List of Opel Corsa Utility Front Suspension Issues (Troubleshooting Guide)

In this brief article we are going to discuss the different Opel Corsa utility front Suspension problems, what the causes are, and Troubleshooting Tips.

Top 5 most common suspension issues in the Opel Corsa utility? 

The most common suspension issues seen in the Opel Corsa utility are:

• Front Shock Absorber Strut Failure
• Front Strut Top Mount Failure
• Front Lower Control Arm Bushing Failure
• Front Lower Control Arm Ball-Joint Failure
• Front Wheel Bearing Failure

What suspension does the Opel Corsa utility have?

The ‘Opel Corsa Utility’ is also known as the Chevrolet Tornado in Mexico, Chevrolet Utility & Opel Corsa Utility in South Africa. It has been in production since 2003.

The first generation of Corsa Utility was based on the Opel Corsa C Platform. Therefore the Corsa Utility had the suspension from the Opel Corsa C.

Front Suspension

The Front suspension in the Opel Corsa utility is a fairly conventional MacPherson Strut and Lower control Arm with Anti-roll bar. This arrangement is mounted onto the front subframe.

Front Shock Absorber Strut Failure

Symptoms:

• Rattling Noise going over any rough patches
• Front end bouncier than normal
• Changes in handling behaviour; Vehicle not feeling stable at high speed cornering

Troubleshooting Front Shock Absorber Failure

• The Bouncy Ride symptom points to the Shock Absorber as a probable cause.
• If your vehicle has crossed 50K miles, then it could be due for a shock replacement. Due to long-term internal wear, the shock starts becoming ineffective over time.
• If the front strut 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.

Front Strut Top Mount Bearing Failure

Symptoms:

• Knocking Noise while going over Rough Road Patches
• Bumping/Knocking Noises when trying the lock steering in parking

Troubleshooting Front Strut Top Mount Bearing Failure

• The Top Strut Mount contains a Bushing as well as a bearing that allows the strut to rotate while steering
• Generally, when the Top Strut mount is damaged, both the bushing as well as the bearing fail and restricts the strut from rotation during steering. 
• The bearing failure causes the knock and creak noises while locking the steering.
• The Bushing failure causes the Knocking and Popping noises driving over a rough patch.

• The Strut Top Mount is assembled with the Front Shock Absorber Strut. So for removing this, you would need to disassemble the Front Strut.

Pro Tip

• In the interest of safety, Always use a safe method to compress and Decompress the Spring while dismantling the front strut assembly.
• It is preferred to use a Hydraulic or Pneumatic Strut removal fixture

• If that isn’t available, then use a Lead-Screw Type of Spring Compressor

Front Lower Control Arm Failure

Symptoms:

• The car seems to be drifting
• Steering seems vague while Lane Changing
• Uneven Tire Wear pattern
• Knocking Noises while going over Rough Patches
• Usually seen in First Generation Corsa C platform cars (2003-2010)

Root Cause:

• Tire Uneven wear issue, mostly says that the alignment of the front suspension is outside of the recommended settings. But this is still a symptom.
• The cause for alignment change points to the Lower control arm Bushings and Ball-joints that may have got worn or damaged

Troubleshooting Front Lower Control Arm Bushing Failure: Lower Control Arm Bushing

• Lower Control Arm bushing wears out over time and cracks due to age
• To assess the bushing condition, you can use a Pry-bar and insert it between the Lower control arm and the Subframe. Now, try to move the Lower Control arm using the Pry-bar and observe the movement at the Bush location. If the lower control arm moves without much force, then it means that the bushes have worn out.
• When inspecting the Lower control arm after removal, it is clear that there are tears and cracks in the rubber portion.

Troubleshooting Front Lower Control Arm Bushing Failure: Lower Control Arm Ball-Joint

• The lower control arm ball-joints are also subject to wear and tear.
• The deterioration is usually initiated as a crack or rupture in the rubber boot around the ball-joint
• This leads to loss of lubrication and finally to complete wear out
• The wear out causes play or movement accompanied by knocking noise. The play in the ball-joint is one of the reasons for the vehicle steering feeling vague.
• You can check for Ball-joint condition by this simple procedure:
  • Get the car on a Ramp
  • Lock the steering wheel
  • Hold the front tire with both your hands and try to steer the wheel
  • If you hear a ‘Knock’ or ‘Click’, then it is very much likely that the noise is due to a play in the Ball-joint

• The Corsa C had a split Lower Control Arm in that, the Ball-joint along with its housing, was a Bolt-on to the Lower Control arm. Therefore this can be changed separately without needing to replace the Lower Control Arm

Pro-Tip

• For Rusted Bolt connections that are hard to Break-open, do not try repeatedly using hand or pneumatic tools.
• Always first soak it for 10-15 min after spraying a good Rust-penetrant

Front Wheel Bearing Failure

Symptoms:

• Droning noise above 30 mph speeds
• Sound is louder with increasing speed

Troubleshooting Front Wheel Bearing Failure

• Droning noise is generally associated with one of the wheel bearings depending on where the noise is coming from
• Wheel bearings generally have a life of 70K miles, after which, on detecting noise issues, must be replaced
• In the Opel Corsa utility, the wheel bearing is housed within the Wheel Spindle.
• After dismantling the Knuckle, separate it from the wheel hub using a hammer.
• Remove the Circlip retainer ring of the Hub using a remover plier.

• It would be best to use a Hydraulic Press for removing the  bearing, using an appropriate size collar.

• For fitting the new bearing, follow the same procedure in reverse order.

Conclusion

In this brief article we have discussed the different Opel Corsa utility front Suspension problems, what the causes are, and Troubleshooting Tips.

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