help me track down a suspension rattle

[LightlyToasted]

Originally Posted by ard

re: control arm aka tension strut....when it was replaced was it tightened UNDER FULL LOAD?

If not, the resulting 'twist' and load, can result in failure in a month or two

The control arm I referenced above was not the forward tension strut, but the lower rearward control arm - the one beneath the strut holder. That being said I torqued all bushing fasteners at normal ride height position by jacking the wheel up to the height measured when the vehicle was loaded. Also, I suspect it is the ball joint which has failed and not either of the bushings on that control arm. The ball joint can be torqued at whatever position, though I do torque them all at ride height.


That ball joint looks fine to me - I can't detect any play. I'm wondering if I have to have the vehicle loaded to detect play? Ball joints can be weird sometimes.

[ard]

If the ball joint failed that quick..super weird.

[LightlyToasted]

This. Effing. Car. Is. Killing. Me.

Replaced the lower rearward control arm today. Ball joint put up a multi-hour battle. Rattle noise is still there. I'm wondering if it could be the CV joint, but there's no way I'm going to replace an axle unless I know for sure that's it. There is some lateral play, and I can make it click when I rattle it back and forth, but both sides seem about the same.

Before I push this thing off a cliff, any ideas? All of the suspension is basically new, and there's no play in anything.

[crystalworks]

Upper wishbone been replaced? Didn't see it on your list. They aren't known to fail... but who knows...

[LightlyToasted]

Yes, upper wishbone replaced. Only thing not replaced is the spring. Everything else is new.

[ard]

all rubber mounts, bushes within the strut/spring assy?

[Aquamania]

Originally Posted by ard

all rubber mounts, bushes within the strut/spring assy?

I just had that done to mine. New struts and the whole nine yards. She runs perfectly now.

[LightlyToasted]

Originally Posted by ard

all rubber mounts, bushes within the strut/spring assy?

Yes, everything except the springs.

[BCon]

Lightly Toasted,

I think I am dealing with the exact same issue as you....Maybe

First, I'd like to clarify if the noise is a rattle, or more of a clunking?

Everything you have described seems to be exactly the same as what I'm dealing with, except my noise is a clunking... Also had a chirping noise associated with this. Let me explain a little more...

Started off that I was getting a clunking noise when going over bump to hard, (in particular pot holes and speed bumps). Eventually, this progressed to the point that there was a chirping noise. Eventually, I tracked this down to the right front upper strut mount. It drove me crazy for 2 weeks...thought it was coming from something rubbing inside the dash.... I finally figured it out when I open the hood and got on the passenger runner board and bounced up and down and hard as I could. I was able to to see the washer move up and down and rub against the tower and chirp. The strut mount had failed.

I replaced the strut with a new one...

Looking at my pic you can see my screwdriver pointing to the strut tower where the paint has been rubbed off and is silver. This is where the washer would rub against the tower when going over bumps big enough to cause the strut to bottom out, and make a chirping noise.

Replacing the upper strut mount fixed the problem.....for about a week or two, then the clunking is back!!! The new strut mount failed! I assumed either missed something with the install, or maybe didn't quite get the upper nut tight enough, or ...maybe the part was just defective. So, I took back the "defective" one and replaced it... FIXED!!! ... for 2 weeks..... UUUGHHHH

Now the clunking is back again!

There's no chirping, just the cluncking. ...

[BCon]

Here's where I'm at ...

I feel like the clunking and chirping go together, but not positive. Her is my theory on that (which doesn't mean much, LOL). When the strut mount goes out initially, you will hear the clunk when the strut bottoms out over bigger bumps. After awhile of this happening, eventually the rubber mount wears a large enough hole to allow the strut to move enough to the point that the washer will rub on the flange of the tower.

Here is the pic of the original strut mount I replaced. You can see that the whole is worn to the point it allowed enough play for the washer to rub against the tower.