Thread: Rattling front end

Anybody experience a noise from the front wheel area that sounds almost like a small loose hubcap would sound (if we had them) Lifted the car on jack-stands, grabbed, pulled and tapped on whatever I could nothing seems loose or broken Only hear the noise while driving and hitting a bump but not a hole. I can hear it at any speed and it doesn't matter if I'm going straight or making a turn. Car has 100k miles on it and I don't think any suspension work has been done, but everything looks good. Noise is a rattle rather than a snapping or cracking noise.

Any ideas?

a bad sway bar bushing, strut mount, or bushings can all do that

Any easy way to check strut mount or bushings without tearing everything out? Sway bar bushings are fine.


Scott

how do you know the end links are fine, they may look good, but the bolt may be turning (they corrode pretty quick) no great way to check strut mounts other than bounce test and look and listen (that's why I replace them every time I do struts)

I know on my car the plastic engine splash shields are loose and ratting. The design sucks (as usual with things on this car). They use plastic capture screws at the top but are left free to flop around on the bottom. I'm gonna pick up some self tapping screws and screw them into the subframe to keep them from rattling.

Saw that too. In fact, the whole front bumper/grill assembly could move up and down an inch if you put any pressure on it. Replaced a bunch of the capture screws with bolts but the noise is still there. And yup, the splash shields and inner fender liners do move around quite a bit. Guess I'll just go piece by piece and refasten everything and see what happens.

Found the problem. Broken sway bar!