Lexus RX300 rear suspension knocking. At my wit's end!
Discussion
The car is a 2005 Lexus RX300 AWD.
I've had a knocking on my rear suspension for a good nine months. Also a vagueness or floatiness to the rear of the car, it wanders around the road a bit. I've always thought it was the control arm bushings - the noise is like the rear axle is bunnyhopping over potholes, like metal on metal.
I've had it to a (trusted) garage numerous times. The list of changed parts is: wheel bearings, top strut mounts, shock absorbers, and drop links. I think they also did the parking brake. It's cost me a fair amount on a 20 year old car that cost me shed money.
I still think it's the control arm bushings, or anti-roll bar bushings. The noise almost disappears with a heavy load in the boot (300kg of gravel was moved recently). At this point I'm thinking could I mount a Go Pro camera under there and see if there is movement on the control arms, or at least try and pick up where the noise is coming from?
I really don't know what else to try. It's at the point where I won't do 70mph in it because of the wandering and jiggling.
Any advice is appreciated! (Apart from scrap it
)
I've had a knocking on my rear suspension for a good nine months. Also a vagueness or floatiness to the rear of the car, it wanders around the road a bit. I've always thought it was the control arm bushings - the noise is like the rear axle is bunnyhopping over potholes, like metal on metal.
I've had it to a (trusted) garage numerous times. The list of changed parts is: wheel bearings, top strut mounts, shock absorbers, and drop links. I think they also did the parking brake. It's cost me a fair amount on a 20 year old car that cost me shed money.
I still think it's the control arm bushings, or anti-roll bar bushings. The noise almost disappears with a heavy load in the boot (300kg of gravel was moved recently). At this point I'm thinking could I mount a Go Pro camera under there and see if there is movement on the control arms, or at least try and pick up where the noise is coming from?
I really don't know what else to try. It's at the point where I won't do 70mph in it because of the wandering and jiggling.
Any advice is appreciated! (Apart from scrap it
)Edited by Mercury00 on Saturday 19th July 09:24
I had a 5 series BMW that exhibited the floating sensation that you've described and it turned out to be the main rear subframe/carrier bushings - which were an absolute b
d to remove.
Didn't have any knocking but the float/shift mid fast bend was incredibly unsettling. Couldn't see the play with the car on the ground but once in the air with the suspension on full droop it was obvious.
d to remove. Didn't have any knocking but the float/shift mid fast bend was incredibly unsettling. Couldn't see the play with the car on the ground but once in the air with the suspension on full droop it was obvious.
Might be interesting to follow your own car in another vehicle and watch what ity does over various surfaces, in particular going from throttle to overrun and back repeatedly.
What you see might help pin down where the issue is.
Well recall the floaty feeling you describe on Cortinas when the void bushes made of cheese wore after 15 minutes use.
Not familar with the suspension set up on an RX, does it have a panhard rod, something again which might be a culprit.
What you see might help pin down where the issue is.
Well recall the floaty feeling you describe on Cortinas when the void bushes made of cheese wore after 15 minutes use.
Not familar with the suspension set up on an RX, does it have a panhard rod, something again which might be a culprit.
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