For the past few weeks now... the car has been making rattling sounds when going over tiny bumps (uneven ground or cracks on road that has been repaired) Weird thing is that it does not make the rattle sound when going over LARGE bumps (speedbumps or large bumps on the road or potholes) The other thing is that it doesnt make the rattle when going highway speed. (There are no large bumps on the highway but the small bumps dont make it rattle?)
Is it the suspension going bad? It doesn't really make any sense to me...
City:
Small bumps - rattle
Large bumps - no rattle
That's your suspension making noise. You should figure out which corner of the car is making the noise to diagnose. It could be any of the components, but the most likely are the stabilizer bar end links, outer tie rod (if the noise is in the front), or the strut/coil itself.
You need to jack up the car up, take the wheel off, and try moving any suspension components by hand to figure out what is bad. Or you can take it to a suspension shop and they should be able to diagnose the issue for you and then you can do it yourself or have them replace the components.
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That's your suspension making noise. You should figure out which corner of the car is making the noise to diagnose. It could be any of the components, but the most likely are the stabilizer bar end links, outer tie rod (if the noise is in the front), or the strut/coil itself.
You need to jack up the car up, take the wheel off, and try moving any suspension components by hand to figure out what is bad. Or you can take it to a suspension shop and they should be able to diagnose the issue for you and then you can do it yourself or have them replace the components.
The sound is coming from the front. I havent really had anytime to check it out though as my car is in use everyday, almost never parked at home. (I use it for work, i come back, my brother uses it for work) and it cycles.
How much would i be looking at to fix if its the tie rods/stabilizer bar? (parts + labour)
Would it be dangerous to keep driving the car without getting it fixed for the time being?
The parts are less than $75 for a pair of tie rod ends, stabilizer links, or ball joints. The labor could be anywhere from $100 to $250.
If it's the stabilizer bar links, there's no danger -- these are preventing your car from swaying in side-to-side steering maneuvers. If it's tie rod ends or ball joints, it would be dangerous if they failed.
All of them are pretty easy to change out if you have a jack and decent mechanic tools. If the tie rod ends need replacement, you'll need an alignment afterward.
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Exactly what kind of mechanical tools am i looking at? Would i have to take off the strut/coil to replace the tie rod? if i do, then i would need a spring compressor?
Also i dont understand why it does not make the ratlling sound when travelling highway speeds?
Tools needed:
Jack
Jackstands
2+ ft long 1/2" breaker bar, or impact wrench
6-point metric sockets
Metric wrenches
Hex sockets (for stabilizer bar links)
Pry bar (if removing the ball joint)
Rent a tie rod puller or a ball joint puller
Rent a torque wrench
If you have a jack, I'd first get the car raised up to see if you can diagnose your problem. Then you can figure out what needs replacement and which tools you need to rent.
You only need to remove the coil if it is what is making noise (not for tie rod, ball joint, stabilizer bar). If it's your coil making noise, I would recommend replacing the whole unit, so you don't need a spring compressor.
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I've been googling here and there. I see that some people say that tire pressure could even affect the rattle? I did recently increase the tire pressure because the low profiles were not wearing evenly. Also the other thing i did recently was take out the door panel and put it back together to check my window alignment problem. The last thing would be i changed my brakes all around.
All these were done around the same time that the rattle started happening... would any of these have anything to do with the rattle?
I've been googling here and there. I see that some people say that tire pressure could even affect the rattle? I did recently increase the tire pressure because the low profiles were not wearing evenly. Also the other thing i did recently was take out the door panel and put it back together to check my window alignment problem. The last thing would be i changed my brakes all around.
All these were done around the same time that the rattle started happening... would any of these have anything to do with the rattle?
It could be related to your brakes being replaced recently. Did you put the sticky brake anti rattle stuff on the back of the pads where they contact the caliper? My car did the same thing when I replaced the pads and forgot to put that stuff on, similar symptoms, noticed it mainly at slow speeds through a drive-thru and going down my driveway. Hope that helps.
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2001 Toyota Corolla LE - My Commuter
2011 Honda Pilot LX - Wife's Ride
It could be related to your brakes being replaced recently. Did you put the sticky brake anti rattle stuff on the back of the pads where they contact the caliper? My car did the same thing when I replaced the pads and forgot to put that stuff on, similar symptoms, noticed it mainly at slow speeds through a drive-thru and going down my driveway. Hope that helps.
no i did apply the brake quiet... and it was fine when i changed the front over a month ago... i changed the rears about 2 weeks ago, but i cant think of anyway the rear brake shoes would have anything to do with it...
So i took the car to the mechanic. The first thing he checked was the stabilizer bar and he said it was perfectly stiff. He then took it for a test drive. He said it is the struts that are bad.
However, i just have that gut feeling that its not the struts... I mean i know the struts are worn and don't function very well right now (that was probably the reason the mechanic said its the struts because thats the only thing he sees thats worn). My struts were always that bad and it hasn't gotten any worse, and the rattling only came recently but no decline in the suspension quality.
When i swapped to my winters today, i checked everything. The only thing i noticed was that when i rotated the rotor back and forth quickly it makes some clanking noise. There is no noise when rotating one direction only, the noise is only if i rotate it back and forth.
When i swapped to my winters today, i checked everything. The only thing i noticed was that when i rotated the rotor back and forth quickly it makes some clanking noise. There is no noise when rotating one direction only, the noise is only if i rotate it back and forth.
Assuming this is your front tire, you can test the tie rod ends and ball joints this way:
- Leave the wheels on the car and lugnuts tight
- Jack up one wheel
- To test for tie rod ends, grip the tire at 9:00 and 3:00 and try to turn the tire left/right (like the tire would do when steering). If it makes noise or feels loose, you could have a bad tie rod. Note that it may move a little bit naturally, and that's okay if the steering wheel moves at the same amount.
- To test for ball joints, grip the tire at 12:00 and 6:00 and try to push the whole tire toward the car and then toward you (in/out). If it makes noise or feels loose, you could have a bad ball joint.
- Repeat with the other tire to compare.
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It sounds like the sway-bar end links to me. I had a similar issue. They're cheap and easy to replace, so I'd try that first.
Its not the sway bar. That was the first thing the mechanic checked and it was nice and tight. however, he did find the rear a bit loose. BUT the noise is coming from the front and not the back.
Assuming this is your front tire, you can test the tie rod ends and ball joints this way:
- Leave the wheels on the car and lugnuts tight
- Jack up one wheel
- To test for tie rod ends, grip the tire at 9:00 and 3:00 and try to turn the tire left/right (like the tire would do when steering). If it makes noise or feels loose, you could have a bad tie rod. Note that it may move a little bit naturally, and that's okay if the steering wheel moves at the same amount.
- To test for ball joints, grip the tire at 12:00 and 6:00 and try to push the whole tire toward the car and then toward you (in/out). If it makes noise or feels loose, you could have a bad ball joint.
- Repeat with the other tire to compare.
Assuming this is your front tire, you can test the tie rod ends and ball joints this way:
- Leave the wheels on the car and lugnuts tight
- Jack up one wheel
- To test for tie rod ends, grip the tire at 9:00 and 3:00 and try to turn the tire left/right (like the tire would do when steering). If it makes noise or feels loose, you could have a bad tie rod. Note that it may move a little bit naturally, and that's okay if the steering wheel moves at the same amount.
- To test for ball joints, grip the tire at 12:00 and 6:00 and try to push the whole tire toward the car and then toward you (in/out). If it makes noise or feels loose, you could have a bad ball joint.
- Repeat with the other tire to compare.
Ok so i've finally had the time to test this out after i did some suspension work. When testing the tie rod ends, the only time i heard a single click sound was when i was on the passenger side pushing the tire inwards at the 3 o clock position (pulling out on 9 o clock). Everything else did not make a sound.
The ball joints were fine. The sway bar bushings and sway bar link seem fine. I've replaced the suspension assembly (new mounts,springs,struts).
The sound is still there... however, i notice that it only rattles when going over consecutive bumps (I guess its cause the car is going up and down constantly that makes the rattle) it doesnt rattle when going over single bumps, small or large.
So what could i be looking at as the source of the rattle?
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