3rd & 4th Generation (1992–1996 & 1997–2001)Toyota Camry Discussion for years: 1992-1996 & 1997-2001
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Rear Driver side Strut Mount rumbling against the body
Hello all, I am new to this forum and really need your help.
My 2001 V4 Camry CE got bad front strut mounts and ended up replacing all 4 struts & mounts (Monroe) as per the recommendation from a local NTB.
Right after I got all 4 new struts & mounts, a very light rumbling sound started coming up from the rear driver side. I removed the rear seats to access the strut mount. I felt the strut mount with my hand and let my friend drive the car. I could feel the strut mount moving slightly against the body, which was the source of the light rumbling sound.
I took the car back to NTB and they put a new mount in for free. Just drove the car back and I am hearing the same sound again.
Can you please let me know if there is anything I can do myself to fix it? Would tightening the 3 strut mount nuts help?
Loosen the nuts JUST barely (now I have to really emphasize BARELY. Basically untighten it. If you can move the nuts with your fingers it's too loose)
Bounce the car a few times to help the spring seats settle
Then re-tighten
BTW- you didn't need all 4. If one is bad - then you only needed to change the opposite set. (both fronts or both rears. Think of it like 1 bad tire...you don't need to change all four just the 1 PLUS the opposite side to match
^ Chances are if they are all original, and the fronts are bad, the rears should be replaced too.
1: Is the sound a clunk or a rubbing?
2: Under what conditions does the sound happen?
3: Is it a metal sound or more of a screaching?
4: did they replace the Sway Bar Links or Sway Bar Bushings in the rear?
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Employed at Toyota in Parts, again.
^ Chances are if they are all original, and the fronts are bad, the rears should be replaced too.
I never agreed with Macro-maintenance philosophies - costs too much
If you have burnt tail-light - would you change ALL the bulbs on the car? Or just the two in the package?
Plus when you go to a shop because of one bad strut mount and walk out with new dampers all around....either you beat the he'll out of your '01, or that was one hell of a salesman
Thank you both for the quick response.
Here are the answers to your questions:
- The car has 116K miles on it and this is the first time the struts/mounts have been touched - Forgot to mention this before.
- They reused the same old spring - so it is not the Monroe Quick Struts.
- I tried loosening and tightening the nuts (They were real tight before itself). Didn't help the sound.
- The sound is a rubbing kinda sound. I can actually feel the strut mount rubbing against the body where it meets the body behind the seat.
- I guess the sound happens every time, but it is not quite audible under normal driving because of the wind and tire running noise. Its more evident while driving real slow inside an apartment complex, for example. It is the slight roughness of the road that is heard from the strut mount.
- It is not a screeching sound. More of a rubbing sound as I explained before.
- They didn't replace anything else other than the struts and mounts.
Its not related to driving over bumps. Simply put, it is the road's roughness that is translated to this rumbling sound. At normal driving speeds, the environmental sounds (wind, tire, etc) masks this sound.
It is evident only when we drive in a silent neighbourhood.
Now did they remove the rear shelf and tightened the three nuts using a torque wrench during the installation? I guess not.
Quote:
Originally Posted by irf44z
Hello all, I am new to this forum and really need your help.
My 2001 V4 Camry CE got bad front strut mounts and ended up replacing all 4 struts & mounts (Monroe) as per the recommendation from a local NTB.
Right after I got all 4 new struts & mounts, a very light rumbling sound started coming up from the rear driver side. I removed the rear seats to access the strut mount. I felt the strut mount with my hand and let my friend drive the car. I could feel the strut mount moving slightly against the body, which was the source of the light rumbling sound.
I took the car back to NTB and they put a new mount in for free. Just drove the car back and I am hearing the same sound again.
Can you please let me know if there is anything I can do myself to fix it? Would tightening the 3 strut mount nuts help?
sounds like it not the connection between the car and the mount is loose, but rather the strut to the mount. this is something you can check yourself. instead of checking the torque of the three bolts connecting the mount to the car, tighten the center nut that connects to the top of the strut. that has to be very tight.
on a previous car of mine i didnt torque this nut down enough and it made a sound similar to yours. it was tight, but not tight enough.
sounds like it not the connection between the car and the mount is loose, but rather the strut to the mount. this is something you can check yourself. instead of checking the torque of the three bolts connecting the mount to the car, tighten the center nut that connects to the top of the strut. that has to be very tight.
on a previous car of mine i didnt torque this nut down enough and it made a sound similar to yours. it was tight, but not tight enough.
Were the insulators, the rubber parts between the spring and the shock housing replaced, are they damaged. The upper one is called "upper seat" and the lower one is called the lower insulator. If the rubber is damaged the spring would contact the metal housing and convey road noise to the car body.
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The insulators are still the old ones. But from what little of it I could see from outside, it looks like it is in tact without any damage.
ghettosled, I will try tightening the center nut. (Right now, I don't have the adequate tools to hold the strut rod from rotating and tightening the nut)
I will let you know the results once I get hold of the tools and tighten the nut. Thanks.
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