Rav4 Rear Suspension Options

[akiat]

Rear suspension has a clunking noise which comes and goes. No visible damage. Anyone have similar problems or ideas on what this might be?

[alanair]

Rear suspension has a clunking noise which comes and goes. No visible damage. Anyone have similar problems or ideas on what this might be?

I traced the same thing in my recently purchased 1997 4-door 2WD 'L' to cheap aftermarket gas shocks. New KYBs ride smoother and run utterly silent. The old shocks were REALLY stiff and made the handling very responsive, but it had a bone-jarring and noisy ride on rough roads. Good riddance!

[vbarrett]

Ah yes! I too experience this on my 94 2dr Rav. I have had it checked about 3yrs ago when the sound was barely there and came up nil. The only suggestion made by a Toyota dealer at the time was that a moving exhaust muffler/pipe may be causing it which obviously wasnt the problem since the noise could sometimes be heard whilst driving on a relatively smooth road at slow speeds!

It has gotten worse over the years and I think its about time I tried to solve it again.
Not sure what brand of shocks are fitted on mine and they havnt been changed since I bought the Rav back in 2002.

[Miosix]

Do any one know the replacement life span of RAV shock absorber? My RAV recorded 120K KM, equivalent to 75K Mile. Do you think it is time to replace them, I meant both front and rear.

Thanks

[Yoda]

Most shock makers will tell you to replace shocks after 50,000 miles (or 80,000 kms). I usually get more than that out of them.