Chasing rear end clunks.....

[TRicker]

well, i need your help SHO experts..... i've searched a bit, and started fixing things. here's what i've got.

in the rear, distinctively in the driver's side rear of the car. i have a hollow sounding clunk. it does it the most on cracks in the road, and small potholes (chipped up spots in the road)

the car has: tokiko struts, eibach springs.

i replaced the rear sway bar end links with the "moog" end links, and replacement stock strut mount bushings. the bushings were all out, and the swaybar was able to move around before i fixed everything.

there is now less clunking, but still some.

i tightened down the strut mounts on top (13mm bolts, three on each strut)

they were not loose.

the car sits up in the rear quite nicely. the sound cannot be heard on hard bumps, but more jittery bumps than anything. this leads me to believe that the struts are fine, but i could be wrong. is there anything else i can check?

i see there are rods that run with the length of the car like trailing arms (sorry i dont know what they are really called) and i have not checked the nuts on those. could the bushings be out? what else makes clunks on these things frequently? the spare tire is tied down securely and i took out the jack. i'm at a loss really, i dont think its the struts, it rides nice still, and doesnt seem to bounce back fast when i load the rear suspension with my weight. any input is greatly appreciated.

 

[Ishodu]

Just for fun remove that rear wheel then with the car jacked up check under the protective boot on the strut, you should beable to get to it though the spring. Anyway lift it up and check to make sure the big nut that holds the insert in the housing has not come loose. I have had this happen to me.

 

[Racer X]

Check the strut rod to chassis receiver for horizontal and vertical play.

 

[TRicker]

thanks for the ideas guys. i'll check this stuff out soon.

 

[SHO SPD]

Check the sway bar links too.

 

[TRicker]

as my post states, the rear swabar mount bushings and end links are all brand new. just replaced them last week. i thought that was the source of my clunk but that isnt it.

 

[rubydist]

This falls in the "I'm sure your smart enough to have done this..." category, but one of mine had a clunk in the rear that turned out to be the jack/spare/jack handle not secured properly in the little well in the trunk...

 

[TRicker]

yeah. i took out the jack (have a full sized one in the case in the trunk) and i secured the spare so well i probably wont be able to get it out any day soon lol.... that's all figured out. it's gotta be something to do with one of the suspension arms or a strut. i'll keep you guys posted. thanks for all the info

 

[SHO SPD]

Oh, my bad I missed the end link part. Maybe check the upper strut mount itself.

 

[itwonder]

I had some rattling in the sway bar that went away when I got rid of the Moog bolt-type end link replacement and went back to the factory stud-type end link. Disconnect the sway bar temporarily to see if it is the source of the noise.

I have an intermittent pop that sounds like a rear strut rod. This mystifies me because the strut rod bushings are all new Moog. The struts, springs, and mounts are all new too. There was no noise before I replaced all of that stuff.