skybob

I just picked up a 98 Formula WS6 and it's making a terrible clanking sound coming fromt he back half of the car. I am sure it's not the rear end itself but something in the suspension. It has a Global West adjustable torque arm and Im thinking the bushings are bad. Am I crazy?

It makes the sound over any bump, under acceleration and braking. It's VERY noticable and I don't even dare drive the car.

I'm going to try tightening all the bolts Sunday when I have time and hope that cures it. Any suggestions?? It sounds like the car is bottoming out but it's not.

bryan04h

iTrader: (2)

are you sure one of the rear shocks aren't bad? go ahead and tighten the bolts but check the bushing for cracks....try pushing down on the rear part of your car and see if you hear that noise again..you may have a shock that is bad

raceme@you'dlose.com

If everything checks out with the arm and shocks. I had a similar problem a while back with mine. Sounding like something banging toward the rear end. It ended up being a broken motor mount that allowed the tranny to smack against the tunnel. I would of never guessed that it was that but after checking everything else 1000 times I started moving forward until I found it.

skybob

The shocks looks fairly new and aren't leaking anything. I know that doesn't mean they aren't bad though. Tried shaking the car up and down, got under it and hit/maved anything I could to try and reproduce the sound.

When the motor mount is broken can't you see it (engine) move more than normal under the hood? The engine twists a bit if I give it some RPM's but nothing more than it should (*I think)

bryan04h

iTrader: (2)

have you checked your tranny mount? just curious, do you have lt's with a ory? because that could be what the banging is if you didn't upgrade to prothane engine mounts

hndakilr

check the two long bolts that hold the torque arm on the rear of the vehicle
these can back themselves out and make noises.
i doubt its the bushing.. but you should crawl under the car and try to wiggle **** around. is it a click or a bang?

skybob

It's more of a bang. I have already crawled under and wiggled everything I could. Nothing really moves. The previous owner had just put the factory 10 bolt back in the car before I bought it and that's when it started making the noise or so I was told. I guess I'll just torque everything down and see what happens. Start simple and then move up right?

TA adam

yo are right it is the torqe arm mount, which is the bushing, my 3rd gen ta did it then my 98 ta did it it cost about 300 if you take it to a shop, but it is the bushing im not so sure if you can replace it on a adjustable torqe arm, i might be wrong though

raceme@you'dlose.com

Mine didn't move a lot sitting still revving it up so I couldn't immediately tell the motor mount was broke. They are clamshell mounts so they don't move a lot but under load they moved enough for the tranny to hit. I got poly mounts now and they are really nice and no banging around. But like I said earlier eliminate everything else before looking at the motor mounts. Torque arm, tranny mount, shocks, panhard and lower control arms.

waldershrek

iTrader: (1)

My buddy's car did this too after his TA got installed. He ended up getting a TA relocation bracket and it solved the problem