Hello to all!

I've got a 1991 300E with 198K on it. It has developed a rattle out of the driver's side rear with every bump I go over. It usually happens on small bumps upward, like driving over a manhole cover. When I push down on the car to test to see it the shocks 'bounce', the car goes down with the push and then just levels out.

Any ideas?

Anyone?

Some of you bushings on your rear suspension are bad.

I have the same year, car. Drive over a bump or whatever causes the rattle you notice but step on the parking brake a little before you go over it. Rattle gone? Jack it up and get under there and check out the emergency/parking brake cable that connects to a Y-cable split junction where you are talking about. The cables are probably a little loose there. You'll see a nut that tightens and loosens the tension. The connection is trampolining up and down and hitting the frame. Get an extension and wratchet up there and tighten it a bit. Then get in the car and step on and release the parking brake a few times. Go back under and check the tension and adjust if necessary. Mine hasn't come back since! Good luck.

Could easily be the parking brake cable but could be just about anything else. Is your spare tire securely fastened? That will make a racket if loose. Any tools/toolkit in the trunk? Other than that, get down and inspect every rubber bushing back there and replace any that look worn, 198k is a long time to be on stock rubber.

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TC
Current stable:
- 2004 Mazda RALLYWANKEL
- 2007 Saturn sky redline
- 2004 Explorer...under surgery.

Past: 135i, GTI, 300E, 300SD, 300SD, Stealth

I had a clunking noise turned out to be the rear sway bar connection to the left wheel link.
Correct fix is to replace the link but I just used a temporary fix for now. The bushing still looked good so I greased it up and tightened up the fitting and all is quiet for now.

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1989 300E

2005 Acura TL

2011 Hyundai Elantra Limited

Swing hard! Take chances!

Thanks guys!

Well it seems that my 92 300e has the same symptoms. I checked the brake junction in the center of the car above the driveshaft and that certainly seems to be where my rattle is coming from. I tightened mine up and the tinny portion of the rattle is gone, but I can still hear it. Mine rests quite loose to the bracket on the vehicle even when adjusted properly. Is there some sort of isolator or piece that might be missing from mine?

Thanks for the idea mine has been annoying me for years!

Yep...there is something missing but I could not fine the plastic insulation piece that went above it anywhere to order. So I kept tightening and lossening it before I found the right combination with the parking brake off. According to the W124 manual, you should only have 4 clicks when applying the parking brake (click, click, click, click, tight!). I also adjusted the actual parking brakes on the rear wheels a few turns with a flathead screwdriver (not the easiest thing to do with wheel on) until the rear wheel just dragged a bit and then backed off a little. I did rear wheels once, and parking brake twice and then got it.

Well the advise given by sptt a couple posts up worked like a charm!

I finally had a chance to jack up the car, find the adjustment screw and tighten the emergency brake cable.
Brilliant! It was something I never would have thought of.

Thanks again sptt!!!!!

Nick

Great to hear Nick!