How do I Fix the rattle in front end of 1998 Lexus ES300?

Answer 1

Answer

Check suspension parts for wear or looseness
Strut mounts, bushings etc.

If its a rattle on slow speeds while going over road imperfections try this:

Here is what i did:

I bought a silicone based spray lubricant (for metal to non-metal surface contacts) from O'reilly parts store for $3.99. I tried looking for this in Autozone but could not find it there.

Open the hood and from the top found the place where the strut mounts are positioned. Each of the strut mounts are on the extreme left and right side close to the passenger compartment just above where the tires are located. You can see these when you open the hood. Just look for 3 large bolts with a cup type depression in the middle with a central bolt. If you touch the inside of the cup, you can feel the rubber.
All I did was spray the lubricant near around the boundary between the inside wall of the strut mount and the round-shaped rubber piece at the centre of the strut mount. I sprayed a few times changing the position of the spray each time. Basic idea was to get some of the lubricant around the surface between the rubber and metal.

I did this first for the right side since that was where the problem seemed worse. After an hour or so, I drove the car and the noise from the right side was completely gone. I couldn't believe it. I could still hear the rattling noise from the left side.

So I repeated the procedure for the left side as well and the car was completely rattle free. It was an amazingly simple solution and worked wonders.

Here is my hypothesis on why it works: The rubber piece between the metal contacts acts as a dampener. When it hardens,