Metallic Rattle @ Rear Passenger Tire Area?

[aysia]

Hey guys

I've been chasing a rattle on our 2011 Journey for some time.

Initially it sounded like it was coming from the front tire passenger tire, then it sounded like it was generally coming from the passenger side. Just a little rattle over bumps.

After a while it started sounding more of a metallic clang kind of rattle, strictly at the rear passenger tire.

After a bit more, we could hear a bit of a softer plastic-y rattle inside over some bumps (and frequently over man hole covers specifically).

Today it changed again and now the rattle inside is moreso metallic.

Myself and the boyfriend (we are both quite mechanically inclined) have spent about 6 hours over 3 nights chasing this rattle.

Everything looks fine on visual inspection front & rear.

We hit everything with a rubber mallet and grabbed/wiggled everything and it all appears fine and tight.

There are no driveability issues, nor is there wiggling of the steering wheel or strangeness on braking. The Journey drives perfectly fine.

We have aftermarket Touren rims with a centercap, all tight. Thinking I will change over to winter tires just to rule that out.

In the front we inspected the mounting point of the struts, however we couldn't get the center bolt because we didn't have the right tool.. We did check the four smaller bolts and they were nice and tight.

In the rear we did not take the interior panel off to inspect the top mount of the rear strut, but did sit in the back over bumps with an ear to the panel and did not hear the mount specifically rattling.

There were two kind of tension arm things, not quite control arms, but they were sticks with circles on the ends that the circles went around a bolt of some kind. Anyways, on the passenger side the smaller stick thing had a lot of grease and when the vehicle was jacked up with the wheel off, both circle things were quite twisted.

So we jacked up the driver's side to look at those stick circle things and they were also twisted, and on the smaller one there was some grease but not as much. It also looked more like a bushing with some rubber kinda insulation or something, whereas the passenger one just seemed very open. (I can post pictures just need to get them off my phone)

Tonight I'm going to take the rear brakes off to inspect those (they weren't loose but I understand 09-10 Journeys had premature brake wear so just being cautions - I do have a 2011). Also I'm going to look at disconnecting the rear sway bar because maybe it's the bushings for that? Which I can just replace easily enough.

Has anyone else chased a rattle like this? It makes me nervous as I have found nothing yet and the rattle changes every once in a while.

Have around 45,000 kms on the Journey.

I've looked at TSBs but can't find anything relevant - am I missing something?

Rattle has been going on for probably 3-4 months. Each of the 3 inspections has been 2-4 weeks apart.

Well this is for possibly a 2008? I wouldn't describe my problem as a howl or drone, nor is it on cold starts but I've been suspicious of the heat shield even though it's totally tight (and we used compressed air to blow out all the small rocks/debris the first inspection)

http://www.dodgejourneyforum.com/topic/464-tsb-11-003-08-howl-rattle-or-drone-sound/

Edited August 4, 2015 by aysia

[onecrazyfoo4u]

Have you checked the exhaust? Maybe the catalytic convertor or something broke apart and is stuck inside the exhaust pipe somewhere? I had a cat break apart on a 15 year old car once, and it was a definite annoying rattle like you described. Take a rubber mallet to all sections of the exhaust and shake it around everywhere to see if you hear it.

[dhh3]

Those things are called sway bar links. One of the rubber bushings could be worn, so the noise would change as the busing rotates around the bolt.

[aysia]

OMG it ended up being the rear brake pads?!

Another 3 hours of digging and finally realized the rattle went away under braking.

Still not sure why the rear brakes were so worn?

There are just under 50,000 kms on the vehicle.

I replaced the front pads last year because they made some noise (not squealing but just a really irritating woosh pppsssshhhh kinda noise every time they were applied) but they were like 100% when I replaced them anyways.

There has been 0 actual brake squeal at any point so I'm really confused why they would be worn enough to be literally rattling in the caliper :S

Drove it for a couple short adventures over the weekend, and parked it outside (it lives outside).

Today when we pulled into the parkade at work my poor mom almost threw up because they smelled sooooo bad.

I know there will be a bit of a break (har har har) in period but about how long should it be? I've done brakes on my Tercel and on friend's cars and never noticed a smell like this.

Looked through TSBs also in case there is something weird with the braking system, too much pressure or something on the rear brakes? Because I thought brakes should last like almost to 100,000 km if you don't always halt on them... Plus the rear brakes should have less braking power shouldn't they??

[Lobitz68]

Brake rattle doesn't necessarily mean that they needed to be replaced. There are numerous causes of brake rattle, but if it isn't doing it under braking conditions then I wouldn't be concerned...maybe annoyed though.

As far as the smell, I would check that you don't have a caliper sticking or something... You didn't state what your replacement parts were, but usually brakes only smell during hard braking or extended braking when they get really hot. Is you rear wheel hot to the touch after you get done driving?

Edited August 10, 2015 by Lobitz68

[onecrazyfoo4u]

Hopefully you lubed up the caliper slides real good and they aren't getting stuck!

[bigtsr]

I had a metallic rattle in the rear wheels and it turn out

to brake shield on passenger rear assy ha come loose.

[aysia]

Left work and came back (10 min drive each way on the highway), smell was much much less when we got back.

Rear wheel and caliper totally cool to the touch. Pad itself was a little warm.

For comparison, caliper on the front was a bit warm, but could still hold my hand to it. Did not touch pad itself.

Touched the inside of the rear rim and there was a boat load of brake dust and it was super stinky.

Before we left we pushed the e-brake on all the way and then released it, just to make sure it wasn't a bit on or something.

I don't remember the name of the pads but they definitely weren't the cheapo ones.

I'm confident that the stink is just the pads breaking in.

I wonder do the piston things on the calipers on the Journey not push out enough as the pads wear? Like you know how you sometimes have to push them in before you can put the calipers back on when you replace pads.. Maybe these pistons don't go out as much as others???

[bigtsr]

The rear pad actuators don't just push in , they must be rotated/screwed back

to start position.