It's an 02 TA with 22,000 miles. It has the factory wheels but with the BFG KD TA"s mounted on them.

Recently I've noticed a thud noise coming from the right rear when hitting large pot holes or those nasty narrow but tall speed bumps. It also makes this sound occassionally when angling into a parking lot when turning right from a road where there is a dip. It almost sounds like the tire is coming up and hitting the rim of the wheel well. However, I know this isn't true as I can find no scrape marks on the edge of the tire. I've checked out the Bump backs (those rubber bumpers that stop the axle) they seem to have plenty of rubber left on them... It has an aftermarket cat back but it's had that for many years now and it's never been a problem. I can find no where it's making any kind of contact. Could it be the shocks? They aren't leaking and the car has very little mileage on it so it seems strange that the shocks would be bad?

I'm at a loss to figure out what it could be that's causing this strange sound, So, I thought I'd ask here for any suggestions or past experiences others may have had?

 

Hello
Here is a few suggestions! Check your bushings in the control arms (Maybe bad) and make sure all the hardware is tight! If you have any other questions feel free to ask and I will be glad to help.
Thanks
Brad

 

Thanks Brad,

I'm going to take a closer look at it this afternoon to see what I discover...

 

Well as I said I checked everything out this afternoon and found nothing. I checked all bolts, bushings, lug nuts, spare tire and jack anything and everything. I haven't a clue what it is that could be making that sound. It drives perfectly fine down the road no reason to think anything is out of wack... Hit a speed bump or a sizeable pot hole and it sounds like the whole rearend fell off.

I was looking at the Bump stops and they look plenty thick (about 3") but how thick is enough? If they are worn enough they could be just at the limit where it would let a tire hit the out edge of the wheel well, that's what I'm thinking? Those BFG KD T/A's even at the proper size are a tad larger tread width than the factory Goodyear Eagle F1-GS.

I just don't understand what it is that's making that noise? Anyhow I have a couple of Bump stops coming UPS in a few days maybe that will help? Never hurts to replace something that's getting old and will need replacing eventually. I also noticed the new ones are made from a different material (it's white not black like OEM) but they are OEM parts? Maybe they learned the old type just didn't last and changed to a better rubber compound for new OEM versions?

 

I have the same sound/problem with mine.

im going to recheck my lca's and relocation brackets this weekend.

 

I would double-check the lower control arm bolts, they need like 80+ lb-ft of torque so even if they feel tight, when the weight of the car is on them when you hit a bump it could have play. I had a similar issue and that was the fix.

 

I've went over and over this car and I can't find anything that could be at fault. I've driven it as is since my orginial post and it still has the same issue. The funny thing it only comes from the right rear? I can go over RR tracks and no thud but if that right rear wheel drops off into a pot hole... Thud...

I'm begining to think it's a shock but I don't see where it's ever leaked? That of course doesn't mean it's still good...

 

A few months ago i was returning from a road trip and went to pass a car. Well, along this stretch of highway they had those round metal things that are located along the yellow line that divides the two lanes. When my left rear tire passed over those things it gave a slight bump as it would in any car, nothing unusal about it. However when the right rear tire passed over them I thought it was going to beat the car silly... So I ask is this not a faulty shock?

 

Check you exhaust hangers(loose,bent,broken, bushing worn/loose), and the over axle pipe( shiny wear marks from axle contact, or from PHB brace contact).

 

Thanks but I've checked all that sort of thing and nothing is hitting. Yet the only time I get that thud is when the right rear drops off into a pot hole just right. I can cross a RR track that's very rough and not get that thud...