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Jim Grant's Tech Tips
95 Volvo
960, Rattle Frustration
Q: I have a '95 Volvo 960. There's a rattle in the left front, near
the tire. The rattle is audible at low speeds, especially over fine gravel.
As I drive over the slight bump at the foot of my driveway the left front
groans. Recently, a mechanic, after inspecting the bushing and retorquing
for the rattle, determined that the tire on the left front was cupping.
The tires have since been rotated and balanced. The rattle still persists.
One mechanic told me that the rattle may result from a loose part in the
strut. The car has only 53K miles on it. The struts are not bad but will
loose parts do tire damage and cause the rattle? Any suggestions?
A: Yes,
loose front-end parts will cause both tire damage and rattles. It is possible
that the front strut may have a problem, but realize that there are several
other components in the front-end that can create the noise you're describing.
A front-end groan is often caused by a dry pivot point, like a ball joint
or bushing. Common causes for rattles are worn sway bar links, ball joints
or strut mounts. In either case, groans or rattles are the sound of suspension
problems that will only get worse. You should have the cause identified
and repaired.
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