[kjarrett]

My '97 LE has had a rattle when going over bumps for a while. Not very severe, which is why I've not investigated it, but it's definitely there. Figure I'll drive it up onto my ramps and have a look but where should I start? A shop once told me it was likely the rear sway bar. Anyone got pics of a '97 rear suspension handy? TIA!

 

[carsrus]

Rear sway bar bushings - best 11.99$ ive spent on my camry ever.

Its 2 12mm bolts on each bracket, pb blast them for a couple days before trying to remove them.

Under an hour job, less if you dont take the rear wheels off.

 

[kjarrett]

Thanks! Does removing the wheels make the job easier ... because the suspension is unloaded?

 

[carsrus]

Yeah, jack up from the center so both wheels are up. Then the sway bar will flop around any which way you need it to.

You need to lift both rear wheels since the sway bar will be impossible to tighten back down if one wheel is on the ground. Taking off the wheels gives you some more elbow room.

Clean the bar and new bushing good and smear some grease on them, technically it should help the new bushing last a bit longer by cutting down the friction.

 

[djb2]

If it's not the sway bar, check under the rear package shelf for any loose nuts. You'll need to remove the rear seat side bolsters (one bolt, lift up not out) to get access.

 

[BMR]

As others have already said, most likely it's the bushings.

Next most likely culprit is the sway bar links. They have ball joints on each end that can develop some slop. Unbolt the link on one side and check them for slop. It's hard to detect without unbolting one side because there's almost always a little bit of twist being applied.

Lastly, it could be the rear lateral arm on the suspension. There are two arms that run from the center out to the wheel. The rear one has a turnbuckle in it to adjust toe in/out. On the outer end there's a ball joint that can develop slop. To check it, jack up the rear and grab the tire at 9:00 and 3:00, then try to rock it by pushing on one side and pulling on the other in alternating fashion. If you detect any slop at all, it's bad.

 

[kappy]

I have the same problem with my 01 camry, sometimes it seams like
it is in the front, I heard sway bar bushings also.. do they need to be purchased at a dealer, or any Auto store. I got a quote from a mechanic 350 bucks to replace
any pictures on doing this.. sounds fairly simple.. only happens over bumps
and rough roads like a rumble sound.. thanks for the tips.. I did a search
and found this thread helpful

 

[BMR]

kappy - they can be purchased at just about any auto parts store. They're about $20 for a pair, front or rear.

350 bucks?!?! That's just robbery!!! ...unless they were talking about replacing something else/additional.

 

[hzt30]

rear sway bar bushings

I have a 2001 Camry and there was a creaking noise coming from the rear suspension. Bouncing the rear up and down would make the noise. Removed the sway bar links and the noise was gone when I bounced the rear bumper. I moved the sway bar by hand and the noise was coming from the sway bar bushings... $9.99 from Autozone.