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My 2001 LS430 with 128,500 miles has developed an annoying rattle at the rear passenger side suspension area that can be heard whenever I go over an uneven road service. The shock/strut is fine going over speed bumps etc, where there is no noise and the strut dampens as it should.. I'm thinking of strut tower mounts as being a possible cause. I haven't had it taken to my Indy yet but was wondering if it were the strut mounts would it still require the same amount of labor as as replacing the rear strut? I'm assuming replacing any hardware at the rear strut area is a pain because of access. Could the strut itself be making the noise internally? Is there anything else back there as a possible culprit? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
You have to get under the rear deck to access these bolts. It involves removing the rear seat back partially, detach and lift up the rear deck cover. Please take a look at the link I provided in Post #2.
You have to get under the rear deck to access these bolts. It involves removing the rear seat back partially, detach and lift up the rear deck cover. Please take a look at the link I provided in Post #2.
Thanks once again RKW.. I am not able to resolve any of these issues without the help of others. but I still like to gather info to get to the finish line. Thanks again.
Have you had any brake work done? I had a similar noise while driving over bumps, and it sounded like a bag of chains being dropped. That's about the best way to describe the noise.
The culprit in my situation was the aluminum retaining bracket was just not snug enough against the retaining pin for the brake pad assembly. I'm not sure the technical name for the part. (I'm SURE RKW has an expanded parts diagram), lol, but the shiny thin aluminum bracket that's shaped sort of like an H was rattling against the long brake pad retaining pin as I call it.
You simply take your wheel off, pull the cotter pin holding that long retaining pin in place, pull the pin out, then you can remove the aluminum retaining bracket and bend it appropriately so it makes firm contact at all the contact points.
This is all going by memory. There might be another step to accessing the aluminum retaining bracket, but if it sounds like a bag of chains while driving over bumps, etc, which is what I experienced, this is the fix.
(I just saw you have a 2001. Not sure if that model had identical brake hardware setup as the 2004-2006. I have an 05!)
I had brake work done a year ago with new OEM rotors and pads but doubt that's the problem. However the noise has gotten progressively worse in just the last few days and it looks as if I'm going to need to investigate as it's becoming annoying. I'm leaning towards a bad strut but will find out soon. Is cost replacement for a rear strut similar to fronts? I had both front struts replaced with OEM a few years ago by a Lexus dealer for $500.
I will be finding out tomorrow if I need a rear strut replacement. As the OP, my car is beginning to make more and more noise going over irregular surfaces at the rear passenger side. Considering my car is 16 years old and will most likely be needing other more expensive repairs in the not so far future, I'm starting to cut corners because I'm not sure how long I will be keeping my car. I love this car, but I have to be realistic to when I stop trying to keep it alive by constantly pumping in money. I'm planning on replacing just the bad strut if needed and probably with OEM as saving $50 or so won't make or break me. Should replacing one side if the other side is still dampening fine and not leaking matter much with handling?
I would replace both sides no matter what the issue is. Struts should always be replaced in pairs especially if the other one is original. It has 17 years of wear and countless cycles that have no doubt taken their toll even if you can't decern them. The labor would be slightly less than doing each separately as the seat and package tray need to come out either way. If the issue ends up being the strut mount or sway bar link I would do them both as well as the other side probably isn't much longer for this world. Make sure your tech is positive as to what the issue is before he starts replacing parts as your concern seems to only be noise related and not handling related.
It's not unreasonable to discuss the parts cannon (I like that term) with your tech. If you tell them that your only reason for replacing parts is to correct a noise that they can hear as well then it is OK to suggest that if said parts don't fix the issue then you should only be responsible for his cost on the parts and a reduced labor rate. A tech worth his salt will have the correct diagnostic tools (including chassis ears in this case) and won't need to fire the cannon to correct an issue.
There's lot of things that noise could be and shops unfortunately are notorious for shooting the parts cannon at things like that.
If you do decide to address the struts, I would do both with new mounts.
You might also want to simply make the decision to cut bait if you have this plus a lot of other repairs.
Thanks BradTank... This exactly is my conundrum. I have numerous oil leaks that are progressing but are still at bay as well as anything else around the corner. When do I bail ship? My car does not break down and looks like a new car. Everything works as it should but things occur that may require repair. When is enough enough? Replacement to another car is prohibitive these days, and my decisions are limited. Thinking of a 2011+ Infiniti G37/Q70 or 2006 LS430 (with the same issues sooner or later) but most are trash or too expensive. Sooo, I keep the trusted LS430 which I do enjoy other than sucking me dry for maintenance and repairs. ?????
03-16-17, 02:10 PM
Rear suspension rattle going over uneven surfaces
