Clunk from rear. Any ideas?

[Rav]

Hello All,

I've got a 98 SHO with 81k on the clock. I've had a clunk that comes whenever I go over a dip in the road or one tire goes over a *** hole. The clunk doesn't seem to happen during normal driving on paved roads and if the tires go over a speed bump at the same time there's not a clunk then.

The struts where replaced about 5k ago and the clunk is still there.

Apart from that and a slight surging idle the sho is running fine.

Any ideas on this one?

Thanks,

Rav.

 

[1993MTXSHO]

maybe a broken rear sway bar endlink?

 

[ultimatesho]

maybe a broken rear sway bar endlink?

or the bushins worn out lettin the sway bar grind aginst the link........just found out the other day thats whats wrong with my 92

also have u replaced ur strut mounts?????

 

[Rav]

or the bushins worn out lettin the sway bar grind aginst the link........just found out the other day thats whats wrong with my 92

also have u replaced ur strut mounts?????

The strut mounts were replaced with the struts.

Is there any methods to confirm whether it is the bushings? We've had the car on a lift a few times and can't see anything broken or obviously worn.

 

[ultimatesho]

i had mine jacked up and looked up at the link.....one entire bushin is gone (assumin the idot of a previous owner forgot it).......the second is dry rotted badlly

 

[HootUSMC]

surround the body with dirty laundry, it won't shift as much

 

[NebraskaSHO]

Strut mount is bad. I had 3 bad ones last spring when I had everything fixed.

 

[Rav]

Guys,

So if the strut mount is bad and I rock the car up and down should I be able to hear the clunking?

 

[Mr95Gl]

I would disconnect the endlinks to rule them out.

 

[SHOZ123]

Broken spring. You can't see it without taking the strut assembly out if it's broke near the top. Same thing happened to me a couple years ago.

 

[Rav]

Broken spring. You can't see it without taking the strut assembly out if it's broke near the top. Same thing happened to me a couple years ago.

I would have thought we would have seen that when we changed the struts out. I had some very knowledgeable Gen1 and Gen2 guys from the Arizona SHO club help me out with it, so we would have had a couple of guys pass their eyes over the spring.

One thing that I noticed coming into work, is that the clunk is definitely more noticeable when one tire goes through a dip first and then the other. For example if the left tire goes through I don't really hear anything, then with the right tire go through I hear the clunk. I'll try and get someone to ride in the back and see if it sounds high or low.

As a full disclosure, I did get the rear sway bar changed a good while back and the clunk thinking about it has been around since at least then though I don't remember if I had it before.

Thanks for all the comments/help please keep them coming.

 

[SHOZ123]

Sorry didn't see that the cluck was what initiated the strut replacement.

 

[Rav]

Sorry didn't see that the cluck was what initiated the strut replacement.

No problems. Really appreciate the help and the ideas.

 

[Rav]

Okay guys,

When the car is parked, but engine on and running and me bouncing up and down in the trunk, the clunk is no where to be found.

I tried bouncing up and down on the left then right door sills and in the trunk.

Going down the road the clunk is there.

Any ideas?

 

[SHOZ123]

We need videos of you jumping up and down on the sills....

But if it isn't the springs or mounts, then it is either the sway bar bushings, broken swaybar end, swaybar endlinks or the tension rod bushings.

I suppose it could also ne the rear arm bushing too.