metallic clank at rear

[themoog]

Driving with the window down I can hear metallic clank or rattle from the rear when the wheels hit sharp bumps or pot holes.
Could it be the subframe bushes? I've been under the car with a rubber mallet tapping here and there and if I hit the frame where the bushes are it sounds very similar to what I hear when driving..
Is there a way to confirm if they are shot? It wouldn't surprise me if it is them judging by the state of the front bushes.

[toonarmy]

Rear bushes can make all sorts of noises mate but best way if you have the money is to replace all back end as you fix frame bushes then something else takes the strain if it worn it will rattle and so on

[themoog]

Ive had a gander at the subframe bushes and I cant see anything wrong. Driving again today with the window down and listening hard I think its probably rear brake related-either something in the drum or the caliper pads rattling.

[SLX530]

One of your Rose Bushes is probably knackered. Common failing from around 120k miles apparently. Took me a while to diagnose with the car on the ground but if you get the wheel up in the air and give it a good pull from underneath,  you should feel some abnormal movement and a dull clunk. If you're handy with the spanners, it's a relatively easy job with help from YouTube and providing you have or buy the rose bush tool. The bushes are cheap from eBay depending on quality and the tool is 45-80 quid - the cheapest works fine. Personally,  I would recommend replacing both sides coz if one is bad the other soon will be too. Plus if you replace both with quality parts, then you can sell the tool on in the knowledge that it's good for another 100k miles.

[themoog]

I had it jacked up from under the lower suspension arm and the wheel was not under load. There was no play or clunks. It passed the MOT last week also.
It sounds just like a coil has broken off a coil spring and is sitting rattling on the spring plate (I've had that happen to an E39), however, I don't have coil springs on the rear of the X5...
I'm going back under it again later to have a look.

[SLX530]

I thought it was the exhaust heat shield loose on mine every time I hit a speed bump or pot hole so didn't occur that itcould have been a bush as the wheel had no sidewalls play.  When I grabbed the bottom and top if the wheel and really pulled at the bottom I eventually felt the play and heard the dull metal on metal clunk which is obviously louder under 2 ton load . Didn't think it was a fail on MOT either, but could be.... So that's me out....fingers crossed for you. 

[themoog]

Well, I have been under again... I found the offside brake pipe could rattle against the body but that was a different noise. I fixed that anyway. After bashing everything with a hammer I noticed that the only things that make the sound I hear when driving are one of the big washers under a subframe bush and the main centre driveshaft. A sort of hollow clank. I will keep searching until I find it.
The problem is that under the car I can't replicate driving over pot holes in the road and bashing the suspension.

[X5Sport]

See if you can find an illegal immigrant to volunteer.......

[toonarmy]

OMG it's 2016 you can't say that  ) ) ) ) ) ) )

[themoog]

Ive narrowed it down to the offside rear hub. Its either the caliper or something inside the drum. Its coming off tomorrow for investigation.