That rattling is driving me nuts ...

[scot850]

Great to hear you are making progress. Only way to not get overwhelmed is to tackle one area at a time as you have done and thankfully some fixes are simple ones (like the cassettes!).

On 'old' stuff, I have just had my early 80's Thorens TD160 turntable/record player deck revived. The guy who repairs and restores these older systems for sale said that mine is now worth a lot of money! Well money was better spent than on that than the ungrateful cars....!

Neil.

[Clemens]

I finally made progress on the tailgate rattle. Amongst various plastic bezels where i tried to squeeze butyl rope underneath and the license plate holder (again, butyl rope) i found 2 ineresting spots that I almost overlooked.

1) under the inner tailgate door handle bezel (which is secured by 2 12mm bolts) is a plastic piece that sits between the tailgate lock mechanism and the sheetmetal. And that thing hits the sheetmetal when going over bumps, making these awful rattling sounds. Tucked butyl rope between the plastic and the sheetmetal. And voila: The sound of silence.

2) this find was even stranger: i have the 850 style 3rd brakelight. It is fixed with a metal wire holder. Wrapping that wire with electrical tape in areas where it touches the sheetmetal of the tailgate helps. But the weirdest noise came from the tiny half domed reflector that shields the bulb. It is mounted with a rivet, but has alot of room to bounce around and make noise that way. As you guessed it, butyl rope once again saved the day.

[abscate]

I just cured four rattle demons in the rear

I installed the IPD tailgate kit...quieter

Then I replaced the bumper brackets...even quieter

I found my license plate was missing a screw...almost quiet

Finally found a loose bolt on the left side shock cup, lower. Cleaned and tightened

QUIET!

[scot850]

Well done that man! Whoa are you determined to get that car quiet! Glad all you now hear is the sound of silence.

Neil.

[abscate]

..now that the rear is quiet I can hear my dash Squeak again, but thanks to a recent post I got butyl tape and even cured that!

[Clemens]

Way to go!

[sleddriver]

So my 96R is a pleasure on the freeway, but bumpy roads in the city are a pita. And since I have 2 more 850ies with very similar mileage (all around 190.000) I know it is alot worse in the R.
This probably comes from the 17 inch wheels and the sport suspension for 200.000 miles and and 22 years.

So what are the known culprits and how do I fix them?
I think I hear at least the following parts rattle:

Dashboard
Doorpanels (f+r)
Tailgate
Cargo cover (it works, but it rattles)

The suspension is in really good shape, so i know it is all just the interior.

Would new shocks improve the ride? They are not bouncy or leaking, but still the original ones.

1. Have someone drive the car while you hang out in the back seat and cargo area. Listen and take notes. Watch the tail gate. It shouldn't move side-to-side, nor fore & aft at all. If it does, it needs adjustment.
2. You'll definitely have rougher ride over poor pavement with lower side-wall-height tires.
3. You definitely need new struts & shocks & maybe springs. Even if they don't leak. World of difference upon replacement. BTDT...
4. You may also need new motor mounts (hydraulic?). BTDT too...read my posts on it.
5. Time to research, read & read more.....BTDT too....

[Clemens]

Thanks. I'll hang in there. About to order new front end parts and loads of dynamat to get the noise level down (has helped on the tailgate so far, it closes with a very nice 'thud' now.).

[sleddriver]

Thanks. I'll hang in there. About to order new front end parts and loads of dynamat to get the noise level down (has helped on the tailgate so far, it closes with a very nice 'thud' now.).

Use caution with a heavy material on the tailgate as putting too much weight there will really stress the tailgate shocks.