# Knocking sound from rear left suspension....any ideas?



## warrenschroder (May 25, 2006)

Hi,

Not sure if anyone else has experienced a knocking/loose part sound that comes from the rear left (passenger) side suspension. 

My dealer has tightened something??? about 5 times now - which fixes the problem for about 2 weeks, but then it gradually starts to happen again?

Any solutions?

Thanks


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## northernale1 (Apr 6, 2006)

I would ask the dealer what he is tightening,, and then ask why it continues to loosen,,,


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## LEONGSTER (Apr 9, 2006)

Sentra_gxe posted a possible answer - loose wheel lugs! Sound goes away when the brakes are applied.

What's the knocking sound like: does it have a certain frequency? Regular, irregular? Hear it over smooth surfaces? Over bumps? What's your mileage when the knocking started.


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## driftking (Aug 7, 2005)

warrenschroder said:


> Hi,
> 
> Not sure if anyone else has experienced a knocking/loose part sound that comes from the rear left (passenger) side suspension.
> 
> ...


Well something like that happened in my X, it was the left rear passenger seat that the latch doesnt close propertly, you should change the position of the seat(It works for me). The sound is like a metal to metal sound?...


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## warrenschroder (May 25, 2006)

I have...they initially told me it was a "cup" above the suspension that compresses and becomes loose. Now they have said it is not due to any specific part, but they have rebuilt the suspension and it should not happen anymore? I will have to wait a couple of weeks to see. Thanks.


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## warrenschroder (May 25, 2006)

The sound is like knocking a hard rubber disc against steel. It generally happens at speeds over irregular surface like a ripple in a tar road. Also happens driving up a pavement on an angle. Started happening around 35000kms.


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## warrenschroder (May 25, 2006)

Definately not the seat. Thanks.


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## LEONGSTER (Apr 9, 2006)

The garage's description sounds like the strut upper retaining bearing - it's a replaceable item that (I think) consists of a bearing encased in rubber. If this is the item it should not cost much to replace. Mostly labour I guess.


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## Saood (Oct 26, 2006)

hey i'm getting this noise also from the rear left side...especially if i'm going over a steep bump or coming out my driveway


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## stuMcstu (Jun 23, 2007)

*Knocking noise from the rear end*



Saood said:


> hey i'm getting this noise also from the rear left side...especially if i'm going over a steep bump or coming out my driveway



get your dealer / mechanic to check the rear offside or rear near sidedrag link arms, as my X-trail needed a new one 4 months ago it sounds like a 'clunking' type noise. it is a ball and socket type joint and the rubber bush becomes worn after time - it took a few hours of searching to find where the noise was originating from- one garage I took it to gave up after one hour, hope this helps let me know


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## Saood (Oct 26, 2006)

kool thanks...i'll carry it to the mechanic next weekend


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## stuMcstu (Jun 23, 2007)

Hello again In my last reply I stated it was the drag link arm, I have since been corrected by my father in law, who first found the fault for me, he said it was my rear off side anti roll bar link arm bush about 10" long bar with a ball & socket type I have checked my receipts and the part number is N56261EQ000 stated on receipt as 'ROD ASSY- CONNECTOR - Sorry for my last explantion he is the mechanic in the family not me I'm afraid I work on JCB/CAT machines as a rule . best regards [stu]


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## warrenschroder (May 25, 2006)

Hi, Thanks for the thourough explaination! The dealership has been so poor in dealing with the fault that they had ground me down to the point where I just gave up! But now, I have a good explaination I will chase them up and see if they can fix the problem on the next service. Thanks again.


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## Saood (Oct 26, 2006)

So this is the part i need to look at...the rear off side anti roll bar link arm ?

or rear offside sidedrag link arms


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## stuMcstu (Jun 23, 2007)

The part that your mechanic needs to inspect is the anti roll bar link arm NISSAN part number is N56261EQ000 its either rear offside or nearside that could possibly be making the noise


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## Saood (Oct 26, 2006)

kool thanks


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## rwayres (Jan 8, 2015)

*Knocking sound in rear suspension*

I had my struts and rear shocks replaced on my 2005 Nissan Altima and know have a knocking sound in the right rear. My auto service center replaced the shock thinking it was bad and replaced the top bushings which did not resolve the issue. He removed the sway bar, still did not silence the noise. He was about to replace the knuckle on the suspension when another 2005 Nissan Altima came in with the same problem. Through research he found that there is a voluntary campaign out on the suspension member for a bushing replacement on vehicles in the Salt States, NJ being one that I am from. I am now checking in with my area dealership.


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Just to point out you posted this in the X trail section of the forum. It would be good info for owners in the Altima section. Hope your problem gets resolved.


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## molly (Oct 31, 2014)

Not sure if this is the right place, but I have had noises from the rear left underneath part, too! Since I bought the vehicle, a couple of rear noises were fixed by replacing the rear sway bar bushings and also putting a bolt into a loose panel. Last time I had it in at Toyota, they found a bunch of gravel on a ledge by the rear bumper, which they thought might cause part of it, and also removed the licence plate holder, which helped. A new noise started yesterday but may be a variation on the gravel business, as Hubby looked under there and saw a black box just in front of the rear bumper which seemed loose and also had a bunch of gravel in there...What is this box? There are wires coming out of it and it is a reasonable size, say 10 x 12 inches.
Thanks!!


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Hi Molly
Hard to diagnose your noise issues from the rear. Could be suspension component such as trailing arm bushing, rock stuck in the rear brake backing plate, bad rear wheel bearing...
As for the black box that is your evap canister and it is full of charcoal to absorb gas fumes. Its part of the emission control system. If its loose and rattling I would tighten it up. Other thing is maybe you are getting a rattling noise from the catalytic converter heat shield under the car. If its rusted and loose it can make fair bit of noise. That could be removed without it being too big a deal, otherwise they can be clamped to quell the looseness and vibrations. As per usual, good luck with it.


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Just occurred to me that maybe a metal piece from your 02 sensor has worked its way into the muffler and is making noise in there? Any follow up to that tale?


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## molly (Oct 31, 2014)

We actually found a good private mechanic yesterday and stopped in to have him check it out. He put it up on the hoist and just to rule it out, he wedged in a piece of foam above the black box which made it quite solid, as there was no apparent way to tighten it. He also wiggled and prodded everything else he could think of, including those things you mentioned but could find nothing obvious. Sadly, the problem was still there after we drove away, but now, after both of us sitting in left passenger seat while the other drove, and noticing a thump when we sat down on the seat, it appears to be something right under or behind the rear seat, so we will burrow around and try and find out what it is. It is highly annoying. We have never pulled those seats out to transport anything, so it all seems odd. Quite sure now that this would have nothing to do with the O2 sensor!

We are sure wishing we had checked out this mechanic sooner; he has a very good reputation among local ranchers, who will not put up with any BS, and he would have saved both of us quite a bit of dough had we seen him before dropping that big wad of cash at Minute Muffler. Oh well, better late than never!


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

well directly behind that seat is the top of the rear macpherson strut, that is what I would look at. Same deal for the link kit on that side. Glad you found someone other than the stealerships and muffler chains which place a close second


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## molly (Oct 31, 2014)

I had Toyota check it today as they were swapping my tires anyway, and they said it looked like the rear sway bar bushing, which I had replaced last November by a different local mechanic, after buying the part at Nissan. I am taking it back to him on Tuesday, as he suggested this link kit also as both he and Nissan said the bushing should not fail that fast, and naturally Nissan only warranties parts they install. I will get him to show me what is going on under there...


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## molly (Oct 31, 2014)

OK, I took it to the guy who replaced the bushings, and when he found out that I had not been shown anything at Toyota, he took me to the pit and showed me everything under there, pointing out the bushing in question and assuring me that that was not the problem. He checked all kinds of things under there but could find nothing that would be responsible. after another test drive, and bouncing it around a bit, after removing covers on shocks behind back seat, he said his best guess was a potential issue with the strut but because it was not showing any tell tale signs of problems such as leaking, he would suffer through it until such time as they need replacing....he did not charge me for the half hour he spent.

So, now three mechanics have looked at it, with Toyota making a wrong call in my view. Any other ideas? Would you wait it out? Do struts/shocks have to be replaced in pairs or singly? I can live with it but it drives me CRAZY!!

He also pointed out the caliper on the right rear brake was a bit loose and should be replaced with the next brake pad replacement, which is not due for some time. And he noticed the gasket on the muffler was not really tight so that should be addressed later on, too!


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Hi Molly
Glad you have found someone to go to. Was talking with a friend with an X trail, and he just replaced his rear struts w shocks but turns out he has a cracked spring coil , so that might be a possibility. As for the replacing its best to do both sides, but its not unheard of to do just the one side. 
As for your muffler if its the one where your back muffler joins the long pipe, they rust around the flanges, and some places will suggest you need to replace both sections of your exhaust. This can be avoided by having the bad connection ends cut off, and then fitting an overlapping pipe around both ends that is then welded. A $60 fix or so rather than 600 plus. Ah the joys of spring the sounds from open windows...


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## molly (Oct 31, 2014)

Well, hubby thought we should just get it fixed sooner than later, so I got the guy who I mentioned above (who thought I should wait) to give me a quote and he is suggesting something called a strut insulator, which would cost $362. total with the part costing $125.00. And he is suggesting this may not solve the problem...I guess I will call the other good private guy we found, even though he is a bit far, and get his opinion. How long would it take to take the strut out and look at it? What about the rubber cover that you can see around the coil when it is up on the hoist? It is all shredded on that side...does that matter?

I will have to wait anyway, as our Ford diesel just lost another fuel injector. Ugh! Not going back to Ford, though!


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

HI Molly, 
The rubber coil is a baffle. Its purely a protective boot to keep shock within strut clean. They do go with time, and replacing requires dismantling complete strut/coil assembly . I am not sure what he means by insulator? My guess is top mount? Seems pricey, but I am unfamiliar with what is required to change it out. Think there is a thread in the Aussie forum about them. As per usual-- Good luck!


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## chadn (Jan 28, 2010)

The struts are a pain to work on. To do anything requires taking them off the vehicle and dis-assembly. The labor is about an hour per shock to take them off, disassemble, reassemble and install. Then you need an alignment after. Add on parts and it gets pricey. I had the 4 struts replaced with new boots and the total came out to almost $1,000. $400 for struts, $400 for labor, $100 for alignment plus tax.

I don't think it would be worth it to just replace the dust boot on the shocks/struts. I would wait until they start leaking and then replace the struts, boots and anything else needed. 

As for the mounts/isolators, it might be worthwhile to call Nissan and see what the parts are worth directly from them. I couldn't find anything for the rear of the x-trail. You can get the front mounts from Rock Auto. But they don't have a listing for the rear.


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

I checked Rock Auto as well and noted nothing for rear. Front ones are available or between 50 and 70 bucks. Would the struts have to be removed to replace the mounts? I assumed her quote was to do just the one offending side.


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## chadn (Jan 28, 2010)

I think the front and rear are a little different. Since the front struts turn with the wheels, there is a bearing that is part of the strut. For the rear, the struts don't turn and thus don't have a bearing in them. I think this is the part that Rock Auto lists for the front but not the rear. 

If you look at the parts diagram for the struts, there are some components at the top that are related to isolation and damping. These are part of the strut when it is fully assembled. These might be Nissan only parts for the x-trail.

This image shows a generic strut. The x-trails are similar. The insulator is part of the strut.


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## molly (Oct 31, 2014)

Update!!
Picked up my X-Trail from our new favorite mechanic in Nanton (GCS Automotive)...he fixed our Ford diesel, and when we picked it up, I left my vehicle there as he actually seemed to have some idea what he was talking about, and had a gizmo called "chassis ears" to isolate the noise. It was the strut itself, and it set me back just under $400. He checked the other side and said it looked good and was really quiet so did not think it needed replacing at this time. We had figgered on $800. just for the truck, but ended up paying less than that for two repair jobs! So we are good with that...

Till the next problem!!! CHOW!!


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Good stuff Molly. Thanks for the diagram Chadn.

Just so you know and anyone else who is looking, the top mount with bearing is the same as was used on some other models and infinitis. For some reason RockAuto shows it as a European option but the same part is available cheaper as a 2006 Maxima or Murano suspension part; namely, KYB SM5409
The bellows cover or boot are KYB SB104
Just ordered 2 of each.
Also ordered Front Left strut KYB 335603 and Front Right KYB 335602

All told with Delivery Taxes and Duty about 370 Cdn delivered to my door. Need to buy a good coil spring compressor, but considering I will reuse it for the rear struts later, should be a good investment.
Looking forward to doing it in the next week or so. 
After 8 years and 151,000 kms they qualified as worn, but I had an oops moment going up on a curb with the right wheel and off it hard at 50 km/h which has harmed the right strut mount and its bearing. Drives ok but making some new groaning sounds and a slight clunking when braking. Anyway all to the good, as I was looking to changing them all in the next year.
Looking forward to seeing how it will handle anew!


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## molly (Oct 31, 2014)

Are those boot covers very important? Mine is pretty shredded on the side that was a problem, but I suppose it is too much work to replace it now...


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Hi Molly
The boots are to protect the seals and shafts of the shocks from getting pitted and damaged from rocks, dirt, salt and so on. Basically there to provide some protection for the part and hopefully a longer life. Installing them requires the strut to be apart, which is basically the same amount of work as having them replaced the first time. Guess your mechanic didn't think to order one or he didn't want to add to your bill. Still you should be fine.
Do you notice any difference in handling with only the one side changed? Was it right or left they changed?


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## molly (Oct 31, 2014)

I guess I could have told him to replace it...they can't cost that much! Oh well.
The knocking sound went away and that was the most obvious change! It did seem to ride a bit better too...It was the left rear.


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## samharan (Aug 19, 2016)

*Knocking sound*

I had same issue I replaced antiroll bar drop link, later resolved with arb bushes it was fine bought from e bay reasonable price £50.00.


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