i have this "tapping" noise that i cant seem to source. its definitely coming from the left rear strut brace. it sounds like when i tap the tip of a screw driver to the bare metal chassis of the rear strut brace.

i can reproduce the sound by holding onto the rear fender and pulling the car up and down (bouncing the suspension)... when i gain enough momentum bouncing the car up and down, the tapping sound occurs.

i tightened every bolt i could think of but no luck... weird!!!

--- by the way, this happened after installing a set of coilovers. every other side is fine, except this rear left side.

any ideas where i can check ??? this is driving me nuts haha

 

btw, my wonderful fiance even dove right into the back trunk while i drive on bumpy roads to reproduce this noise... she fit in the trunk! hahaha

 

when I first got my Z, I had this same exact noise that you are describing,
E
nded taking every plastic panel out and weather sealed the panels with a combination of foam and dynamat. Put everything back together and the sound was gone.

I think it might be one of the wires (trunk release, light wire, tailight brake wire) that is tapping against the metal frame of the floor or strut tower. I noticed most of the wires were covered in foam where it was in direct contact with the frame, but not every part of the wired was covered.

 

yeah i did that too... i gutted the trunnk... and put things back together.

i'm gona jack up my car an re-inspect my coilover.

 

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH




this noise is driving me insane now.

i totally gutted the trunk and the sound is definitely coming from the rear left brace SOMEWHERE inside or something... its definitely not a wire tapping sound. its metallic.

i am going insane -- i cant find the source of this noise.

 

Did you try tightening the two bolts that connect the struts/ shocks to the chasis?

I left one bolt a little loose one time while I was installing my coilovers. I took a roll around the block to test out the height of the car, and the shock was tapping against the chasis/ brace tower just like you described it.

Re-torque those bolts to 60+lbs. Look at pic. below...

( I dunno why I say this, since you've probably done it already but its a possible remedy for others who might experience a tapping noise.)




If you already tried that, then your best bet is to take it into the dealer and have them re-torque everything associated with the axle and rear-sus. geometry.
I remember reading about someone who had a similar problem and had their "axle flanges" re-torqued and it was resolved.

Good luck man, I totally feel ya... f*ck any clicking and clanging noises they drive me nuts too.

 

thanks for your reply

i double checked them bolts.... i think i'm 90% sure its coming from INSIDE the rear left strut brace chassis.

so i'm about to jack up the car once again, and totally disassemble the install and redo it.

 

60ft/lb??? thats triple what the service manual states (20ft/lbs)

i tried to fix this once and for all this weekend but i failed. i basically took apart the springs and the coilover and inspected the wheel well inside out. i couldnt find the source of the tapping noise...
when i reinstalled everything again, i tightened those two bolts on top damn snug, and every other bolt to spec. damn!!!!!

i'm pretty certain this issue is caused by something other than the suspension install. it REALLY seems like it is coming from aroudn the strut bar.. like a loose weld or something.

[edit]: i forgot to mention, i put back the stock damper too just to check if it came from the coilover damper itself.... no luck

 

Did you try putting the stock damper on (leaving the coil-over spring in place)?

 

yeah. no luck..

 

Yeah sorry about the 60 lb/ft torque, that is WAAAY too much.

You can tighten that much, but you'll definitely get by with alot less and some Loctite. On second thought, I don't recommend anyone to tighten that much, you risk breaking that little bolt.

20lbs just seemed a little too weak at the time.




It HAS to be inside your strut brace/ chasis then, that's the only place we really can't access except through where the strut sits itself against the chasis. (Damn you Nissan!)

Those hightech pen cameras with night vision would come in handy right about now.

 

have you tried shimming the top strut bracket with a gasket before you tighten those two bolts? ....the tapping noice should go away.