Light rattling noise

[kingzetts]

I've noticed that my car has a tinkling sort of rattling noise which appears to be coming from the rear suspension/roadwheels area. My son in the passenger seat reckons it is coming from around the nearside rear wheel. I was wondering if this could be loose spokes? I've looked for obvious loose spokes but nothing shows up - I've removed all loose metal objects from the boot, and found and fixed a loose exhause pipe bolt.

Any thoughts, guys?

[Heuer]

1. Loose spokes is the obvious one - go around them all tapping lightly with a spanner. Best to do this with the wheels off the car. Worth taking a spanner to each nut anyway as a matter of course. I failed to follow my own advice and it cost ?117 each to have them serviced!

2. While you are at it check the rear hubs for spline wear - just had to replace mine - which can be heard as a clunk when pulling away but could cause rattling if very bad.

3. Limited slip diff plates, if worn, may rattle.

4. Spanner check on everything

5. If you are a member of the E-Type Club give Andrew Turvey at CMC a call (he is the Club's technical advisor) and see if he can point you in the right direction.

6. Take car to CMC for a full check and report (?300). Will save you a lot of time and worry although may not do the same for your wallet!

David

[andyp]

I'm with David

Spokes are the obvious first thought. Even if you don't find any amiss move the wheel to the other side and see if the noise moves with it.

I expect I've got plenty of tinkling noises but I can't hear them for all the big rattles.

Andy

[kingzetts]

Well, I found one quite loose spoke - it wasn't loose enough to notice on a light finger touch but showed up on the "spanner" test and then I gave it a waggle and it was definitely loose. Also found a few more which were not yet loose but needed the nut taking up a quarter turn.

I'll see if the noise has gone next time out.

Cheers, guys

[kingzetts]

Well, it is not spokes - proved by moving the wheels around as Andy suggested. Nor is is the loose manifold-to-downpipe joint, nor the loose heat shield, nor the loose wing mirror, nor the loose rear over-rider, nor the loose hood frame components, nor the loose tools in the wheel well, all of which I've found and sorted. Nor is it handbrake or rear footbrake related, and the road springs are intact.

Our conclusion (me, and my 16-year old riding mechanic of a son) is that the noise is comong from inside the exhaust pipe- maybe a broken baffle or something. We can just about reproduce the right sort of noise by gently tapping on the nearside pipe and centre silencer.

So I'll just put up with it until winter and then dismantle the exhaust and track it down.

[kingzetts]

An update in the hope of being helpful to other members - the rattling noise turned out to be the small metal disc mounted just inboard of the splined hub on the nearside rear driveshaft, just outboard of the fixed hub housing. This is apparently a "thrower" plate, which rotates with the hub, to stop any liquid road crud running down the hub housing and into the area around the bearings and seals. On mine it is loose and rattles. I didn't find it as with the wheel on it is totally hidden from view, and I guess I didn't look closely enough while the wheel was off.

As the hub has to be removed to fix it, I guess I'll live with the noise for now as it is a cosmetic issue only.

Thanks to CMC for the diagnosis.