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Front end bad rattling?

3K views 12 replies 8 participants last post by  Boostinfamily 
#1 ·
I doubt this will be answered, but worth a shot.

I have searched and search. I have a huge rattle noise when I hit small bumps and cracks in the road some times. Its sounds like 10" long 3/8" extension is in the engine bay. Also sounds like the whole k-frame is going to fall out.

It doesn't happen at the time. I can drive all day and then hear it for 1/2 mile and then it stops. Car doesnt vibrate or shake at all.

I just replace all the bushings in the front- new ball joints- new wheel bearings. still the noise happens.

Could it be the intermediate shaft? pass side axle? struts mounts? tie rods? in or outer?

With the car jack up I cant recreate the noise at all. All bolts are tight I have triple checked everything.

Someone has any ideas please get back. I am running out of stuff to replace.
 
#2 ·
Upper strut mounts can wear and cause all kind of racket. Check the rubber and make sure it isn't torn and compare both sides to each other to look for irregularities. It may be a good idea to check your bearings within your upper strut mount too.

Also may be a good idea to check your sway bar bushings/brackets both around the bar at the ends. (were these replaced recently?)

Maybe check your intermediate shaft bracket and make sure it isn't loose.

Check your spring perches on your struts and make sure they haven't rusted through. Also look at the spring perch on the upper strut mount.

What I would do is have the car rested on the ground and have a buddy shake the shizz out of the car to recreate the noise. I had to do this once and had the luxury of utilizing a drive on lift. Buddy did the chassis shaking and I did the under car investigating. l
 
#4 ·
Be sure your sway bar end links are snugged up.. I did my control arm bushings at same time as the end links and a couple weeks after was hearing noise over bumps and even accel / decel. Turned out the end links were a bit loose after the polyurethane parts seated themselves a bit
 
#6 ·
silly question: are you the original owner? if not is it possible PO dropped a tool somewhere and never fished it out or it's in a place he can't ? I have lost sockets into a frame area on other cars I"ve owned before. Never to be seen again.

Just a thought....
 
#9 ·
Check your driver side axle shaft. I had this exact problem and it turned out that the snap ring on the transmission side of the axle was damaged, causing it to occasionally back out and vibrate. It was gradual at first, almost random.

You mentioned changing the LCA bushings. Did you press in poly fittings or use solid bushings?
 
#13 ·
if you just did poly bushings did you torque the vertical bolts to the proper torque spec? ( 175ft lbs BTW) same with front horizontal bolts, ( 125) if not the poly bushings may not be pressed and seating properly., otherwise a horizontal bolt hole may have wollared out some causing a slight racket.
 
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