Have a 2003 Matilda Chrystal 3, done about 60,000k and have had same for a couple of years and done approx 20,000k. For the entire time I have owned this unit it has made very loud banging noises from the lazy axle area when going slowly over lumpy terrain. Have spent much time under vehicle with a light but can find absolutely no problems. Vehicle travels perfectly on rough or smooth roads, no unusual tire ware,travels straight true at all times and exhibits no unusual rear noises. Suspect it is just the 4 wheel bogey lazy axle set up being noisy as it changes horizontal axel distribution???
Anybody out there have any suggestions or reassurances.
PS. I love this vehicle, so no complaints about unit itself.
Thank you Dragonfly 1. You have confirmed that which I had been told from another source, as I say I have been over the chassis and suspension meticulously and have been unable to detect any obvious problems.
To all Chrystal 3 owners out there I have finally discovered the source of said banging noise in the suspension. The area between 2 vertical plates located between the 2 rear wheels which contain the leaf spring sets are quite narrow and consequently this is the source of the banging, caused by the leaf springs dragging against the sides of the plates. My solution at this time is to generously coat the sides of the plates where the contact occurs with a coating of grease and this has halted the noise from the suspension. A more serious solution would be to put some spacers on the securing bolts or to perhaps jack the plates apart a little, there is only a minimal amount of extra space required.
To all Chrystal 3 owners out there I have finally discovered the source of said banging noise in the suspension. The area between 2 vertical plates located between the 2 rear wheels which contain the leaf spring sets are quite narrow and consequently this is the source of the banging, caused by the leaf springs dragging against the sides of the plates. My solution at this time is to generously coat the sides of the plates where the contact occurs with a coating of grease and this has halted the noise from the suspension. A more serious solution would be to put some spacers on the securing bolts or to perhaps jack the plates apart a little, there is only a minimal amount of extra space required.
Good to hear you have found the problem alwon.
Rather than grease you may be able to obtain some Teflon (or similar) in sheet or strip form and place in the gaps - without seeing the setup it's hard to say, but Teflon (the same as in Teflon suspension bushes) is obtainable in a hard wearing form just need to hold it in place, and sometimes you can push it in and heat the edges and bend around to "lock" it in.
EDIT Heaps on ebay,, read this.
Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), also known as Teflon®, is a high-molecular-weight compound composed of carbon and fluorine.
It offers excellent chemical resistance and non-reactivity, the ability to withstand extreme temperatures, good wear properties, and the lowest kinetic and static friction of any man-made solid; remaining listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the worlds slipperiest material 60 years after it was invented.
It is also the only known material that a Gecko cannot adhere to. It is best known as a non-stick coating for frying pans, but is also used as a high-performance industrial lubricant.
Teflon® is a registered trademark of DuPont.
-- Edited by Baz421 on Thursday 11th of June 2015 08:21:11 PM
__________________
Why is it so? Professor Julius Sumner Miller, a profound influence on my life, who explained science to us on TV in the 60's.
