Front suspension rattles?

madmathew · #1 (**permalink**) 02-04-08, 12:23 AM

I have a '95 ETC and over small sharp bumps it has a suspension rattle from the right front. I don't feel anything loose and I thought it was the sway bar links. That helped but its not completely gone. Any ideas on this one? Do strut mounts make noise like that on these cars?

kdcing · #2 (**permalink**) 02-04-08, 12:56 AM

I've read that strut mounts can rattle, but have not had 1st hand experience.

Could also be:
1. a worn lower ball joint
2. a worn doughnut rubber cushion (i.e. on the lower control arm, there is a rod that bolts to a front crossmember located near the radiator.)

madmathew · #3 (**permalink**) 02-04-08, 11:55 PM

I'm going to have to go check that rubber mount in the front crossmember, thanks!

Zorb750 · #4 (**permalink**) 02-05-08, 11:22 PM

The sway bar carrier bushings themselves can get play in them. It's probably sway bar related if the noise goes away while turning. The sway bar bushings are a lot cheaper than strut mount/bearing plates. Change them first. End links will show play in them if you jack the car up so both wheels are not on the ground (swaybar unloaded) and you grab the link and move it back and forth with the wheels turned. It has two ball joints, so the center portion can be sort of rotated side to side, but it shouldn't be easy to do, the joints should be pretty stiff. if not, they are most likely bad.

Have the car's alignment checked. They will usually tell you if the ball joint is bad.

madmathew · #5 (**permalink**) 02-07-08, 09:11 PM

It must be in the strut mounts. I changed the sway bar links and checked the radius rod bushings- they are good. The ball joints are good also, I thought it was the sway bar link, its the same kind of noise that they make. Maybe this will be a good reason for me to finally get a strut compressor.

submariner409 · #6 (**permalink**) 02-07-08, 10:25 PM

The rear level compressor has nothing to do with the front struts.........or......are you referring to a spring compressor?

mac1976 · #7 (**permalink**) 01-19-09, 06:01 PM

hey did u find out the rattle cause my 96 etc has the same problem i just put new front strut mounts on the car still does it i`m tryin look at all possibilites be for i buy the conversion kit the struts just dont seem bad the rattle on both sides when u just cruzin let me know what u came up with if u figured the answer please get back asap thanks

egheorghe · #8 (**permalink**) 01-23-09, 05:33 PM

Any updates on this? I have the same problem. I thought CV joint has to do something with it because has a play in it, but now i'm not too sure about it.

finerwoodworking · #9 (**permalink**) 01-24-09, 09:43 AM

[quote=mac1976;1739978]hey did u find out the rattle cause my 96 etc has the same problem i just put new front strut mounts on the car still does it

I have the same issue on the right front and am trying to figure it out as well.
Mac1976 did you just replace the top end of the strut, strut mounts and its still is making the noise? This is what I was just getting ready to do. How hard was the job? Did you need a spring compressor?
I have had two shops look at it and one says it’s a strut, the other says its an outer tie rod. I was under the car the other day while they had it up on the rack to show me a very small play in the tie rod. It seemed tight to me. The shop that thinks it the strut said that the front end seemed good. Not sure which to work on at this point?

cl1986 · #10 (**permalink**) 01-24-09, 10:16 PM

When i replaced my sway bar bushings i noticed i had a bad link bar. I replaced that as well and no more noise at all.

Its a spendy little link bar as i recall.....over $50 i think.

Sevillian273 · #11 (**permalink**) 01-25-09, 04:59 PM

Ive had the same symptoms described here for months. I checked everything and couldnt seen to find it untill today when i removed the front drivers wheel and jerked the axle shaft in and out. It turned out to be the inner cv joint on the transaxle side. I could also hear the sound by bouncing the car up and down on that side.

egheorghe · #12 (**permalink**) 01-26-09, 01:27 PM

I think i checked everything and nothing looked loose to me.
I get the noise only with a in and out move on the CV joint, but not when i bounce the car. I guess is not that bad yet???

egheorghe · #13 (**permalink**) 01-26-09, 01:58 PM

Sevillian, did you change only the inner half of the joint or the whole thing?
Is it a difficult job?
thx

Sevillian273 · #14 (**permalink**) 01-26-09, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by egheorghe

I think i checked everything and nothing looked loose to me.
I get the noise only with a in and out move on the CV joint, but not when i bounce the car. I guess is not that bad yet???

That sounds like what Im having too. If i grab the axle shaft and jerk it in and out, it moves a little and I get the clunk sound. The inner join is not supposed to move at all. Mine is probably worse than yours since I had been chasing the 'mystery rattle' for months! Once it got louder it was easier to find.

btw I havent changed it yet so Im not so sure what Im in for. Ive started several threads with questions but posts on this particular forum get buried within hours and it seems to be dominated by '92 and up vehicles. And If I ask in the HT 4.x forum it will get moved since its not engine specific.

egheorghe · #15 (**permalink**) 01-27-09, 01:34 AM

Ok, now that we believe we found the cause of the 'mystery rattle' let's find the way to fix it. I found the parts at rockauto, but as i read in the service manual, couple of tools is needed in order to get the job done:
J 2619-01 Slide Hammer
J 28733-B Front Hub Spindle Remover
J 33008 Axle Shaft Remover
J 36226 Ball Joint Separator
J 37292 B Axle Seal Protector

I'm sure it looks more difficult than it is, but let's not forget - nothing's easy!