Noise in front suspension
 

I've had this noise in my front suspension for quite some time now. I've tried to track it down 3 times on my own, as well as asking the state inspection station to look around. Toyota also did the valve spring recall while this issue existed. Neither shop had any comments.

The noise only happens when going over sharp bumps. Washboard roads, potholes, etc. Does not happen with smooth bumps or contours.

The noises seems to come from 3 places. Possibly left strut, sometimes sounds further away like passenger strut, and then I also seem to hear it in the steering shaft itself. Those are mostly estimations of the location.

I can best describe the noise as a 'hollow sharp shuttering'. It is more high pitched and quick. I would not call it a knocking.

I have checked tie rods and wheel bearings by doing 3/9 and 6/12 test with the car on a lift. Sway bar endlinks are new. Have inspected and yanked on steering shaft as well as gently using pry bar in the U-joint to check for movement. I have also inspected and try to create movement in the ball joints but was not successful.

Not sure where to go from here. At this point, I think the best suspect is the strut top hats, but not sure how to test that.

can you capture it in a video?

Sounds like a loose endlink. Even if they're new, if that nut isn't tight it will make noise.

Loose endlinks have trolled me a couple times.

what gets loose? the nuts on the endlink mounts themselves, or the lock nuts on the spinning rod that adjusts the endlink length?

The nut on the stud into the coilover.

But anything can loosen up and make noise.

I'm an automotive hypochondriac so pretty sensitive to stupid noises lol.

Did you figure out the noise? If it's like a rattle, see the electric power steering problem with the stupid little rubber and plastic star that breaks down. I replaced it today and my rattle is gone.

This was my first thought as well. Particularly because they are a new part.

I would say if the noise started after the new links for sure suspect them.

I could see the "hollow"ness of the sound being an effect of the sound deadening quality of the frame mounted bushings combined with the bell like tone of a sway bar being impacted, giving you a sort of dull ring.

I did not figure out the noise. I haven't made a point to record the sound.
I'm not familiar with that rubber part you are talking about on the power steering rack. I did yank on the rack a few different ways when it was on a lift though. Nothing suspicious.
It's like 98% not the sway bar endlinks.
As I said, noise was there before and after new end links. Old end links looked in great condition.
Noise seems to be coming from the top of the front of the car.

I'm now suspecting the top of the struts.

Since you, too, are driving a 2013 car, check out this thread to see if this sounds familiar. If there's a possibility that this is the problem, the fix is a $6 part and a few hours of your time. The instruction thread is here.

Good luck whatever the issue is.

I reread your posts a couple times and you never said the noise was there before AND after. Quote yourself if I'm wrong. I've been wrong before. I could see it happening again.

Anyway, descriptions of sound are hard to describe as well as interpret. If you want some advice on places to look you need to give us something to go off of other than a verbal description. Video with quality sound. Don't listen to your radio when recording. Seems like common sense but I'm going mention it anyway.

As a side note, unless your wheel bearings are held in with a castle nut and a cotter pin they may make noise long before you can feel it by moving the wheel. You can sometimes feel the reverberations if you hold the coil spring and spin the wheel by hand, but this method is best served in the comparison approach where you compare the suspected failing part to the part on the other side of the vehicle.

When thinking about this issue remember all the parts that move and how they move under the condition the symptom occurs. Suspension noises especially can sound like they are coming from a place but actually originate elsewhere. Usually simple, sometimes suspension noises can be the most difficult to figure out when the symptom only presents itself under certain circumstances.

Thought there was a TSB of the front strut mounts for this type of noise....

To see if the top hat is your culprit, open your driver/passenger door and jump up and down on the door sill (not on the painted part lol) and you should hear the noise.

good idea, thanks.

This is pretty much just a way to introduce some up-and-down motion to the front suspension, right?
Nothing special other than that?

Can I inspect the top hats while they are on the car? I looked at them for a while when I had it on a lift doing my header swap, but not really sure what I'm looking at...

Yup, nothing special other than that.

You can inspect the strut nut for looseness but you’ll need a pass through socket set. Do you have one of those? Put that pass through socket (17mm) on the nut and then put an Allen wrench through the opening on the socket to keep the strut from spinning.

It’s nice to have a pass through socket set on this car. You can use them on the endlinks, camber bolts etc. where the threaded rod sticks well past the nut.