Big Rattle
 

Over the past couple of months now the rattle in the rear of my car has gotten realll bad. Im assuming from what ive seen/heard/and had my mechanic friend look at is that the rear suspension is shot. He said its a shock and strut assembly, but i remember people on here saying the front is struts and the rears are shocks. So in order to fix the rear suspension. what would i need to do? Just put in new springs? Thanks guys.

Is this for a 1991 944T?

have you checked that the jack is properly secured, and there's nothing bouncing around in the spare tire compartment? that can make some hellacious rattles.

yes its a 91 944t. and And yeah everythings strapped down good. it a suspension issue for sure. Do i need struts and springs in the back or just springs.

in my experience, worn suspenion makes clunks and rumbles, not rattles, and it usually means you need bushings and/or your shocks are shot. old springs may sag but I've never heard them rattle. now, maybe if something is cracked, I dunno.

here's a diagram of the rear suspension of a 740/940 non-IRS...
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_J...71410%20PM.jpg

and another showing the spring and shock (ommited in that first)
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_J...52035%20PM.jpg

(all numbers below refer to the parts in that first diagram)

perhaps something is cracked in/around that double diagonal brace piece (#18, 19) that supports the torque arms (#34, #31)? Or maybe you just have some really shot bushings so the torque arms, or the panhard rod (#12) is rattling. important bushings include the panhard bushings 13+14, the torque arm large bushings 33,36, and small ones 32,35. I've heard the axle 'bearings' (not actually bearings in the conventional sense) #7's can wear out and cause the axle to rattle in the control arms. The torque arm braces are mounted in bushings 24 and 21, if these were loose, it could rattle in the frame. Oh, and I guess if any of the bolts are loose/broken, that certainly could cause rattles.

I think I'd get your car up on a jack stands or a lift, and go under there with a rubber mallet and start tapping stuff, see if you can find something that rattles similar to what you're hearing.

thanks for all the help!

It may be an IRS for a sedan 940. But I have no clue, since I have no experience.

oh, and that spring drawing,
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_J...52035%20PM.jpg

if the hardware that holds the shock or secures the top of the spring is loose or broken, maybe that would rattle on bumps. never happened to me, but I could see that.

To remove the spring, you unbolt the lower shock mount and jack the car off the axle, that unloads the spring completely so you can get up inside and and unbolt the top (nut 20 holding stack 19...15 and the spring comes right out.

i'm about to replace those rear springs on my 740 wagon... putting fcp groton's overload springs ('made in sweden', they say on them), and bilstein tc touring shocks, and replacing some bushings for good luck. front gets some bushings, tc struts, but stays with the stock springs.

not in 91, and not in the US. Only the 960 sedans got IRS in the US, and the wagons after the 960-II/V90 facelift.

I figured that might be that case.

I've got the same problem on my daughter's 940 sedan?
 

Hi- I'm brand new to this forum and have a very similar problem.
My daughter's '95 940 sedan only has 115m miles on it. I replaced the shocks w/Bilsteins several years ago. All the bolts are secure (triple checked). The exhaust system is tight and all the hangers are solid. I've been under the car and banged on everything I can find, but cant replicate the rattle. It's coming from the the rear of the car. Something sounds loose and is banging against something else. Everything in the trunk is secure. It's driving me crazy! Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
thanks
Phil Connell

The 1991 940SE in the US has IRS suspension... The only 940 that has it... It is basically a 960 but with B230FT and the AW71... This being a '91 may be one of those.