How to Solve Front Suspension Issues in the Iveco Daily? (3+ Expert Tips)

In this brief article, we are going to discuss the Iveco Daily Front Suspension problems, what the causes are, and Troubleshooting Tips to help DIY enthusiasts save on repair costs.

Most common Front suspension issues in the Iveco Daily

The most common Front suspension issues seen in the Iveco Daily are:

• Front Knocking Noise
• Front Shock Absorber failure

What suspension does the Iveco Daily have?

The Iveco Daily is a light-commercial van sold since 1978. It was sold as the Fiat Daily till 1983. The Daily is now into its 6th generation since 2014. IT is available in Van, Minibus and Pickup Truck configurations.

Front Suspension

Front suspension is of the Double-wishbone type with upper and lower control arms. 

The suspension in front has an option of either “Transverse Quad-Leaf” spring or “Torsion Bar” spring

Front Transverse Leaf Breakage

Symptoms:

• You would notice a sudden drop in suspension height on any one side. 
• Rattling, Squeaking, Creaking noises while driving which are louder when driving over a Bump

Troubleshooting Front Transverse Spring Breakage

• Verify the drop on one side by measuring the wheel center height from any reference on the body like the Fender edge.

• In a majority of cases, the spring fails due to the combined effects of corrosion & fatigue over a period of time.

• The service life of the spring depends on whether the truck is being used over roads that have salt or in an atmosphere where there is a lot of moisture.
• For removing the transverse leaf,  you need to remove both the front shock absorbers at their bottom mounts
• The lower ball joint will need to be separated on one side so  that the spring can be inserted across the vehicle over one side wishbone

Front Knocking Noise

Symptoms:

• Knocking, metallic sounding bang from the front when going over rough patches and bumps
• In some severe cases, the cab leans to one side

Troubleshooting Front Side Knocking Noise

• Verify the lean by measuring a tire reference point from the  cabin wheel arch bottom on both left as well as right
• Vehicle lean is most probably due to the cabin lean and mostly not attributed to the suspension causing the chassis to lean
• Knocking would happen either because of the Cabin mount bushings or the control arm bushes
• The Cabin mounts seems to be a more probable cause from the symptoms
• If the Cabin ounts have failed, the cabin knocks against the chassis everytime the vehicle goes over a bump or rough patch

• The cab mounts also cause leaning of the cab when the rubber on one side is completely eaten away.

Front Shock Absorber Failure

Symptoms:

• Knocking and Popping Noises from the Front going over bumps
• Front end feels bouncier

Troubleshooting Front Shock Failure

• The Bouncy Ride symptom points to the Shock Absorber as a probable cause.
• The noises coming from the front are partly due to the failed shock absorber allowing the bump stops to contact more often. And also the noises partly come from the worn out shock mounting bushes that allow the shock to move and hit against the mounting brackets.
• If your vehicle has crossed 40-50K miles, then it could be due for a shock replacement. Due to long-term internal wear, the shock starts losing its damping action over time.
• If the front shock has started leaking oil due to a failed oil-seal, then it means that the shock will no longer be effective.
• One good way to tell if your shock has failed or not is to do a “Bounce Test”. Put all your weight on one of the front corners of the vehicle pushing it downwards. Keep oscillating the corner till you feel that it has reached its maximum height. Once you take your hands off the corner, observe how it settles. If it takes more than 2 oscillations to settle, that means the damper has failed.

Pro Tip

• Before fitting the new shock absorber, it is always advised to “Start” it by simply fully compressing and fully expanding it for 3-5 cycles. This is done to avoid cavitation, since the shock absorbers were stored lying down, where chances are that the oil has not got the opportunity to fully flow to one side of the piston.
• While fitting a new shock absorber, always, Tighten the Top mounting bolts first and then the Lower mounting bolt.
• Also make sure that while tightening the Shock bottom bolt,  the Wheel Hub is supported at its normal ride height. For this you can either use Blocks, a screwjack or a jack stand.
• If the shock bottom mounting bush is tightened at any other ride height, then when the car is lowered to normal ride height, the Bush will rest in a twisted condition and will have a reduced Bush service life.

Conclusion

In this brief article, we are going to discuss the Iveco Daily Front Suspension problems, what the causes are, and Troubleshooting Tips to help DIY enthusiasts save on repair costs.

For any questions or comments, please feel free to get in touch with us