kushane

I have a 96 GXE with 75k miles on it and lately I've been noticing the ride qualty has deteriorated quite a bit. All 4 corners pass the "bounce test" and there is no visible oil leaks from the struts either.
However, when I drive over little blemishes on the road, there is a lot of noise from the suspension and my beater car (92 Legacy with 152k) is quieter than that. Is it possible that this could be pointed to the struts being tired even though there is no obvious problems. If so, how much of an improvement will Tokico Blues give? (I want a stock ride as much as possible).

I also have a metallic noise from the right front when going over small bumps and also during hard cornering. I am guessing it might be the Anti-roll bar end-link bushings. Anyone else experience this?

btw / I have stock size rims and tires..

joew

here man. try this.

http://drewm.dyndns.org/~drew/maxfaq...MaximaHandling

sleepermaxima

iTrader: (2)

I'm an **** A$$ when is comes to snuffing out rattles on my cars. In my experience with front-end rattles, I have found the following items to be the primary culprits in order of probability (IMO):
Ball joints (connects the knuckle to the lower control arm)
Outer tie rod ends (connects the steering assbly to the knuckle)
Knuckle bearings (the bearing that the axle rides in)
Loose lugs (yeah, I know, sounds stupid, but it happens)

Actually, unless your SB bushings turned to dust and you can physically move the bar with your hand, I would not suspect that to be the cause. Unfortunate as those are cheap and easy to replace.

But in the end, your best weapon is either trial and error or a mechanic that will agree to warranty work to fix a rattle.

Hope this helps. Good Luck!

kushane

I guess another component I wanted to eliminate from the suspect list was the struts. Would it be right to assume if they pass the bounce test and body roll/brake dive is not bad - the struts should be fine?
In other words - can struts be a cause of suspension rattles/noises?

sleepermaxima

iTrader: (2)

Yes. But if they are not leaking and you don't feel that they are bouncy I would not expect it to be the main cause. But try to keep in mind that more than one component could be contributing to this harshness. This is the curse of the observent car owner.

If you are not afraid to get a little dirty and have a jack and two jack stands, lift the car off the ground and try to jiggle the wheels. Take notice which direction the wheel has the most play. That should help you narrow down where the rattle is coming from.

kushane

Thanks sleepermaxima. I plan on putting it up on the jack and checking for wheel play when time permits (60 hrs/week of work + travel doesn't leave much time for anything else).

You are absolutely right abount the "curse of the observant car owner". My previous car had a really bad wheel bearing hum for a long time that used to drive me nuts and my fiancee didn't notice it even when I told her "listen carefully - do you hear that noise"..