Loud rear suspension noise over bumps

INTOSILENCE1

MEMBER
1998 BUICK RIVIERA
3.8L
6 CYL
2WD
AUTOMATIC
140,000 MILES

My car makes loud noises in the rear passenger side suspension when I go over bumps in the road. However the rear driver side does not. I have tried swapping the rear shocks from driver side to pass side and it makes no difference. The driver side is relatively quiet over bumps, and the passenger side produces a loud thump. Upon visual inspection, the control arm and coil springs look fine on both sides. Any ideas are appreciated.

7 Replies

DANNY L

MECHANIC
5,648 POSTS

Hello, I'm Danny.

Have you inspected the wheel hub assembly on that side? First thing I would do is jack the wheel off the ground still tightened and attached. Grab the wheel by both hands on each side and wiggle to see if there is any play. Do this from side to side and top to bottom. I've attached a picture below of what the wheel hub assembly looks like and location and circled in red. Let me know what you find out. Hope this helps and thanks for using 2CarPros.

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Saturday, July 4th, 2020 AT 9:59 PM

INTOSILENCE1

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79 POSTS

Well, there is no play whatsoever from side to side, but up and down there is a tiny, almost imperceptible movement, but there is no grinding sound when I spin the wheel, which is another symptom of bad bearings. I also checked the rear driver side bearing, and it was very similar, no side to side play at all, but just a tiny bit of up and down, although it seemed to be even less than the rear passenger side. Also no grinding sound when spinning the wheel.

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Sunday, July 5th, 2020 AT 7:50 AM

KEN L

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Can you please shoot a quick video with your phone so we can hear the noise? That would be great. You can upload it here with your response.

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Monday, July 6th, 2020 AT 10:21 AM

INTOSILENCE1

MEMBER
79 POSTS

Here I'm driving over some bumps on the road, making sure to go over them with the passenger side wheels only. When I go over the same bumps with the driver side wheels only, I do not hear the same sound. It's a lot quieter.

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Tuesday, July 7th, 2020 AT 7:48 PM

KEN L

MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
42,877 POSTS

Thanks for the video. It sounds like rear shock or sway bar link is worn causing the noise. Here is how you can replace the rear strut. Inspect the sway bar first to see any obvious problems if okay replace the strut. Check out the diagrams (below). Please let us know what you find.

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Thursday, July 9th, 2020 AT 10:44 AM

INTOSILENCE1

MEMBER
79 POSTS

Well, today I swapped out the factory air shocks for some spring shocks, Monroe brand. And it improved by a lot. The rear now sits considerably higher, and the thump over bumps sounds more deadened. I can still hear it slightly when I hit a bigger bump at a higher speed, but it did improve. The sway bar and links are all visibly good. No breaks or corrosion or missing pieces. Thanks.

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Thursday, July 9th, 2020 AT 9:21 PM

DANNY L

MECHANIC
5,648 POSTS

Hello again.

You might want to consider jacking the rear up to do a little more inspection.Since you've replaced the struts you might want to consider using a rubber mallet and tap on the suspension components and bushings to see if you can replicate the noise and check for other rattles or noises.Also, most shops perform a free inspection and having it up on a vehicle hoist lets you really able to look around under there.

This guide can help

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/jack-up-and-lift-your-car-safely

Just a thought.Hope this all helps and thanks again for using 2CarPros.

Danny-

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Sunday, July 12th, 2020 AT 12:32 AM