I have a 2003 Nissan Altima with a problem coming from the rear passenger side wheel area. Several months ago I had replaced the shocks at a shop, only to have them not put one of the nuts on properly, causing it to shake to the point that the shock eventually busted through the housing.
After I had the housing replaced, I immediately had a loud hollow like sound from that very area. The noise grows louder the faster i go. After taking it to another shop for diagnosis, they thought it was the wheel bearing, so I had the whole hub assembly replaced but the noise still continues. I have had the wheels balanced, rotated, and realigned but still to no avail. Any ideas what it could be?
A sound clip will be most appreciated.How can we tell without hearing it? It could be a lot of things
Between the shock absorber and the car body, there will always be a rubber isolator (bushing). If somehow the shock itself “shorts” directly to the metal of the car body, there will be a lot of noise transmitted.
Because of the earlier screw-up with the shock mounting, I suspect that area is the cause of your problem. Inspect where the shock mounting is and look for direct metal to metal contact between the shock and body.
I woul suspect the repair to the shock tower left it the wrong shape . you might get away with replacing just the pad between the shock and tower.
Thankfully, none of the suggestions since too expensive, Lord knows I’ve put some serious money into it already. If in fact it is the pads between the shocks, would replacing the shocks fix it or do I have to ask specifically for that pad? I’m automotive illiterate so I have no idea where to even find that pad so I can have my guy replace for me without having to go somewhere to get the more expensive option
It depends on what might be missing to installed incorrectly. I can’t answer it from here.
The bottom of the strut bolts firmly to the rear hub. But the top of the strut usually has a rubber-like interface at the strut housing. Maybe that had to be removed for some reason in order to fix the damaged housing problem. A good wheel bearing does make a sort of whirring noise, which could be described as a “hollow” sound. If you hold the metal tip of a long screwdriver against the valve cover on a idling engine, and listen to the handle end you’ll hear a similar sound.
One side of the mount bolts to the vehicle, the other side to the strut. In the middle is a rubber-like insulating material. So as the vehicle moves and goes over bumps, the up & down impact pushes and pulls at the mount. The mount’s job is to cushion the impacts to reduce the jarring effect, noise and vibration that could transmit into the vehicle.
https://www.kyb.com/knowledge-center/shocks-101/what-strut-mounts-do/