Rubbing the Strut (What Else Can It Be?)

[TheLazyDog]

both of those factors would cause it to touch. If your offset pushed the wheel further from the strut, and the tire isnt big enough to contact the strut, you wouldnt be touching the strut.
Not gonna read through the whole thread but you may also have a bent strut, where the spindle attaches at the bottom. If so, swap strut housings.

Thanks, but the title is misleading at this point.

After finding the marks of rubbing, I immediately thought rubbing was causing the noise. I know for sure it wasn't now.

so what is the topic at hand about if not the tire rubbing the strut?

I am trying to find what is making the noise.


Best, Matt!

[tn535i]

Sounds like it's driveshaft related to me. I thought I heard it chage as you load or unload the drivetrain. Rain and other pavement conditions may mask the noise but I bet it's still there.

[steve 87 535is]

I seem to agree with driveline related. Tranny whine, shaft bearing or diff noise??
Is it more noticable in third gear or does it happen in all gears?

[TheLazyDog]

Sounds like it's driveshaft related to me. I thought I heard it chage as you load or unload the drivetrain. Rain and other pavement conditions may mask the noise but I bet it's still there.

That sounds very likely. You are right, it is always there. And it does feel like it changes with drivetrain load.

I seem to agree with driveline related. Tranny whine, shaft bearing or diff noise??
Is it more noticable in third gear or does it happen in all gears?

It is not any more noticeable in any single gear.


I'm good as convinced it is the driveshaft. The support bearing or something. If Kyle were here I think he'd tell me to replace the whole driveshaft... is that about right?

Is there anything I can do to check and make sure it is driveshaft related?

[steve 87 535is]

You can put the rear wheels up in the air (all safety measures in place) and crawl under there with someone else "driving" it and see if you can pinpoint the noise location.
Or you can remove the heat shield and have a look at the center bearing.

[shagrath]

You can put the rear wheels up in the air (all safety measures in place) and crawl under there with someone else "driving" it and see if you can pinpoint the noise location.
Or you can remove the heat shield and have a look at the center bearing.

Could only present itself when there's a load... but worth a try.

[pleasefixitup]

Sounds like it's driveshaft related to me. I thought I heard it chage as you load or unload the drivetrain. Rain and other pavement conditions may mask the noise but I bet it's still there.

That sounds very likely. You are right, it is always there. And it does feel like it changes with drivetrain load.

I seem to agree with driveline related. Tranny whine, shaft bearing or diff noise??
Is it more noticable in third gear or does it happen in all gears?

It is not any more noticeable in any single gear.


I'm good as convinced it is the driveshaft. The support bearing or something. If Kyle were here I think he'd tell me to replace the whole driveshaft... is that about right?

Is there anything I can do to check and make sure it is driveshaft related?

how do you go from "rubbing the strut" to driveshaft!?

as steve said, put the rear wheels up and spin them. I actually did this "test" to pinpoint noise and it helps a lot.

do it first with the heat shield in place, that bugger can hit the drive shaft and cause noise that you probably wouldn't ever think to fix, well especially you, you probably would blame it on the wipers or something.

under load, everything moves just a bit--so you have to take that into account too!

so get under your car, and start from the front. check your motor mounts, then check your transmission mounts, check your shift linkage, check your exhaust "hangers", then spin the rear tires with the car off and just listen carefully to "rubbing" noises. if it's not your csb, it could be your trans or diff--but listen carefully.

then test with your heat sheild off. have fun getting those bolts off and don't lose them--they're a special type.

after that--do your trans and diff fluid, drive around and see if it's happening still.

[TheLazyDog]

how do you go from "rubbing the strut" to driveshaft!?

Me? Well I, especially, probably was having problems removing the lock cylinders on your dad's Camaro. So I went and blamed the driveshaft.

[pleasefixitup]

how do you go from "rubbing the strut" to driveshaft!?

Me? Well I, especially, probably was having problems removing the lock cylinders on your dad's Camaro. So I went and blamed the driveshaft.

I'm sorry that you can't fix your car, or diagnose it correctly.

Must be learning a lot in those automotive classes you're taking.

I remember what people say on this forum, go buy a honda civic, let the dealer fix it.

You should write another sticky on how to not fix your car

[TheLazyDog]

You can put the rear wheels up in the air (all safety measures in place) and crawl under there with someone else "driving" it and see if you can pinpoint the noise location.
Or you can remove the heat shield and have a look at the center bearing.

Thank you. This is a brilliant test. But I cannot preform it.

My dad allowed me to work under my car on a condition that I never do whist the engine is running.


Unless someone can tell me another way, I'll figure something out.

I'm sorry that you can't fix your car, or diagnose it correctly.

Must be learning a lot in those automotive classes you're taking.

I remember what people say on this forum, go buy a honda civic, let the dealer fix it.

You should write another sticky on how to not fix your car

Aw, don't be sorry.

I ditched automotive classes in favor of study hall.

Don't tell me what to do.

Keep an eye out for a new sticky.




Best, everyone!

[steve 87 535is]

Your dad is correct, so tell him to get under there while you work the controls!

If you can't find the noise with the wheels up and the engine off, you'll have to take it to a garage that can diagnose it for you.

[Jeremy]

Engine off, car up in the air, transmission in neutral. Rotate the driveshaft by hand and listen. You might want to remove the rear wheels to make it easier to turn.

[tn535i]

Even if you put it up in the air and run it you won't put the same loads on it that are experienced while driving. There is virtually no resistance as compared to acceleration and engine braking which is where driveline noises usually change pitch.

I think you need to do as suggested by Jeremy above and simply start listening carefully to individual components from underneath and maybe it will become clear which is the one singing. If you want to go further you could even start removing things like the drive axles and swap them side to side to see if it changes. While they are off is good time to isolate DS and diff noise. You could safely run the car up to high speeds with no drive axles in it btw. You can also put the clutch down with a board and see if there is much noise from the trans while in gear but then it becomes harder to turn things.

My son's e30 project car makes some whining noises and we have tryied briefly to isolate it as well. We think it might be the CSB which we should have replaced when we did the driveline. Since yours is high pitched I think spinning bearing rather than u-joint which sort of wiggles back and forth. So it could be trans, CSB, diff input for example. One easy test would be to simply loosen and change the preload on the CSB and see if it changes. It should if it is the CSB.