Sway bar fixed but still rattling

[rover3l]

Shop fixed my thread stripped rear sway bar bushing bracket by using a helicoil. However, the rattle is still present. They then tested it with a listening device and earphones and they beleive the rattle is coming from the bottom of the right left strut. The strut boots are shreaded but we don't know yet whether this is the noise or whether it is simply the strut itself.

He is concerned that because i have a slight leak in the front right strut that it may be causing the opposite side which is the left rear to over work.

I explained that the leaks on the struts occured after fitting the 4 strut accumulators last year and that although at first they were leaking badly after a few months three out of 4 struts stopped leaking and the 4th has slowed to a trickle. Because of this I am reluctant to pay to change one strut. We also talked about the next step being to replace the front and rear main accumulators to get the Active to become finally active. I am wondering whether this might control the movement of the struts better and hence eliminate the noise

[elwesso]

I had a similar rattle, and what it ended up being was the center nut on the strut.. You may need to hold the bottom of the strut, and then torque the top. What happens is there is a little stopper at the top, looks kinda like T, and it stops the strut so that its firmly against the strut mount....

If the center nut is loose, chances there will be play in there, hence it keeps hitting the strut mount... Its something to investigate. Also, if it is loose, chances are the nut will just spin the shaft, and thats why you have to hold down the bottom..

I would also recommend replacing those dust boots, as thats really what causes leaks... STuff gets in there and causes the seals to get little holes...

[rover3l]

is the center nut the same on an active as non-active and is it accessed via the trunk by removing the plastic cap.

[elwesso]

As far as I know, it should be the same

Just check it out, take off the cap

[texasoil]

try a good flush of the active system opening all 3 of the stop valves. You may have a little gas saturated oil trapped in the strut and it will knock as the strut extends and then compresses fast. Email me off line ([email protected]) if you do not know how to do the flush and I'll send instructions.. Also look VERY carefully at the front mount on the rear subframe. If it has failed, it will let the subframe rap against the car body and the noise goes everywhere--impossible to locate specifically unless you know.