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Strut Rattle


Hoey

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I have a 97 Lexus ES300 that is a great car all around but the front struts rattle like crazy when the weather is cold or the car is not warmed up yet. Anything on uneven payment and those struts rattle annoyingly. I have seen prior information elduing to this being a very common problem and how to get it fixed but cannot now find the proper page.

Since I have 136,000 miles on the car I thought I would replace the front struts and have whatever needs to be replaced while I'm at it to eliminate the rattles. Is is strut mount bushings or what?

Thanks

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Probably worn strut mounts. If they are original with 136K on the odo, then they are definitely worn. I think that's a good call on replacing the bushings, struts, strut mounts,and probably even the spring perch gaskets. That should take care of your rattle.

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Now that is strange. It's also strange that the struts rattle until the vehicle is warmed up (do you mean the whole vehicle is in a warmer environment, or when the engine warms up?). When the vehicle is warmed up, is there no rattle at all?

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In cold weather the front struts rattle all the time on unven pavement or going over a curb into a driveway, etc.

In mild weather the front struts rattle when it's cold but stops when the car is warmed up or as the day warms up.

In hot weather there's usually no rattle ever.

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Weird... sounds like something was off from the install fit up, perhaps even the struts have some excessive internal tolerances, or maybe the crown nut wasn't properly seated at install. Either way, I would guess there is some slop in there that gets taken away as components heat up, expand, and stop the rattle. I'd be curious to see how the assembly is. Some new suspension parts should take care of all that and eliminate the rattle for good.

One other thing to check for is worn sway bar bushings in the front. It may not even be your struts causing the rattle. Perhaps your bushings got exposed to something and caused them to dry out or contract, leaving your sway bar rattling over bumps (but then not sure if that situation would be all that sensitive to temperature changes). Sway bar bushings are cheap and easy to replace.

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Actually this is a common problem on many ES models. I have a 1999 ES300. My strut tops were broken and rattling at 80k miles. They have to be replaced if you want the noise to go away. The total repair is about $300.00 at a repair facility that knows Lexus well. My mechanic worked at the local Lexus dealer for 10 yearrs before opening his own. GOLD MINE!!! I love it when he tells me over the phone what is wrong with my car (he's always right too). Anyway, thats the deal. They are called broken strut tops. Good luck!

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If you pop the hood and look left and right you will see the strut housings. Underneath that there is a unit that is between the car and the strut. It will not affect you tire wear or hurt the car for them to be busted. However, with cold weather comming you will hear them loud and clear. I replaced mine and glad I did. It didn't sound like a rattle trap anymore. Well worth it if you don't like pesky rattles. I hate car noises. I am pretty crazy about my cars staying as new as possible. If you call a dealer, they will know. It is not the easiest job, but not the hardest either.

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Thanks everyone for your input! I got 3 quotes (Lexus Dealer, Exact Performance and a Goodyear mechanic I go to for normal stuff) and they were between $600 and $800. That included new struts, strut mounts, and some other bushings as well. That includes parts and labor. At least I'm getting new struts in the process since I have 136,000 miles on the car it's probably just as well. I told every place I went that I needed a guarantee that they would eliminate the rattle for fix it on their dime until they did! We'll see.

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