On my 1985 w123, I have developed a serious clattering sound when going over bumps with the passenger side front wheel. It seems like metal-on-metal, or sometimes like I have dinner plates rattling against each other inside the dash. It is pretty loud, like it's inside the car (but I have been fooled on that before).

I had a previous thread on this, where Grissom suggested the sway bar bushing. I pulled the battery tray and tested the bushing and it's like new. Everything is solid under the hood.

I have had two people sit in the passenger seat while driving. They swear it sounds like it's coming from right behind the vent at the end of the dash. I have the glove compartment and lower panel removed so they have actually felt around inside in that exact place as I was driving. There is nothing in there that could even produce such a sound.

My car is an '85 so it has a couple of items bolted to the tub inside the kickpanel on that side, but they are solidly in place.

The only other possibility is inside the cowl but there is nothing at that end of the cowl except the drain and I have never even had the cowl covers off this car. The other remote possibility is the wiper linkage I guess.

Any ideas?

My wrench swears the guide rod mount bushings are fine (they don't look that old actually, the PO maintained the car at the dealer and it came to me with lots done).

I can't think of anything else that could transmit sound to that spot. Is there anything in the windshield A pillar on the passenger side that could come loose?

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Mac
2002 e320 4matic estate│1985 300d│1980 300td
Previous: 1979 & 1982 & 1983 300sd │ 1982 240d

“Let's take a drive into the middle of nowhere with a packet of Marlboro lights and talk about our lives.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch-22