I have a 2001 DHS that recently started rattling while going over bumps.

The noise is a rattle that sounds like something is loose on the rear suspension.

I checked the usual suspects inculuding the shock mounts, swaybar, exhaust, control arm ball joint, etc.

If anyone has had this problem and what fixed it I would like to hear about it.

 

^^^ YOU AND ME BOTH BUDDY.....

 

I would have recommended control arm and exhaust, but you have already checked it out. It seems you have a handle on things to check, but could it be something as stupid as something in the trunk? Brakes? Stuff like this can drive a sane man crazy.


\Good luck.

 

rattles let you know the car is alive and well.
worry when it is too quiet.

have you checked the spare and whatever is in there with it?
dont forget the battery compartment under the back seat.
and of course a wire harness conduit that has come loose.

lol

 

I have a '91 deVille (110K miles) with the same problemplus a lateral instability when hitting bumps/bridge joints at highway speeds. This was my mother-in-law's car until recently. I don't know when the problem started. I've isolated the problem to the left (driver's side) rear and recently come to beleive it's the air strut (checked everything else) even though the self leveling system is working properly. If I place my hands on the left rear wheel and have someone bounce the car up and down I feel the wheel shutter. There's no shutter on the right side. I have replacement struts and will make repairs as soon as discover the proper torque values for mounting hardware. I'll let you know the result.

 

I have a 2000 Eldorado and I too experienced rattling noises when going over bumps or dips in the road. I took my care to an alignment shop and they replaced two (2) things in the front end and I can't remember what the full name of the part was, but it was "linkage" something. There's one on each side of the front suspension (they're little bars of some sort). Well that immediately stopped the rattling noise. The mechanic said he knew what it was immediately. I do want to say that to me it sounded like the noise was coming from the rear of the car, but in reality it was the front.

I also had a creaking noise that I heard everytime I went through a dip or a bump. It was an irritating creaking noise in the front right side. The alignment folks could not find it and they said they greased everything that could be greased and they assured me that it was something in the body that was creaking, not the suspension. So I had a body person go through it and he could find a problem. He said there was not a lot under there to creak, since the frame is a unibody. So I took the car to a guy that specializes in things like this and it turned out to be the front right strut that was making the creaking noise. It would never make the noise if I stood next to the car and bounced it up and down, but it sure would if I drove over a dip in the road. I guess a strut can act differently when the vehicle is in motion versus sitting still. Long story short, he replaced the strut with a used one from the salvage yard and the creaking noise is gone.

I can identify with your frustration. I am"****" about these types of things. I don't want to hear any clanking or creaking noises coming from the undercarriage. My determination paid off and I now don't hear anything unusal going on underneath the car.

I hope you find the problem. Good luck.

 

Replacing rear struts solved my problems. Now I can tell how worn the front struts are. I'll replace them soon. Love this old car!

 

I REPLACED MY REAR SHOCKS. I GOT A DISCOUNT THROUGH MY JOB...135...INSTEAD OF 205 WHAT THE DEALER WAS CHARGING...BUT SAME PART.

 

Having been through this experience recently, I suggest that you look at the hub assembly or knuckle bushings. Can you reproduce the rattle by pushing up and down or back and forth on the rear end? Grab each wheel at the top and try to give it a hard shake in and out. If you feel movement or hear noise do a detailed investigation of the knuckle bushings and hub assembly.

 

Just spent a ton of time on the same issue, same year, and a DHS as well. I checked out everything, even the exhaust hangers. The problem ended up being the upper shock mounts. However, in the process I learned to only use OEM GM shock mounts. Aftermarket shock mounts will not alleviate the problem. Dealers want $107 each. Check around on Amazon. GM Part number is: 19210500. $107 is a lot for a little chunk of rubber but it's worth it if you don't want the noise. I managed to get mine for $77.00 each. Aftermarket shock mounts were about $77 for the pair. Sway bar links are another possible cause, but after talking to several mechanics, the upper shock mounts tend to be the common issue. They are not hard to replace and you don't have to take off the wheels either. Hope this helps.