This has been driving me nuts.. My second strut of toyota strut mounts and this thing still rattles.. I've heard that you can put some rubber on the mounts and that might help... Anyone try this? The noise is really annoying... Someone's gotta have a solution for this!!
Anyone solve strut mount rattle?
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I've heard that usiing ones only from toyota seems to help when it comes to the strut mounts
You can tighten the nut on the top of the strut by about 1/3 of a revolution, and it should help temporarily. I've done it once to the right side, then a year later up in the mountains the left side started doing it. Tightened that one, and its been okay so far.
Next time either one rattles, however, its getting new mounts.
Next time either one rattles, however, its getting new mounts.
I have the original springs with new struts and new mounts.. The new mounts are from the toyota dealer... I've talked with many toyota owners at work and they all seem to be having that same rattle..
So my question is this... My mounts are two days old.. They cant be bad already.. Yes they are seated properly and greased properly from the factory..
When mounts go bad, what causes the rattle? Is the actual strut assembly moving from side to side inside the fender or is the mount moving up and hitting the top where it connects with the three bolts? I dont know how any of this can happen since all of it is torqued down to specs.... This is my third camry that I've had this same problem in.. I buy the car without the noise and then once it gets cold outside, It sounds like me banging on a tin can..
I'm gonna fix this someway or another!! Hopefully someone has more knowledge about this than I do.. Thanks in advance for all the help!!
So my question is this... My mounts are two days old.. They cant be bad already.. Yes they are seated properly and greased properly from the factory..
When mounts go bad, what causes the rattle? Is the actual strut assembly moving from side to side inside the fender or is the mount moving up and hitting the top where it connects with the three bolts? I dont know how any of this can happen since all of it is torqued down to specs.... This is my third camry that I've had this same problem in.. I buy the car without the noise and then once it gets cold outside, It sounds like me banging on a tin can..
I'm gonna fix this someway or another!! Hopefully someone has more knowledge about this than I do.. Thanks in advance for all the help!!
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I had the rattle on the rear of my 98 Camry. The car had 100,000 miles on it and had been rattling since 50,000 miles. Replacing the rear swaybar bushings helped a little, but over large bumps the rattle was still there. I opted to go with the Monroe Quick Struts as a solution. It replaced everything; strut, spring, strut mount and all the rubber pieces in one complete unit. The noise was completely gone. My wife (it was her car) was amazed. She had been listening to the noise for some time. The car was now as quiet as a mouse. I can't say how long the fix lasted as the car was totaled 6 weeks later. Pep Boys and Murrays had the best prices on the Quick Struts at $180 a side.
There is one other thing you can check if it's the rears making noise. Check the rear lateral control arms for bushing wear. The rear one on each side wears out. Jack up the rear of the car and support it safely on jack stands. Go to each rear wheel/tire combination and with your hands at 3:00 and 9:00 o'clock, try to move the wheel side to side. Does it move and do you hear a noise. If so, you will have to replace that control rod and realign the car. The part is around $150 each at the dealer. I had to do this on my 94. You can special order a bushing kit from Pep Boys, but I think you will need a heavy hydraulic press to press the old bushing out and the new one back in.
Mike
There is one other thing you can check if it's the rears making noise. Check the rear lateral control arms for bushing wear. The rear one on each side wears out. Jack up the rear of the car and support it safely on jack stands. Go to each rear wheel/tire combination and with your hands at 3:00 and 9:00 o'clock, try to move the wheel side to side. Does it move and do you hear a noise. If so, you will have to replace that control rod and realign the car. The part is around $150 each at the dealer. I had to do this on my 94. You can special order a bushing kit from Pep Boys, but I think you will need a heavy hydraulic press to press the old bushing out and the new one back in.
Mike
Exact same problem for me. Only during the winter is when it gets loud, and the sound over bumps or when i go up a ramp and it bottoms out a tiny bit is louder in the cold.newbie212 said:
Tightening the bolt on the top temporary solves the problem, so it might be that the strut assembly wasn't designed well enough to have it hold steady for a long while.
I just got OEM strut mounts and sway bar bushings, hope this'll solve it, but probably not according to your experiences. I replaced the sway bar links while i was at it too.
After I changed the strut and mounts up front, I found that 20% of the noise was still there. But after listening more carefully, it seemed to be more of a rattle sound, less of a groan sound. Started lookin over my work more closely, found the source of the rattle was a loose end link. Replaced it ($55 at NAPA) and everything was quiet!!
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Preventative maintenance ?
I don't suppose there is any preventative maintanance for strut/mount problems is there ?
My 2000 has 54k miles and no noises yet.
I don't suppose there is any preventative maintanance for strut/mount problems is there ?
My 2000 has 54k miles and no noises yet.
i thought this was caused by the blown struts/// mine rattle a lots in bumps that's because my rear struts are blown and in the process of changeing them to trd..can't wait for the rattle to stop..afterwards/:wiggle:
Well I replaced my struts with brand new ones and same rattling effect, so I don't think its blown struts.
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Yes worn endlink can cause a rattle.. But the noise we are hearing sounds like someone crunching a plastic bottle... I just changed the springs, struts and strut mounts all with oem parts... The noise is STILL there.. Everything was torqued to specs.. I also replaced all the sway bar bushings and the endlinks.. It still sounds like the plastic bottle..
My only guess for people who have this same problem is to take it to the dealer and have them diagnose the noise. Yes it will cost you more but it will prevent a huge headache in the longrun.. That way, if they replace the struts, they will put a lifetime warranty on their parts.. And most likely from what I hear and what I've experienced, the noise will still be there.. So let them worry about it..
I noticed that toyota has a TSB on this issue but it does not say the solution to fix this problem.. It's definitely a design flaw...
I JUST WANT A QUIET SUSPENSION!
My only guess for people who have this same problem is to take it to the dealer and have them diagnose the noise. Yes it will cost you more but it will prevent a huge headache in the longrun.. That way, if they replace the struts, they will put a lifetime warranty on their parts.. And most likely from what I hear and what I've experienced, the noise will still be there.. So let them worry about it..
I noticed that toyota has a TSB on this issue but it does not say the solution to fix this problem.. It's definitely a design flaw...
I JUST WANT A QUIET SUSPENSION!
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the klunking front end
Camrys and Avalons may exhibit a rattling or popping noise from the front suspension at low speeds. In most cases these noises have been traced to the upper strut cushion attachment to the strut tower. The upper surface of the tower is covered with a seam sealer prior to painting and becomes compressed when the upper strut mounting nuts are tightened. When the sealer wears away, the upper strut mounting nuts can come loose.Remove the upper strut mounting nuts one at a time. Remove any built up seam sealer on the threads and tower, then reinstall and re-torque the nuts to 59 ft. lbs. or 80 Nm also the center nut should be cheaked also by lossening it a little then re-torque to factory spec 36 ft.lb w/electronic suspemion or 26 ft.lb without fix mine up good no more clunking at low speeds......
Camrys and Avalons may exhibit a rattling or popping noise from the front suspension at low speeds. In most cases these noises have been traced to the upper strut cushion attachment to the strut tower. The upper surface of the tower is covered with a seam sealer prior to painting and becomes compressed when the upper strut mounting nuts are tightened. When the sealer wears away, the upper strut mounting nuts can come loose.Remove the upper strut mounting nuts one at a time. Remove any built up seam sealer on the threads and tower, then reinstall and re-torque the nuts to 59 ft. lbs. or 80 Nm also the center nut should be cheaked also by lossening it a little then re-torque to factory spec 36 ft.lb w/electronic suspemion or 26 ft.lb without fix mine up good no more clunking at low speeds......
Great answer! Just what I was looking for!Camrys and Avalons may exhibit a rattling or popping noise from the front suspension at low speeds. In most cases these noises have been traced to the upper strut cushion attachment to the strut tower. The upper surface of the tower is covered with a seam sealer prior to painting and becomes compressed when the upper strut mounting nuts are tightened. When the sealer wears away, the upper strut mounting nuts can come loose.Remove the upper strut mounting nuts one at a time. Remove any built up seam sealer on the threads and tower, then reinstall and re-torque the nuts to 59 ft. lbs. or 80 Nm also the center nut should be cheaked also by lossening it a little then re-torque to factory spec 36 ft.lb w/electronic suspemion or 26 ft.lb without fix mine up good no more clunking at low speeds......
look man i dont mean to insult any one but its probaly cause its not installed right,make shure the arrow on the top plate faces outwards,trust me it looks like it wouldnt matter but it dose,also the lower ruber insulaters make shure the spring didnt split the rubber and now touching the strut
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