Rattle / Rumble

RWD - Means it could be anything!

Knackered diff bearings, worn CV/ UJs on the driveshafts, wheel bearings. It's got to be something that rotates from what you've described, and those are the only rotating bits other than the discs.

Get the back end in the air, support properly, and have a good old wiggle off everything.

Could just be the end of life of the brake pads.

If 27k is genuine, I doubt it's wear-related. I agree that wiggling with your back end in the air should reveal something. Do the same at the front if you find nothing as the source of noises isn't always easy to pinpoint. Check also that the wheel nuts and the exhaust are not coming lose (especially if someone has tinkered recently).

I would've said that, in fact I did, but checked the post and it said there was plenty of meat left on them, so cut out that bit after typing it :)

Depends though - I know of a car that had leaking pinion seals at about

25k - They're still leaking, and have never been topped up. Wouldn't surprise me at all to see excess wear in both axles (it's a 4wd).

Don't wheels normally make more of a thudding or thumping noise when loose? Mine always have, but it's not happened that often, thankfully! Exhaust coming loose - Rumbling as it rubs on the driveshafts?

Also, if it's mid engined rwd, then it sounds the sort of thing that could have seen 27k miles of *hard* use, which might wear things a bit quicker than usual :)

Well, it's got me stumped (but then again, my mechanical knowledge is limited to say the least).

I found that there was no noise when I braked for some speed bumps just after setting off. But there was later during my drive - as if warming up the car/wheels had something to do with it.

Also, the noise is not present if I allow the car to slow without braking (maybe nothing to do with the brakes themselves, but perhaps due to the more rapid deceleration?).

Also, I found that opening the windows didn't really make the sound any louder.

I didn't have chance to jack the whole back end up, but I did jack up one side of the rear to check the pads again, around 6 or 7mm of pad left. I've really no idea how to check whether or not the discs are worn but they're no scored or anything - and I did some harsh braking again an it was very stable. I did give a bit of a tug to one of the bits of metal that holds the wheel to stop it falling off (see, my mechanical knowledge is crap!) - slight noise - didn't want to tug too hard as it was close to the jack.

Time I think to let the wife drive it and have me running along side it listening :)

It's due an MOT in a few weeks and a service in a couple of months so I may just combine the two and get them to check it out. But if anyone else would like to guess please do...

Have you checked the inner pad as well as the outer one? (no offence but I've been caught out like that) & it's worth looking at the front pads, noise heard inside the car often starts off elsewhere.

Cheers, yep - took the brakes to bits, inner pad is fine. I really need to check the other side too (I've assumed both would be worn the same but you never know, could'nt be @rsed checking the other side as it took me ages with the first one having to wind the piston back in!!).

I'm starting to think it it something to do with the brakes or the control arms (think they're called that - the bits that hold the wheel, or is it anti-roll bar?), but brake problems don't usually rattle/knock.

----- Original Message ----- From: "Johnny" Newsgroups: uk.rec.cars.maintenance Sent: Sunday, May 02, 2004 11:10 PM Subject: Rattle / Rumble

I experienced a similar problem with my car, MKIII Supra. The problem turned out to be the brake pads. Although they had plenty of life left in them there was an inconsistency in the material which I reckon was causing the noise. I tried roughening the surfaces with very coarse sandpaper. This cured the problem for a couple of days, after which the noise returned.

When I changed the pads the noise vanished and I have not heard it since (12 months).

Chris