I have been rebuilding a 1994 Toyota Camry LE

ANONYMOUS

MEMBER
1994 TOYOTA CAMRY
125,000 MILES

I have been rebuilding a 1994 Toyota Camry LE. I finally got around to the bump when the car goes over as pothole and rebuilt the front suspension (ball joints, control arms and sawy bar bushings and links and tie rods. Surprise, I had a different noise thinking it was the rear shocks. All four shocks had been replaces at 100,000 miles. I determined the rear shocks were bad. The noise sounds like a small metal to metal and sounds even when I go over a slight bumps so as I go down the road, I have this mechanical metal sound over every indentation on the highway. I am a submariner and familiar with sound mounts, Without major easter egg hunt, Could it be the Rear Suspension member upper and lower cushions or do I start taking every component apart and start looking at the rubber condition?

2 Replies

CARADIODOC

MECHANIC
33,761 POSTS

There is a tool you might be able to borrow or rent from an auto parts store that borrows them called the "Chassis Ear". It is a set of six microphones, a switch box, and headphones. You clip the microphones to suspect points, then drive around while listening with the headphones. You can move the microphones around to zero in on the source of the noise. Be aware that many mechanics have never seen or even heard of this tool. Suspension and alignment mechanics use it to find rattles, squeaks, and other noises.

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Saturday, October 27th, 2012 AT 8:01 PM

KHLOW2008

MECHANIC
41,814 POSTS

We are not able to determine where the noise is coming from if you can't locate it, you can try renting a "chassis ear" whereby microphones are installed close to suspected areas and going for a test drive to locate the source of the noise.

Where metal to metal noises are concerned, it should not be too difficult to detect. A visual inspection is mostly all you require. When bushes are worn, tell tale signs are abrasion and rust marks. Some shaking with your hands to suspected control arms etc should allow you to see something. A screwdriver would allow you to for excessive bush wears with some prying.

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