What are the causes of chassis noise during low-speed driving?
3 Answers
Chassis noise causes: It could be due to misalignment of the engine mounting pads, causing certain components to resonate or vibrate during operation, leading to friction between adjacent parts. Of course, the possibility of noise caused by damaged parts cannot be ruled out. Below is relevant information: 1. Specific causes: Damage, deformation, or detachment of the support plate, damping spring plate, or guide plate of the disc brake's brake shoe can increase the gaps around the brake shoe and caliper support frame, causing them to collide and produce noise. Deformed parts can be repaired at a repair shop, and detached parts should be replaced. 2. Front suspension ball joint noise: The gap between the ball joint and its seat becomes larger, causing severe looseness. Since the ball joint seat is a sealed structure and cannot be disassembled, encountering this situation requires replacement at a repair shop.
That day I was driving my small truck for delivery, and the chassis kept creaking at low speed, like it was haunted. Veteran drivers all know this is most likely a suspension issue – when the triangular arm bushings age, they squeak; when the tie rod ball joints wear out, they clunk over bumps. Last time my car had a shock absorber leak, it sounded like banging a metal drum when turning at low speed. Rusty brake pad backplates can also produce metal scraping noises, and loose exhaust pipe hangers are even more common, rattling with every bump. Such problems need immediate fixing—if something happens at high speed, it could be dangerous. I check the tightness of bolts under the chassis every month, after all, abnormal noises from the chassis are warning signals from the vehicle.
I often drive my kids to school, and when slowly going over speed bumps, I hear a thumping noise from the chassis. The mechanic said it might be due to cracked stabilizer bar bushings—those black rubber blocks lose their cushioning effect when they split. Broken rear suspension springs can also cause metallic knocking sounds, like what happened with my neighbor’s SUV. A torn CV boot leaking grease can create a clicking noise, and unevenly worn brake discs may squeal during low-speed braking. Once, I traced a rattle to loose tools rolling around in the trunk. A cracked plastic underbody shield hit by a rock can also flap against the chassis, making a clattering sound—zip ties can fix that.
