Xantia rear suspension rattle...

Mandrake · Post by **Mandrake** » 13 Sep 2007, 21:01

Hi All,

Recently I did the rear suspension arm bearings, and now I have an extremely annoying rattle over bumps coming from the rear.

It only occurs when the rear right wheel (not the left) goes over any kind of broken surface and it sounds like a tin lid rattling inside an empty tin. It's a very loud noise I can hear even with the windows up.

Doing the arm bearings involves removing so much of the suspension that the problem could be almost anywhere - I also removed and refitted the rear brake pads to check their condition, so it could even be brakes.

The thing that is driving me crazy is I can't find the noise when the car is up on the hoist - I can't find anything loose or touching anywhere on the arm, or anywhere else for that matter, I can go over all the large suspension components whacking them with a large rubber mallet without being able to trigger the noise, yet as soon as I drive the car over the curb onto the road the rattle is back.

There is something loose inside the muffler that sounds a bit like a stone, but it's not the same kind of noise, and why does going over a bump on the left wheel not trigger it when the muffler is on the left ? (And why suddenly start doing it after working on the suspension...)

Can anyone tell me which way up the U shaped anti-rattle spring on the rear brakes should go ? I've tried it both ways around with no difference to the noise, but it's not obvious to me which way it should go, and I would like to put it the right way up.

Any suggestions before I go crazy from the irritation of the noise ?

Regards,
Simon

AndersDK · Post by **AndersDK** » 13 Sep 2007, 21:58

The mud guard (back plate) ?

Had this becoming loose fit on a BX - with a very annoying noise as result.

Mandrake · Post by **Mandrake** » 13 Sep 2007, 22:03

AndersDK wrote:The mud guard (back plate) ?

Had this becoming loose fit on a BX - with a very annoying noise as result.

Mud guard ? Do you mean the large round stone shield bolted to the arm ? Yes it's secure.

Regards,
Simon

rory_perrett · Post by **rory_perrett** » 13 Sep 2007, 22:04

Simon

Anders beat me to it, the only thing in that area that I would have thought would sound like that would be the brake backplate/ mud shield.

Rory

AndersDK · Post by **AndersDK** » 13 Sep 2007, 22:11

I dont care if you say its secure

Set car in highest and kneel down there at rear giving it a dap ...
On my BX the retaining bolt was still secure - on a rusty flake parted from the rest 8)

Mandrake · Post by **Mandrake** » 13 Sep 2007, 22:43

AndersDK wrote:I dont care if you say its secure

Set car in highest and kneel down there at rear giving it a dap ...
On my BX the retaining bolt was still secure - on a rusty flake parted from the rest 8)

Hi Anders

I forgot to also mention that I took the guard right off and went for a test drive - same noise, so it can't be that if it's not fitted...

I just had an awful thought - the rear arms are hollow, and if a metal object fell into the hollow space in the arm while I had the plastic spacer out during the bearing change it would be trapped inside and free to rattle.

I really hope its not that though, as I was very careful while removing and fitting the bearings, but its just a thought...

Regards,
Simon

AndersDK · Post by **AndersDK** » 17 Sep 2007, 01:47

Any debrie trapped inside the arm is well and securely fixed with a dap of packaging (insulation) foam ... 8)

Mandrake · Post by **Mandrake** » 17 Sep 2007, 02:54

AndersDK wrote:Any debrie trapped inside the arm is well and securely fixed with a dap of packaging (insulation) foam ... 8)

I don't understand ?

The hollow inside of the arm can only be reached by removing the bearings and plastic spacer tube....

I don't think it's the problem though, but due to rain I wasn't able to have another look at the problem last weekend...

Regards,
Simon

MikeT · Post by **MikeT** » 17 Sep 2007, 08:53

Just a firendly word... As a driver it can be dangerous being distracted by such things, especially if you tend to look or turn your head using your hearing as a direction-finder.

Any chance you can get a friend to assist? I recently saw a land rover in a local car park, repeatedly going round in a tight circle while a rear passenger was hanging out the rear door looking under/toward the chassis/rear wheel, presumably trying to identify/locate where a noise was coming from.

AndersDK · Post by **AndersDK** » 17 Sep 2007, 10:50

Mandrake wrote:
AndersDK wrote:Any debrie trapped inside the arm is well and securely fixed with a dap of packaging (insulation) foam ... 8)
I don't understand ?

The hollow inside of the arm can only be reached by removing the bearings and plastic spacer tube....

I don't think it's the problem though, but due to rain I wasn't able to have another look at the problem last weekend...

Regards,
Simon

Canned foam - the nasty sticky spray type that expands enormeously (30x) and hardens on the water contents in air. The type used for roof material stuffing and floor insulation. Also widely used as instant goods packaging protection, filling out empty space in cardboard and wooden boxes.
Best buy and great helping hand for any home and house DIY'er

Now back on subject :
Check that both brakes and suspension hydraulic lines are well secured and correctly routed. They can cause quite some rattling.