Need help from my fellow Zeders!

[Lee]

Right I'm pretty good when it comes to fixing or carrying out out any work on my cars but this dilemma I have is a new one that I have herd very little about.

So far I have managed 10,000 faultless miles (This Year) in my M until last weekend. A very loud rattle sound has developed passenger side rear. I recently changed a lot of the suspension parts so that was my first place to check.

No luck there so I got some time to get the car up on a ramp today and went round tapping things with a rubber mallet and when I hit the bottom of the fuel tank "JESUS" did it make a rattling sound.

On the corrosion side of things under my M their is very little but I could see that most of the rubber contacts that sit round the fuel tank band were missing, in fact the bottom ones are present but I couldn't see any further up.

So this leads me onto what to do next Can I/Do I:

a) buy some new rubber pads remove the strap fit new pads to support the tank.

B) or have to drop the whole rear subframe and go through it all thoroughly

I'm hoping someone has come across an easier fix. When I hit the tank it almost sounds like something is rattling on top of it to.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Lee

 

[zedonist]

Usual culprits are the fuel tank straps or the handbrake cable or internal tensioner slack or loose, easy one on the handbrake, just pull up one notch and drive about if it is this the knocking will go.

If it is not the above, then you can have a broken rear spring, or the ARB bush ( dog one) may have walked off the end.

As it's an //M check your boot floor and diff carrier welds.

Just a few of the common things which can easily be checked hope it helps

 

[Lee]

Thanks Zedonist but the problem is the fuel tank I checked this today.

I'm after another way to sort the problem without having to drop the rear subframe.

Lee

 

[zedonist]

I am sure it can be done without removing the rear subframe, but can be a bugger.

 

[Aceman]

It can be done without removing the straps, the pads are basically neoprene foam that has self adhesive on one side so if you loosen one strap at a time you can squeeze them onto the inside of the straps if you relieve some of the weight of the tank but make sure you do this with an empty tank to make the job easier. However I think if you want to renew the entire strap particularly if they are corroded I do think you need to drop the subframe to get them out for at least one of them. I know @PeterJ has had his replaced so maybe he can give you more details on what is exactly involved.

 

[GazHyde]

I know @Peter J has had his replaced so maybe he can give you more details on what is exactly involved.

You tagged the wrong @PeterJ Ian

 

[Aceman]

Oops

 

[Lee]

That would be good if the right peter "Please stand up"

 

[PeterJ]

This is the other Peter J & I also had the fuel tank rattle. Replaced the pads, but the soon came off again as the metal strap and metal tensioner had seen better days ..yes, it's a big job and drop the rear sub frame ...if you are going to do it, then I suggest you do as I did and replaces everything in one go: Strap & pads, Tensioner & pads & the big pad that goes on top of the tank. I did not do the work myself, so cannot give you more details apart from my engineer said it is not an easy job ...but it did fix the rattle OK

 

[Aceman]

Sorry Peter how on earth could I get you confused with anyone else, what was I thinking.

 

[Lee]

Thanks guys something I will tackle over the summer.