Rattling driving me crazy - suspension related?

[Jand3rson]

Now as much as I hate trying to describe sounds and vague issues with cars, I'm going to give it a shot here because this rattle is making me nuts.

I've got a rattle coming from my car, clearly eminating from the underside/chassis of the car. It happens when my car hits bumps in the roads, mainly cracks or dips, that jar the car slightly. It sounds very "springy", like two surfaces bouncing against each other, but not like a "boing". If you can imagine holding two small pieces of metal, and flicking one against the other, that's what it sounds like. I can't really tell if it's coming from the front or the rear, it's really hard to tell. It mainly happens when I'm going slowly, like through parking lots (never heard it while travelling down the highway at speed), such as going over cracks, or into/out of driveways.

I've described this as best as I can, so if anyone can possibly offer any suggestions as to what it could be, please help me out. I've tried replicating the sound while the car is parked by shaking the car, kicking the tires, trying to jar the car as it would when it hits a crack or something in the road, but I can't make it do it. Please help!

[87Blue325iC]

Now as much as I hate trying to describe sounds and vague issues with cars, I'm going to give it a shot here because this rattle is making me nuts.

I've got a rattle coming from my car, clearly eminating from the underside/chassis of the car. It happens when my car hits bumps in the roads, mainly cracks or dips, that jar the car slightly. It sounds very "springy", like two surfaces bouncing against each other, but not like a "boing". If you can imagine holding two small pieces of metal, and flicking one against the other, that's what it sounds like. I can't really tell if it's coming from the front or the rear, it's really hard to tell. It mainly happens when I'm going slowly, like through parking lots (never heard it while travelling down the highway at speed), such as going over cracks, or into/out of driveways.

I've described this as best as I can, so if anyone can possibly offer any suggestions as to what it could be, please help me out. I've tried replicating the sound while the car is parked by shaking the car, kicking the tires, trying to jar the car as it would when it hits a crack or something in the road, but I can't make it do it. Please help!

Pull of your rims and look at all you brake pads, are they seated correctly. I just fixed a rattle that sounded a lot like what you described when I found one of my front brake pads wasn't seated correctly. Oddly, braking never seemed to be affected, just rattled when I hit certain bumps.

[Jand3rson]

I know my brakes in the rear are getting really worn, I'm long overdue for a brake job. I'll check them this week when I have the wheels off to replace my front hubs/bearings.

[zerofreez]

Check the retainer clips on your brake pads, if they are not holding your brake pad firmly against the caliper then they will rattle. Just fixed mine after months of thinking it was strut mounts. To verify the problem take a dead blow hammer and smack your brake calipers and see if they make the noise, I did this on an alignment rack and we could plainly tell it was coming from the pads.

[Jand3rson]

I've about 99.9% determined that it's coming from the rear. I've been listening to it really closely, and when I go over a bump, it doesn't always do it when the front rolls over it, but it happens every time once the rear hits.

[arsevader]

I've about 99.9% determined that it's coming from the rear. I've been listening to it really closely, and when I go over a bump, it doesn't always do it when the front rolls over it, but it happens every time once the rear hits.

I vote brake pads. When the rears get worn they tend to rattle in the caliper. Happened to me twice, hell, it's happening right now and I know it's my pads.

[Jand3rson]

I vote brake pads. When the rears get worn they tend to rattle in the caliper. Happened to me twice, hell, it's happening right now and I know it's my pads.

Alright. I know they're getting down there, so I bet you guys are right.

Anyway to check and see if it's them rattling for sure? I went out and tried to wiggle them around by hand, but they feel like they're in there tight.

[BahnE30]

there's a heat shield above the muffler, my rattles in the same situation as your describing, could also very possibly be rear brakes too thou.

[RobertK]

DO NOT let your ears decieve you. I had the very same problems for weeks and could not figure out WTF it was.

Finally, when I had to repair my selector rod I found that the circlip that holds the dust shield tight against the CSB was loose and making the rattling noise when the driveshaft was moving at low RPMs.

I eventually had to pull the driveshaft off a second time and replace it because the old one wasn't staying clipped on very tightly and popping back off making the same noise.

[Dave]

Some good idas here - also check sway bar endlinks.

[RCWells]

I KNOW i have a rattle coming from my pads ( I know I lost the retainer clip last time I was in there and just blew it off instead of finding it), but one way to eliminate that as a possible, is to hold a slight amount of tension on the brakes as you go over a bump. If no noise, then most likely the brakes, if you have some tension on them and it still makes noise, it's something else.

Check what Dave said--my SBELs made awful noises up until I replaced them and tightened them up. No more noises from there.

Also for sure the damn exhaust shield will rattle if it's been bent or is outta place a bit, and if your noises are primarily rearward, then it's a likely culprit as well.

[zerofreez]

Anyway to check and see if it's them rattling for sure? I went out and tried to wiggle them around by hand, but they feel like they're in there tight.

To verify the problem take a dead blow hammer and smack your brake calipers and see if they make the noise

Like I said, if they are loose you will hear them rattle when you smack the caliper. You wont hurt anything, just use a plastic "dead blow" hammer.

[Jand3rson]

Well, i figured out what it was. I went outside, jacked up the car, and just started smacking everything that wasn't part of the frame with a dead blow hammer. Turned out the be the last thing under there that I ever would have thought.

In fact, it's not a rattling at all, it just sounds like one from inside the car. It's a squeaking. It's those fucking stupid ass little rubber donuts that hold the exhaust mounts to the underside of the car. I hit the little brackets that hold the muffler with the hammer, and I heard a sound very much like the one I've been hearing. So I smacked the muffler with the side of my fist, and sure enough, there was the sound. I got in the car and had my wife hit it, and that's it for sure.

I was planning on taking my car down and having my stupid DTM tips cut off and replaced with some straight ones, but I think while I'm there, I'm going to have them weld some real exhuast hangers onto the muffler and to the underside of the car.

[Branan]

rear shock mounts? Suspension components?

Someone else menitoned swaybar links...
I think I have a rattle kinda clunky type sound coming from front strut.