BigBlue

iTrader: (4)

Thanks, good to know! I have ordered 2 of these and they are on the way; if it solves this crazy noise issue I'll be a happy camper.

BigBlue

iTrader: (4)

Fixed and Noise is finally gone! I used the KYB kit that I posted above, from Amazon.com *I wish I had found this solution a couple of yrs. ago because I tried a lot of things and spent way too much time on this.

Thanks to the guys that posted up the solution to this obnoxious rattle noise; mine was only in pass. side rear, but did both sides.

FinallygotmyZ

Sorry to revive this old thread but I had a question.

I have KW Variant 2s which reuse the stock mounting hardware for the front and rear. I also ordered the KYB installation kit mentioned in this thread many times however as others have pointed out, the KYB Rubber bushing for the top is twice as thick as the standard busing and I cannot for the life of me figure out how you guys are getting the mount assembled.

When I try to assemble mine there are NO threads from the shock showing through the mount so I cant even get the nut started. I ended up having to cut one of them in half to get it put together and guess what... the rear clunk is present because of that.

I suspect that the thicker bushing is what is keeping the shock flange and the metal insert for the rear assembly from hitting... however even though the KW shock length is the same as factory, I CANNOT get it together.

Taroona

Finally got the kit from the US and fixed the problem.

Thanks Guys for your help

marino350

Had the rattle squeek for over two months now. It is driving me crazy.

Multiple workshops have looked at the rear suspension claiming nothing is wrong. Pulled all the interior trim out of the boot area, noise still there.

Replaced the rear shocks, noise still there....

My new KYB Shock mount kit came from Amazon today, just waiting for the OEM gaskets as mentioned above.... Hopefully this fixes the problem, it is driving me crazy!!!!!

dcains

iTrader: (15)

Don't use the OEM gaskets, which are just paper. Go to Lowe's, Home Depot, etc, and get some valve packing material in the plumbing aisle. It's a pink rubber sheet, maybe 3/16" thick, which you can cut to match the shape of the original gaskets. It comes in squares, maybe 4 or 5" across, so you need two of them, and they're just a few $ each.

marino350

Got the KYB mounts installed and new Nissan gaskets. No more noise. Quiet smooth ride agan.

Cheap fix for such an annoying proble.

icer5160

iTrader: (4)

This answer is a year late, but I just installed the KYB bushing kit on my 06 350Z and ran into the same issue. I don't have KW struts, mine are Koni Yellows, but as you mentioned the KYB kit's length is a bit longer than OEM. I assure you this is intentional because the conical shaped upper bushing is designed to compress down once you get the nut threaded and torqued to spec.

This was a bit of a pain, but I had to support the strut vertical/upright on my work bench and compress the bushings with one hand while trying to catch the threads with the nut using the other. Not a whole lot of force was needed to achieve this, no special tools required. The gap between the top of the metal disc and threads was only about 5mm before compressing in my case. There was enough give in the rubber bushing for me to get the nut started on the threads before I switched to using a wrench.

If the distance to close the gap is extreme, then you may have the bushing orientation wrong. Both the lower rubber bushing and upper rubber bushing can only go on one way. KYB's instructions included with the kit are useless, the ones I received showed illustrations for front shocks, none of the components referenced in the instructions were remotely close to what the rears look like.

I had to inspect the OEM bushings carefully and compare them to the KYB set to figure out the correct orientation.

Another thing to consider, if you have adjustable rear struts like my Koni Yellows, make sure you orient the adjustment housing on the strut so it's facing out before reinstalling the strut. I forgot about this when I installed the first strut and had to take the assembly back out to fix this. Not a whole lot of work, but annoying none-the-less.

Lastly, I noticed on my Z, the gasket between the strut mount plate and the wheel well cup was missing. I suspect the shop I had originally install the Koni Yellows just pitched them and never thought twice about it. I found some 12x12", 1/16" thick red silicone gasket material on Amazon that I used to make replacements with (pics below). It works great, no more noise! No more squeaks! Rear is very quiet now. Now it's time to do the fronts!
-Icer

MIKE D'S Z

I have a 2006 track model, and have had that rattle for years. Tried the different hatch fixes, & now I have new hope with the KYB kit. I have not replaced the struts yet, with over 200,000 miles on the clock, figured I mind as well replace the stock rear struts. along with the bushing kit. Anyone have any experience with the Tokico HP struts vs stock struts ? Is it a bad idea to just replace the rear struts now, and the fronts down the road ?

icer5160

iTrader: (4)

Hey Mike,

Although I don't have experience with Tokico HP struts, I wouldn't say replacing just the rears is necessarily a bad idea, however it's not considered "best practice." A bad idea would be replacing only 1 of the rear struts. Struts, just like tires, should be replaced in pairs (front or rear). If your front struts are not wet/weeping fluid, then you can probably hold off on replacing them.

Personally I would plan to do all 4 corners at the same time just to keep the mileage & maintenance interval easier to remember and plan for, but also to maintain appropriate rebound/dampening characteristics for both the front and rear. Having a mixed set of struts could adversely effect handling/cornering capabilities.

Regarding the struts, so long as the Tokico's were designed to fit your car, you shouldn't have much trouble with the bushing & strut installation, it's pretty straight forward for the rear struts.
Good Luck!
-Icer

dcains

iTrader: (15)

Even if the OEM front shocks were in good condition (which they're not @ 200K), installing just the rear Tokico shocks will increase the rear roll stiffness. This might result in an oversteer situation, which may not be easy to deal with. Just my $0.02, but I'd replace all 4 now, or wait until you can. It's a simple DIY, and there are planty of YouTube videos.

paperboy1964

I had the rattle/clacking from the driver side rear and replaced the shock top with the kit and installed the diamond shaped gasket trim which I purchased at the hardware store. Still had the rattle. Took a rubber mallet and tapped around. Found some asphalt rolling around in a heat shield and removed it. When I tapped that, it didn't seem like the sound I was hearing, so from other posts had read about loose springs in the e-brake. I tapped the brake caliper and it rattled. Tugged on it and it was slightly loose. My pads were a little wiggly too. I had to put a washer in the top bolt area of the caliper because it wouldn't snug up. The shimming tightened it up much better. The rattle is still on occasion, but definitely better. I'm going to look further at the pads area to get it gone, but if you're not having luck after the shock scenario, look at the brake shoes, calipers and anti rattle springs on the e-brake. It might be the solution for you.

paperboy1964

Update...got the wheel and caliper off again and found that the top anti rattle clip was missing. So the loose caliper and pads were the culprits. Bought new clips, applied grease to proper areas, cleaned brakes and reassembled. The rattle is gone. If it doesn't clear up after the shock update, I suggest you check your caliper, pads and clips. Hope this helps some you out there suffering from that dang rattle!