Rear suspension Rattle

[Nandad]

Hi
Just read all the topics about rear end rattle/noise/sway and looked at all the illustrations but I am unable to tell what link is what. All part numbers no names.
Anyway car - 98 executive estate - is starting to rattle very badly over potholes and her indoors noticed that the horizontal clearance between wheel and arch is different. Three fingers (her hand) on one side and whole hand + (my hand) on other.

She took the car to work last night and she has to turn the music up to drown out the noise.
Any ideas, Information, explanation?

[steve_earwig]

If the car's dropped on one side wouldn't that point to a broken spring?

[Nandad]

Hi Steve
The measurement is width between wheel and arch. My son checked for broken spring - Nope. The springs were replaced just before I got the car about 12 months ago. At least that when the invoice says

[steve_earwig]

Oh, I see. So it's not that the wheel arches are lower, the car is sitting over to one side. That sounds, erm, worse

[PeterN]

I would think its one of the tie rods, I have had to replace all four on mine, two are virtually drop links but the other two control the toe in as well, the ball joints wear out in not to long a time as the rubber boots fail and let the water in.

Peter

[8Jb9]

I had both broken top- (toe) and drop (ARB) links on mine. The ARB-linkages makes clunks, the toe-links have a tendency to rattle. On mine it was especially obvious if the road had a higher sideways grade than usual, where it would just start to rattle.

To check for the top link grab the wheel at 10 and 2 - with the car on the ground - and pull sharply towards you. If you can feel a slight click or play you've found the bad one. You might need a bit of force. The toe link often fails at the inner bush, not at the ball joint.

The drop link you can check by grabbing the anti-rollbar and try to grab the bar where it connects to the link and try to move it up or down, also with wheels on the ground. You may not feel play per se, but if it clicks it's not right. Not much force is needed.


#6 is the tie rod. The drop link is shown in the next image as #5:

[Nandad]

Thanks all. I will investigate and hopefully sort it. Just as well I got two drop links from the last car still in the garage. I found a utube video on replacing toe links. Doesn't look too differcult. Think I will get my son on standby to help his old man out.
Cheers

[PeterN]

Just bear in mind that if you replace the other links/tiebars you can upset the rear tracking. There is an eccentric washer under the bolt or nut, carefully mark the position of it against its mounting and replace it in the same position, otherwise you will have to re track the wheels.

Peter

[hasler88]

Watch out for the top link lengths aswell I marked the bolts up but the new toon links were slightly shorter than the ones that came off but nothing a bit of string, rule and 4 axel stands cant sort out (maybe some patience aswell)

[Nandad]

Hi all.

Thanks for all the help. We replaced the drop link and toplink (to try to stop the rattle – sounds like a loose bolt). I noticed the rear tyres were bald on the outside. They have only been on for six months or so. Looking at the back of the car, the wheels look like \--/ , though not as bad as that! I also noticed that my son can turn by hand the curved bar (Number 1 on the schematics) on the near side. And that blasted rattle is still there but not so loud now and just on the near side. He can't feel any movement.

Has anyone any ideas which bushes if any need replacing? Or if it need to drop the entire rear suspension?