If your car has a rattle in one of its wheels, it can drive you to distraction. Though it generally is not much more than an embarrassment, it can also become a safety hazard. There are many things that can cause wheels to rattle, but it's usually not a big repair.
Determine which wheel is rattling. This can be difficult. Eventually, the noise will usually grow in volume and you will know. Hopefully you won't have to go that far. If you can't tell which one it is, determine if it's from the front or back. Then examine both wheels.
Remove the hubcap of the rattling wheel and examine it. Sometimes the wires inside hubcaps become loose and rub against the wheel. If that's the case, try to repair the hubcap or replace it. You can buy after market hubcaps fairly cheaply.
Determine if the wheel is hitting anything like a loose piece of molding or if the steel tread is coming out of the tire due to wear.
Check the brake shoes or calipers. A loose shoe or caliper can cause a wheel to rattle. If you can't tighten them up, replace both sides.
Jack up the car and put it on supports. Turn the wheel and listen to the results. If you hear a scraping when you turn the wheel, you could have a bad wheel bearing. If you don't know how to replace wheel bearings, bring your car to an automotive technician.
Understand that if you can't find the problem after these checks on all the wheels, it's time to take the vehicle to a professional auto technician.
