Rear End Rattle

[Tommycat]

I have a seven year old RX300 with just 50,000 miles. Over the past few years I have identified a knocking from the rear wheels / suspension area but my Lexus dealer could find nothing wrong. Now the knocking over potholed roads, and recently when I am breaking too, is unbearable and spoils a really great drive. At first I thought it was a loose exhaust - it isn't - and a local garage thought it might be bushes - it isn't that either. It also doesn't appear to be from the suspension itself. Over smooth roads it is perfect. Anyone got any ideas?

[keywest]

I had what could be this problem.

I could travel a long way but if I hit a bump I would get a knock and then it would repeat at the slightest bump in the road.

In my case it turned out to be a combination of worn onboard parking brake shoes and a partially siezed parking brake cable. Once these were replaced the knock went.

Maybe it needed a decent bump to release the parking brake shoes and then once released they knocked regularly.

I was finding that I had to press the parking brake a long way for them to be effective which probabaly was an indicator.

Good Luck.

[ihpj]

In my case it turned out to be a combination of worn onboard parking brake shoes and a partially seized parking brake cable. Once these were replaced the knock went.

Very good point. The cable is known to seize in RXs around that age and mileage. This happened to my RX when it went in for its 60K service and would have been a very expensive fix (we had the extended Lexus Warranty that picked up the bill). I posted the breakdowns on this Forum - if you search you should find the part # and costs.

[Tommycat]

In my case it turned out to be a combination of worn onboard parking brake shoes and a partially seized parking brake cable. Once these were replaced the knock went.

Very good point. The cable is known to seize in RXs around that age and mileage. This happened to my RX when it went in for its 60K service and would have been a very expensive fix (we had the extended Lexus Warranty that picked up the bill). I posted the breakdowns on this Forum - if you search you should find the part # and costs.

Thanks guys - I'll get that looked at. The car is going in to Lexus tomorrow - they have now diagnosed it over the phone as wheel bearings - £800 to do both sides!!! But I'll get them to check out the brake cable first and report back to this forum

[Tommycat]

Hi guys - got the rattle fixed at last. It turned out eventually to be a bush in the near side rear suspension. With rear wheel alignments and VAt it cost £260. Better than £800 for the wheel bearings but still petty expensive. Now as quiet as the grave!