Dorian7

Hi All,

I have been doing a lot of searching and have come up with a variety of answers. I am hoping people who may have had the same experience as me might be able to weigh in.

I hear a clunking (like golf ***** rattling in the trunk) sound that is coming from the rear right side of the car when driving slowly (less then 35mph over rough flat surfaces). It has been making this noise for a while. I recently replaced all 4 strut mounts with new OEM ones which cured all the noise from the front.

I jacked the rear of the car back up to inspect all of the components. I couldn't find anything that was loose or obviously worn. It sounds like it may be the rear sway bar endlinks? The sway bar bushings are tight and look to be in good shape.

The car has 73k miles on it.

IzzyB

End links are cheap, can always try that. Common for sway bar bushings to go, though not sure if the would at your mileage. They are cheap too, and you can't always tell if they are worn, mine looked and felt fine, but they were bad. And of course there's the stupid answer, could have something rattling around your spare tire well.

Dorian7

Thanks for the input. Maybe I will try that.

I am wondering If I were to remove the end links and bushings, lube them and put them back if that might test to see if the noise is alleviated. Thoughts?

Hayk

iTrader: (1)

I'm having a similar sound in the front left, after a strut replacement. I just got back from my local shop and we have figured out that the noise is coming from the strut.

Did you do the work yourself or was it done for you? Either way, the struts have a notch that has to line up with the strut mount. If that wasn't done correctly, or if the strut top nut wasn't tightened all the way, it will make a rattling sound.

Lastly, did you hear this sound before the mounts were replaced?

Dorian7

I did all the work myself. There was the classic strut mount noise coming from the front (which is now gone). But there is the rattle coming from the back which has been there the whole time (not new after install). I was assuming that the rear strut mounts would take car of that but apparently that was not the problem.

Or could I try driving without the sway bar on at all and see if the noise is there? Or is that unsafe?

Hayk

iTrader: (1)

Driving without a sway bar is safe, some cars don't even have them. I'm thinking that the noise might not be suspension related. Have you checked your spare tire well? Maybe something is not strapped down in the trunk.

Dorian7

Maybe I will just try that - that way I will know if it if the bushings or the end links right away. Checked the spare and the jack as well. They are secure.

Dorian7

So I inspected the sway bar more and everything seems in order, I went ahead and replaced the bushings anyways since they were so cheap. The endlinks rotated side to side but didn't seem to make any noise. The only thing I could really find that made any noise was the lateral control/support arms. When I rotated them side to side they hit metal. See video below. Do you think this is normal or could it be the culprit? Ignore the rubbing noise that was my glove at the beginning.

Hayk

iTrader: (1)

Your video doesn't work, but looking for lateral links on YouTube, I found your comment stating that you heard the same sound as that guy in a Toyota video. If that's what you hear, replace the link as it's bad.

01LEXPL

iTrader: (10)

try driving on a bumpy road with the parking brakes ON at about 10-20mph... see if the clunk goes away.

I've not done it yet, but determined the cause of my clunk is those dumbass parking brake shoes, for a brake i never use.

Dorian7

Anyone have an idea how I could temporarily fix this just to make sure this is the problem? I don't want to run out and spend the money on them without being pretty sure.

Hayk

iTrader: (1)

Try greasing it up

Dorian7

Can you just pull those dust boots back or are they part of the assembly? I can't grease it without getting them off.

Hayk

iTrader: (1)

I just watched your video - they're definitely bad and need to replaced. The links should never be clunking this bad.

p.s.: The sound I was hearing on my car came from a bad sway bar link.

Power6

Mine make this noise when rotating too. Looking at them they do look like the inner may be a pillow ball on the stock arm, since it has what looks like a rubber seal (dust boot) on it. If this is the case, twisting the link to the limit may give you a clicky sound and that may be fine, there is no rubber in a pillow ball it is a metal on metal connection.

I have a set of new stock arms in the basement I can check to see if they have pillow ***** in any location. I have a clunk in the rear in my car I haven't found yet so this could very well be the problem for both of us.