Front end rattle - Is it the Swaybar Bushings?

[OZCAL]

Well Hi back Loquito.

I am thinking Perry might be right. The sound is a rattle like something loose rattling around in something else and not like metal hitting metal. I am confused as to why it happens a lot when going up a steep incline while wheeling and almost not at all any other times, even going down a steep incline while wheeling

Ken, any chance it's the chain that hangs from the spare tire, if yours is still underneath? Mine used to rattle, and I tied it up with a cork and duct tape. Happened going up steep inclines.

David

 

[Aussie cruiser]

Romer did you rule out loose sway bar bushes. I just got rid a rattle under mine last weekend it souded real tinnie like something hitting a shockie. I got under and started shaking everything. Turned out that the upper rubber on the swaybar to chassis mount had broken and fallen out.

Good luck finding the noise

 

[Romer]

Ken, any chance it's the chain that hangs from the spare tire, if yours is still underneath? Mine used to rattle, and I tied it up with a cork and duct tape. Happened going up steep inclines.

David

No thats gone with the spare tiire tire on the Slee Bumper.

I'll check the Cat sheilds and recheck the bushings.

 

[jmaddocks]

I have the EXACT same noise in my '97 LX450. Sometimes I hear it when abruptly accelerating from a stop, but mostly offroad on steep inclines during initial acceleration. Drives me nuts... I was thinking about having my wife drive the truck while I hung my head out the passenger door to troubleshoot. I saw this thread yesterday morning and removed the cat vertical heatshield. There are witness marks on one of the cats and the heatshield, so this looks very promising. I'm doing a run this weekend w/ the J**p club and will report success/failure...

-Jason

 

[CharlieS]

Sounds like a good job for a set of chassis ears. Christo said that they have them now, if you are anywhere nearby maybe you can get them to take a run using them. It sure would take away a lot of the guesswork...

If you're wondering what they are look here:
http://www.etoolcart.com/browseproducts/Chassis-Ears-STE6600.html

Charlie

 

[AndyR]

Re: Bushings...

Hey Guys -

I've got a similar noise problem, a "chirping" sound that seems to eminate from the driver side, towards the front...sorta...I think???

Anyway, control arms/sway bar bushings crossed my mind...what would be some good stuff to squirt into the bushings to try to quiet them?

I've got PBB, Toyota Silicone, WD40, white lithium spray, and Deep Woods OFF!!!

Andy

 

[Romer]

Sounds like a good job for a set of chassis ears. Christo said that they have them now, if you are anywhere nearby maybe you can get them to take a run using them. It sure would take away a lot of the guesswork...

If you're wondering what they are look here:
http://www.etoolcart.com/browseproducts/Chassis-Ears-STE6600.html

Charlie

They used the ears to diagnose my tranny. I would prefer to figure it out on my own if I can.

 

[Romer]

Ok Tim,
I removed the sheild that is between the cats and the engine. Only other sheild I saw. When I tapped on the upper end, I heard a noise, but it didn't sound like what I heard.

 

[tarbe]

You pulled the header shields...did it make a difference? Most folks have just banded them with hose clamps.

Hopefully this pic will post. It is the vertically mounted cat shield; 27 inches long, 5.25 inches tall. Sits between the cats and the body.

Don't you have one of these?

 

[tarbe]

Oh, and ignore those cutouts. I thought about cutting away the parts that interfered with the Hannah sliders but then decided to just ditch it. No one is going to burn their shin on my cats with that Hannah cat cage!

 

[Romer]

I pushed on them and no noise. Also, I think if that was them it wouldn't have sounded so far forward.

I think I'll hold off a bit, don't want to do too much at once and then I won't know what it was. Only happens frequent off road when going up hill.

 

[semlin]

while folks are thinking about this, I have a similar problem. it is a single light clunk or tap that seems to come from down under the driver footwell. I only get it during initial acceleration when offroad and it gradually builds up over a day on gravel roads to every time you accelerate then it persists for a short time back on the highway and then goes away. always just one or two taps. drives me batty

 

[T Y L E R]

Ken, what if you let the truck get hot, and then drive the front up on ramps to simulate the uphill component, and then bang around a little see what happens.



Good luck,



TY

 

[Romer]

At the meeting tonight, Robbie told me it might be the swaybar bushings. Not the ones your normally think of, but the ones where it attaches to the axle. I'll give that a try.

 

[Bongani]

Are these bushings greasable?

 

[jmaddocks]

I have the EXACT same noise in my '97 LX450. Sometimes I hear it when abruptly accelerating from a stop, but mostly offroad on steep inclines during initial acceleration.

Update: as I mentioned in my earlier post, I removed the vertical heat shield and noticed witness marks both on the shield and on one of the cats. I got a chance to drive the truck today on some hills, and the rattle is gone. Just to clarify, mine was a metallic rattle from the passenger side at about 5 hz (estimated) that would last about one second upon initial acceleration on a hill or hard acceleration on flat ground. It sounded like rocks in the catalytic converters.

You might try removing the vertical heat shield, Ken -- it's worth a shot, and it wouldn't hurt anything.

-Jason

 

[Tooth Fairy]

Have you tried crankin' the stereo?

Mine rattles lots more w/o the stereo.

 

[Romer]

Have you tried crankin' the stereo?

Mine rattles lots more w/o the stereo.

Wow, and you want to be a fire fighter in my district protecting my home

 

[Tooth Fairy]

Well I don't have a clue what's wrong with your's and you just helped me out recently, so, I felt obligated to say "something". Even if that "something" wasn't even helpful.

Oh yeah and it's not a want thing. I will be, so, be careful.

Wow, and you want to be a fire fighter in my district protecting my home

BTW, did you figger it out?

 

[Romer]

OK, did the swaybar bushings yesterday and the problem seemed to go away, no more rattle.

Note: Retorque the bolts after you get the tires on so the suspension can stabilize.