers!

 

[AWo]

So is it fixed? And if by tightening the nut or changing the damper?

AWo

 

[Jean Mercier]

So is it fixed? And if by tightening the nut or changing the damper?

AWo

Like I explained: I think tightening the nut did it. As you know, I tightened it! Hedin wasn't involved. And I didn't think/believe that the sound was related to the damper sound. Probably I was wrong.

But anyway, last Friday they changed also the damper.

 

[DaveKop]

Folks, coming back to this. I had this same bell sound issue come up for me.

First, I had the steering damper replaced from the factory one to the Old Man Emu one, but the same issue persisted.

The dealer fortunately recognized the issue and had replaced both of the steering rack arms. They diagnosed it as an issue with the ball joints of both of the stabilizer arms that had too much play and allowed the damper housing to bump up against each other, like you guys have correctly identified in the past.

They informed be that a new part number was provided instead of the original ones, that apparently were deemed too weak.

 

[Jean Mercier]

Folks, coming back to this. I had this same bell sound issue come up for me.

First, I had the steering damper replaced from the factory one to the Old Man Emu one, but the same issue persisted.

The dealer fortunately recognized the issue and had replaced both of the steering rack arms. They diagnosed it as an issue with the ball joints of both of the stabilizer arms that had too much play and allowed the damper housing to bump up against each other, like you guys have correctly identified in the past.

They informed be that a new part number was provided instead of the original ones, that apparently were deemed too weak.

To be honest, during my holidays in Hungary, Romania, Moldova last June, the "bell sound" came back. Anyway, I am very "close" to having to do my second service interval (38700 km), therefore I will wait till then.

 

[emax]

At the end of June I was in an off-road area.

As I was driving up a long incline on a very bumpy dirt road, the alarm made a loud bong bong bong bong bong bong bong ... non-stop.

For very brief moments I could see the rear door repeatedly displayed in red on the central display. There was however no static version of this image when the car was stationary, so the doors were apparently properly closed.

So I stopped, got out, opened both rear doors and slammed them shut with a lot of force.

And all 'bong's were gone - for the entire rest of the drive.

 

[Jean Mercier]

... the alarm made a loud bong bong bong bong bong bong bong ... non-stop.

... I stopped, got out, opened both rear doors and slammed them shut with a lot of force.

And all 'bong's were gone - for the entire rest of the drive.

The noise we have (or had) doesn't come from the computer, but from outside "under" the car.
Last year I posted this video on the forum:

That's the sound ...

 

[emax]

Ah, now I remember.

But doesn't this sound come from the outer protective sleeve of the steering damper?

I had seen that somewhere ...

 

[offender110]

^correct, the sound comes from the metal sleeve of the steering damper. It can rotate some, and when it does, it makes a bell sound. I noticed this when I swapped mine out for a Fox unit.

 

[pmatusov]

The dealer fortunately recognized the issue and had replaced both of the steering rack arms.

Steering rack?

 

[DaveKop]

Steering rack?

Ah, right, habits . I am not a mechanic / automotive engineer. The two components would be a tie rod / stabilizer arm I guess? Attaching a photo someone took on reddit of the steering where the two components the dealer replaced (including joints) are visible:

 

[pmatusov]

These have different names across the pond, in the U.S. these are tie rod and drag link.

 

[DaveKop]

Ok folks, the sound is back.

I am doing regular off-roading (rough forest logging roads with deep ruts, rocks, steep inclines etc) but nothing irresponsible or high speed. Just slowly traversing tracks on some land I manage and a few construction sites. Why I bought the thing in the first place to get around a rough region.
I am not flying over speed bumps. But if I take a speed bump at what I would consider a reasonable speed, the sound is still there, despite all the major components having been replaced. It's a bit more muted, but it's there.
This tells me this is something in the fundamental design that is simply flawed. I hope this won't result in a steering failure, I am planning a long trip to the Balkans in the winter with a whole bunch of rough roads... we'll see.

 

[DaBull]

Ok folks, the sound is back.

I am doing regular off-roading (rough forest logging roads with deep ruts, rocks, steep inclines etc) but nothing irresponsible or high speed. Just slowly traversing tracks on some land I manage and a few construction sites. Why I bought the thing in the first place to get around a rough region.
I am not flying over speed bumps. But if I take a speed bump at what I would consider a reasonable speed, the sound is still there, despite all the major components having been replaced. It's a bit more muted, but it's there.
This tells me this is something in the fundamental design that is simply flawed. I hope this won't result in a steering failure, I am planning a long trip to the Balkans in the winter with a whole bunch of rough roads... we'll see.

Hi DaveKop, Some have reported a bell like sound from the Steering Stabilizer. Check to make sure it is not bent and secure. Research this on the forum. Hopefully someone can add more to this. Last, perhaps get a new aftermarket steering stabilizer from Fox or Agile. Here is a link start of this post by @Jean Mercier
Read the whole post from beginning to end if you have not already to get some great information about this. DaBull

Bell sound when bouncing on something

Wondering if everybody has this sound. Speed isn't important, it is the importance of the bouncing, I had it at lower speeds too. YouTube video here. I think it is the stabilisation stuff (don't know the technical name) in front of the car, View: https://youtu.be/LpcKlzz9-xs?feature=shared

www.theineosforum.com

 

[pmatusov]

Ok folks, the sound is back.

I am doing regular off-roading (rough forest logging roads with deep ruts, rocks, steep inclines etc) but nothing irresponsible or high speed. Just slowly traversing tracks on some land I manage and a few construction sites. Why I bought the thing in the first place to get around a rough region.
I am not flying over speed bumps. But if I take a speed bump at what I would consider a reasonable speed, the sound is still there, despite all the major components having been replaced. It's a bit more muted, but it's there.
This tells me this is something in the fundamental design that is simply flawed. I hope this won't result in a steering failure, I am planning a long trip to the Balkans in the winter with a whole bunch of rough roads... we'll see.

Dave,
it is pretty easy. You can unbolt steering damper, extend it to the max, and wrap a layer of electrical tape (thin, non-overlapping) where the outer rod protector (don't know how to call it, this _is_ your bell) goes over the damper body. There should be enough clearance.

Peter

 

[JP4]

I had a similar sound. Found this. I upgraded my springs and they forgot to re-attatch the rear sway bar. You can see the damage when it would hit. Easy fix. They forgot both sides. Pretty fuqed up though. Nuts needed to be torqued to 81 ftlbs. Check the specs on those nuts maybe there is some sag in the sway bar as a result of an inappropriately torqued fastener in the rear.

 

[ORSO]

Sunday on a simple dirt road I also started to hear a metallic bell noise.
I looked for stones around the underbody and I modified the steering damper as you can see, but the noise persists. I tried to ride without it too.
In these two evenings I checked everything that could be checked and now I have serious doubts that it is the torque converter or worse the gearbox.
In the next few days I try to go to BMW and the dealer

 

[f1rst1]

I started to hear this noise recently doing some trails here in CO - even had a few other Grenadiers in front of me notice the noise while on the the way to the trail we were running - I've got my first service coming up soon and will have the dealership check it out, after reading through this thread there still doesn't seem to be a definitive solution yet, but I wonder if anyone else has brought theirs in for this noise yet or not....will report back after my service if they have any answers - definitely showing them the videos in this thread though, that's the exact sound I hear every time I drive on anything bumpy.

 

[Migs]

I asked here in CO and they said there isnt much to do about it, other than maybe wrapping it, as someone mentioned above. I havent had them do that, but im getting the same bell