Sweet sweet victory is mine.
So a bit of back story, a few months ago, I starting hearing really bad knocking/rattling/noise from the back end. It truly sounded like a heat shield was loose, or maybe a muffler stay. Anyhow, I had it up on a lift some time ago and pryed various things and found nothing loose. It sounds terrible in the parking garage at work, because low speed, and enclosed garage makes the noise like a bazillion times worse. Functionally, I experienced no issues. It was driving me mad. So much that I took it to 3 different mechanics (my trusted one included) and they couldn't hear it, or figure it out. I live in indiana, so weather has been a bit nuts for me lately, so diagnosing myself isn't possible in the cold because my garage just barely fits my honda accord - much less the burb. So it was 58 yesterday and about 60 today, so it was time to tackle all the little things I needed to do on the burb, including finding this noise. My mechanic who replaced the torque converter last week thought it was maybe the shocks, and I should note I put brand new billsteins on....when you might ask? oh about a few months ago. See where I'm going with this?
I get the rear jacked up and pull off the wheel, and when I throw my box end on the inside nut, it was loose. Like really freakin loose. The bolt rattling around inside the mount, mind you...not the nut. So I heave and ** and get the nut and bolt out and remove the shock. I place the replacement shock that I had grabbed in there, and it was a loose as the billstein. Hmm. So I go to the bolt and nut, and sure enough, the nut only gets about 1/2" onto the threads before completely locking up. It was like it was cross threaded, but it wasnt. Corrosion, etc I'm sure is gumming up the threads. Anyhow, I throw the bolt in the vice, and run the nut up and down bolt a bunch of times until its nice and smooth, and drop a little kroil on it during reinstall. Popped the billstein back in, tightened up all the bolts with their new found smoothness, and boom problem gone. I'm glad it was a simple fix, but duhhhh why didnt the mechanics find it!?
I also replaced the front ball joints per my expectations. Remember to lower the car before you grease your joints folks.....dont ask me how I know