What could possibly clunk in rear axle area?

[weba]

My black car has always been a clunking clanking bastard, like it would be 20 years older.

Currently my passenger side rear axle is making my mad with excess noises it makes at bumps and rough road.

Bushings are less than one year old, shocks and shock mounts are 2 years old and in perfect shape, so they should not make any noises.

Springs should not make any noises, They are 8 year old Eibach set that has compressed quite low. But if it hit's the bump stop, that should not make the sound I hear.

Also, my trunk is completely empty at the time, that cannot be the sound source.

I'd first guess that the exhaust is hitting the fuel tank, but it's on other side of the car.... So I'm totally clueless what's making the annoying clunking

Ideas? I was thinking about wheel hub, but it's not making any sound on flat road.

[Barry]

Does it change if you hit bumps while applying brakes or ebrake? That could eliminate a lot of brake components.

I guess the ebrake cable could be slack and smacking the cross beam.

The fuel tank could be loose

Rear bumper support loose

Just some ideas

[weba]

To update:

Only possible thing I've found that could probably clunk is:



8 year old Eibach springs have lost their tension and whole coil seems to compress together..

If it's not this what's making the noise, something has torn apart inside the body, so It cannot be seen from the outside\underside...

[Barry]

It could be coil bind making the noise. Do you have any extra springs you could try to see if its the issue?

[weba]

Just the stupid high FE1 springs on my parts car, Thrown everything else away already

The noise I hear is much louder than I expect to come from here. Funny thing I can't re-produce it when car is stationary, but every single surface crack on the road....

[berettaboi]

which rear sway bar do you have? the piggy back z51 or addco? could it not be tight enough on the axle? brake drum shoes like mentioned, but not really likely unless a spring broke off inside (in which case you would no for sure). shock mounts if they got loosened somehow... which rear shocks do you have? did the bottom bolt have any play through them? tossing out thoughts.

the pic you provided does tell you that could be your issue though,

[weba]

Addco biggypacked to stock bar. Kyb shocks and mounts, all tightly bolted down. I don't think it's the brakes since there is no difference in the clunk when e-brake is applied.

The sound I head is more like hard, like it's coming from the body it self. Might have to re-check the bumper tightness, haven't tried that yet.

[berettaboi]

are you sure the inside shock tower area is in good shape? it is common in these cars to rot... i'm sure you would have noticed that though. maybe look for separation in the metal panels? unlikely, but i don't know how hard you drive around corners (how much stress you put on there!)

which car did you repair the spring mounts on?

[weba]

This is the car where I did the spring plate repair recently. Drivers side of the shock tower was the one that had rot, passenger side (where the clunk comes from) seems about solid.

Not ruling out something internally wrong in the body. I guess I'd need a set of new rear springs and spring insulators. But do I really want to spend money to this car anymore is another thing.

[DOHC_tuner]

Trailing arm? IDK Ive heard its an issue on the Jbodys. Im not a suspension GURO so IDK if the Lbody has a different set up.

[speedy]

eibachs have a lifetime warrenty, send them an email!!!! lol.

[berettaboi]

recheck you welds on the spring perches, maybe a spot was too thin to weld on? or a weld broke? take a further look into that if the noises are new since you did that work.


My front drivers control arm has some play in the front bolt hole... i dont want to tear it apart to put a "sleeve" in to tighten it up... pretty ridiculous... new last year, Dorman i'm pretty sure, from rockauto... same brand as most control arms are that you can find.

[3X00-Modified]

eibachs have a lifetime warrenty, send them an email!!!! lol.

I'd love to hear what they would say about a discontinued item.

[weba]

Their warranty rules are complete joke, I bet not many has ever applied to it.

Read from here

[3X00-Modified]

Once you install these springs the vehicle is modified... So yeah damn that's a joke...

(3) INSTALLED IN ANY VEHICLE THAT HAS BEEN MODIFIED;

And we all know we install these so there goes number 1

THIS WARRANTY DOES NOT APPLY TO ANY PRODUCTS:
(1) THAT HAVE BEEN IMPROPERLY INSTALLED OR HAVE NOT BEEN PROPERLY INSTALLED BY A QUALIFIED, LICENSED AUTO MECHANIC EXPERIENCED IN THE INSTALLATION AND REMOVAL OF SUSPENSION PRODUCTS;
(2) THAT HAVE BEEN IMPROPERLY SERVICED, THAT HAVE BEEN MISUSED, OR THAT HAVE BEEN MODIFIED, ALTERED OR SUBJECTED TO ABUSE, NEGLIGENCE, ACCIDENT OR COLLISION;