QuestionRattle by wheel (follow up)
97 Galant ES Automatic: Thanks for your prompt and informative response. Just wanted to add another observation that may help in narrowing down the list of things that could be wrong. I hear and feel a rattle by the fornt passenger side wheel (and sometimes feel the vibration through the gas pedal). This occurs when I go over a bump in the road. I noticed that I feel/hear the rattle while accelerating or having my foot off the gas pedal, but the rattle doesn't occur while I'm braking over the bump. Hopefully, this extra tidbit may shed some more light.
Thanks.
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Followup To
Question -
97 Galant ES Automatic: I feel a rattle/vibration when my front passenger side wheel goes over a bump. I hear the rattle and feel the vibration on the passenger side and sometimes through the gas pedal. On smooth roads, the car drives fine. But I cringe whenever my right front wheel hits a bump. I have hit some potholes before the rattle developed. I heard it could be a busted shock absorber. I would appreciate your thoughts before I blindly ask a mechanic to look into it. If there are multiple things to look into, can you list by repair difficulty or by cost? Thank you.
Answer -
Sharon,
There are many front suspension components that will need to be checked by your mechanic to determine what that rattle/vibration might be. Here's a list of possible items your mechanic should look at:
- Coil spring
- Strut
- CV joint
- Lower ball joint
- Tie-rod
But the mechanic will probably also check your wheel hub, wheel bearing, brake assembly, and even your transmission. Vibrations and rattles can be hard to find so don't be surprised if your mechanic takes a while to find it. Hopefully his first diagnosis will be the correct one.
Unless I know exactly what is wrong, it's hard to give a cost. But ask your mechanic what his hour rate is, and ask how long it will take for the job. Also ask him for the cost of parts prior to them even starting to fix the problem. This way you'll have a better ballpark figure of what it'll cost you.
Good luck!
AnswerSharon,
If the rattle tends to go away while braking, that probably indicates a loose brake component. This could be a loose caliper bolt, loose mounting nut or bolt, missing pad shim, or even possible a loose lug nut that is causing your brake rotor to rattle. If the vibration is severe enough, you will feel it in your gas pedal because that pedal is connected via a taut wire cable to your engine. Vibrations can travel through solid metal parts very easily.
So have your mechanic focus on the braking components if you haven't had it looked at yet. But it's still a good idea to have them inspect the other suspension components I mentioned in the previous response just to be safe.
Good luck!
