Stock rear suspension has popping sound when loaded up with weight

[quadna71]

Our newish 4R has a sound coming from the rear suspension. It only happens when there is a decent amount of weight inside, but I don't think it is overloaded in any way. For example, last night we had 4 people inside and it happened all the way to/from a restaurant. My in-laws are both slim and probably <150 each, my wife is about the same, and I'm more like 250. But there was nothing else in the vehicle...and each time you hit even the slightest bump there was a popping sound from the rear suspension. The ladies in the back seat both agreed that it is coming from the right rear side but that's all I can determine.

On our trip back home today it was my wife and I and a bunch of camping supplies in the back. The heaviest item was a battery-powered cooler loaded with food but it was still enough that we heard it occasionally when crossing some small frost heaves on the road.

We have heard it before and I tried to locate it once. I had loaded the back up with bottled water and canopy weights and it was enough to reproduce the sound when driving, but I couldn't find anything wrong when laying underneath and tugging on everything.

Any ideas? Anyone heard of others having the same issue? I know I can call the dealer and let them figure it out as it only has 3400 miles on the odometer, but I'd like to have some due diligence accomplished before going to the trouble of setting up an appointment.

Thanks!

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[TyRoosevelt]

There are a lot of people who are having issues in the rear. It is not necessarily the suspension. What I would do is get a mechanic’s stethoscope and have someone push the vehicle up and down from behind and see where the sound is coming from.

Also move the tires back and forth rapidly and see if you have any brake noise. I would tell you to take it to the dealer but they are generally worthless if you can’t pinpoint the noise somewhat. I had a similar noise in the rear and it turned out to be the calipers. Told the dealer it was the calipers and they said it was the transmission making normal sounds. It was the calipers.

 

[Cranberry]

Unfortunately i agree with TyRoosevelt.

the one thing Toyota is terrible at is diagnosing sounds.

your best bet is to have somone else drive the vehicle while you sit in the back and try to search out or pinpoint where the sound is coming from.

go to a gravel road or gravel pit or some place where its safe and you can just do laps at a safe speed while you investigate in the back.

i had a similar issue on my Gen 5 that i swore was the rear hatch area, but after trying the method i just noted now, i pinpointed the sound to the moonroof rails.

best of luck!

 

[DannyvanDelft]

Our newish 4R has a sound coming from the rear suspension. It only happens when there is a decent amount of weight inside, but I don't think it is overloaded in any way. For example, last night we had 4 people inside and it happened all the way to/from a restaurant. My in-laws are both slim and probably <150 each, my wife is about the same, and I'm more like 250. But there was nothing else in the vehicle...and each time you hit even the slightest bump there was a popping sound from the rear suspension. The ladies in the back seat both agreed that it is coming from the right rear side but that's all I can determine.

On our trip back home today it was my wife and I and a bunch of camping supplies in the back. The heaviest item was a battery-powered cooler loaded with food but it was still enough that we heard it occasionally when crossing some small frost heaves on the road.

We have heard it before and I tried to locate it once. I had loaded the back up with bottled water and canopy weights and it was enough to reproduce the sound when driving, but I couldn't find anything wrong when laying underneath and tugging on everything.

Any ideas? Anyone heard of others having the same issue? I know I can call the dealer and let them figure it out as it only has 3400 miles on the odometer, but I'd like to have some due diligence accomplished before going to the trouble of setting up an appointment.

Thanks!

Do you have bigger than stock tires? If so, the added weight is making them rub. The popping noise is the tread popping against what it's rubbing on.

 

[127.0.0.1]

take off the ark guards, can you recreate the issue ?
if yes
take off whatever you added to the roof (solar panels), still have an issue ?

 

[quadna71]

Do you have bigger than stock tires? If so, the added weight is making them rub. The popping noise is the tread popping against what it's rubbing on.

No, stock tires & wheels.

 

[quadna71]

take off the ark guards, can you recreate the issue ?
if yes
take off whatever you added to the roof (solar panels), still have an issue ?

I did pull off the ARK panels as I determined the one on the left was making a creaking sound where it contacted the frame. As I only had the rears installed it was a quick removal. I intend to put them back on once I clearance that one spot a little with an oscillating multitool a little. I did pull off the solar panel too and it didn't eliminate the sound so I put it back on. Aside from floor mats, everything else is pretty much stock. So I'm back to square one. Looking into putting a GoPro underneath to see if that helps me see something.

 

[127.0.0.1]

is the bottle jack secure ?

 

[quadna71]

Hmm...I did not check that. It's in the left compartment in back, right? I'll check that tomorrow. But the devil's advocate in me wonders how that could cause the clunk if it only happens when the suspension is taxed with weight.

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