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New steering and suspension parts and still rattles
Drivers side rattle when going over bumps and at lower speeds. We replaced the strut bars bushings, inner and out tie rods. The car has the factory air ride suspension. We only hear the noise on the drivers side. I can feel it in the steering wheel a little bit. 1995 LS400 with 218,000 miles. Any ideas how to check for this issue? Any other know issues on higher mileage LS400 parts making a rattle?
I pulled the sway bar end links and test drove the car and it continues to make the same rattle. I noticed some grease on the lower part of the air suspension and wonder if it's leaking? Are there individual parts that are serviceable on the air suspension?
Dicer, thank you for your reply. Update today..... I just had a 40+ year experience suspension and steering mechanic go thru it a few minutes ago. We took it for a test drive and then back to the shop. He heard and felt the rattle coming from the drivers side front. He checked the front end on his alignment rack and with the help of another tech couldn't find the issue. He put his pry bar on the ball joints, bushings and anything else he could stress test. I did the same before I took it there and also removed the sway bar end links without any change. The ride height switch on the console was also moved to both setting without any change in the rattle.
Without throwing more money at parts, what is the best way to test these parts on this car or off? I usually just use a pry bar and move the bushings up and down and to and fro while looking for excessive movement. How can one test the air suspension? Can you disable one side at a time? Maybe I can take the air ride link off and test drive it like that?
Dicer, thank you for your reply. Update today..... I just had a 40+ year experience suspension and steering mechanic go thru it a few minutes ago. We took it for a test drive and then back to the shop. He heard and felt the rattle coming from the drivers side front. He checked the front end on his alignment rack and with the help of another tech couldn't find the issue. He put his pry bar on the ball joints, bushings and anything else he could stress test. I did the same before I took it there and also removed the sway bar end links without any change. The ride height switch on the console was also moved to both setting without any change in the rattle.
Without throwing more money at parts, what is the best way to test these parts on this car or off? I usually just use a pry bar and move the bushings up and down and to and fro while looking for excessive movement. How can one test the air suspension? Can you disable one side at a time? Maybe I can take the air ride link off and test drive it like that?
Driver's side only? You feel it in the steering wheel? Check the steering column universal joints, (three) intermediate shafts, bushings and bearings.
Driver's side only? You feel it in the steering wheel? Check the steering column universal joints, (three) intermediate shafts, bushings and bearings.
I grabbed the steering column joints and shaft along with the intermediate shaft and tried to make it move up and down, and to the side, but it is solid. The rattle is not in the steering column, but rather travels up it and sounds like it is coming from the mid to upper level in the air suspension or upper control arm area. Tomorrow in the daylight, I strap someone on the engine compartment with the cover off of the strut tower and try to pinpoint the location........ Or maybe I'll use a go-pro camera.
So what sheet metal did he bend up with a pry bar? No need for a pry bar especially on the unibody sheet metal. With all weight off its easy to move stuff around, if you have to you use a jack to see move ment or pad things real well if using a pry bar, any paint that is scrapped off or metal that is bent is a nice place for rust to begin.
Nice thing about having some aircraft mechanics back ground is you don't use pry bars and chisels on anything unless its protected from damage.
It may sound silly, but check the brake caliper dust shield.
My front driver's side brake dust shield was rusty and rattled in a way that sounded and felt just like a damaged or worn out suspension part as I went over bumps.
I removed the dust shield and the noise and problems went away.
So what sheet metal did he bend up with a pry bar? No need for a pry bar especially on the unibody sheet metal. With all weight off its easy to move stuff around, if you have to you use a jack to see move ment or pad things real well if using a pry bar, any paint that is scrapped off or metal that is bent is a nice place for rust to begin.
Nice thing about having some aircraft mechanics back ground is you don't use pry bars and chisels on anything unless its protected from damage.
Dicer, no damage to sheet metal or any scratches. How do you check for bad ball joints then?
my rattle came from original lower balljoints with 253k (had about a 1/4 of vertical play even though boots were not torn and still had grease inside), front swaybar endlinks (really limp and not stiff on the joint) and front sway bar bushings that were completely shot. I could move the sway bar side to side when the car was on the ground, that's how bad mine were. I would go the O'Reilly route for the Endlinks as well as bushings. They're only 15.99 and come with a lifetime warranty. Balljoints I went OEM Lexus and they cost me about 150 at the dealer for both.
10-07-16, 12:46 PM
New steering and suspension parts and still rattles
