DrkPhynx

Well, I wouldn't suggest it be a permanent thing, just a test to see if the clunking goes away. If so, then you've narrowed the source down and can address it.

Roadhouse

iTrader: (8)

I have SLP bolt on SFC (convertible) and UMI single rod end LCA's on it now with the rod end at the axle. The clunk started when I had boxed stockers installed on the car. It seems to be coming from the right rear wheel area around the R/R seat. I've looked at the LCA, PHB, T. Arm, backing plate, caliper mount, exhaust, spare tire and jack and even put in 1/2" bolts in the LCA's to take up any slop that the stock metric bolts had. Maybe there is an issue with the axle on that side cuz I don't know where else to look.

BrentHamm

iTrader: (15)

Wow guys..i just today got UMI weld in subframe connectors and adjustable panhard bar installed, and i too have a strange clunk sound over small bumps.

I cannot see any problems underneath. Wierd...cannot believe i found this thread. The car is way more solid, and some rattles and other noises are now gone.

Also...stange..but i went over a bridge (nothing serious, just some little bumps) at around 90mph and it felt really...hmmm..loose over there. Strange. It did not feel like that before.

Will look more later and try and figure out whats happening.

Roadhouse

iTrader: (8)

Keepin it alive...

dopy

My clunking sound started when I put on my Rod/Rod PHB.
I'm thinking of putting my Poly/Poly Adj hotchkis PHB back on.

ErikElvis

iTrader: (1)

I had no clunking before the headers. After would get an intermittent clunk. I think my kooks Y hits the SLP SFC's in certain situations. And always keep the poly parts lubed.

DrkPhynx

This is what I'm fearing and why I suggested Bat try his stock one again. Seems rod/rod PHB and clunking are forming quite the pattern (even though I get the impression that they aren't supposed to).

DGOETZ

Check the following:
LCA Bolts may be loose. Loctite is OK but I prefer a prevailing torque nut.

Cars with headers generally lower the exhaust which then hits the tunnel brace.

Spherical rod ends on the LCAs will often have a jam nut make sure it is tight

See look I can post without upsetting the moderators.

Oh one other SFC's when install properly, don't make noise but they certainly will transmit it.

DrkPhynx

I got under my car yesterday and looked around. The UMI PHB wasn't resting on it's side.... can't think of how to put that, when I installed it, the rod ends were more or less perpendicular to the carrier, but the carrier can rotate on the sphere and contact the bushings. I suspected that might be some or all of the noise, but it wasn't as the carriers had remained more or less the way they were when I installed it.

Looking around some more, I noticed the exhaust on the driver's side didn't have near the support it did on the passenger side (where the mount was stiffer and also had the catback supporting it as well). As I banged on it in a vertical direction I found a clunk noise and some vertical play. So I shimmed that up to make it tight.

Driving it today, I found that the low frequency CLUNK seems to have been replaced by a slightly higher frequency rattle. So now I have to try to chase THAT down.

firefighter813x

iTrader: (6)

My car makes the same damn noise... Mine is completely stock though.

DrkPhynx

I spoke too soon. There's still a clunking back there. I don't know if my ghetto fix un-fixed it self, or if it's just something else making the noise, but I swear yesteray morning it was better. It was the ride home that told me it wasn't fixed yet.

I have looked at the body side of my LCA's before when someone suggested it, but there was no sign of looseness or movement. I'll have to re-check that again though. Hopefully this weekend.

slowscott

iTrader: (8)

My car makes the same clunk from the rear too. It started before my rod/urethane panhard rod but after I installed subframe connectors (slp bolt in). However, I dont see how they could make this noise and it sounds like its coming from too far back on the car. I have new lca bushings properly torqued too, so i dont think the lca's have anything to do with it. I'm going to order new oem bolts and nuts though, just to rule them out for sure. Oh and it makes the noise with the jack and spare out of the car so thats not it either.

Lets make a list of everything located in the back of the car that could potentially move and clunk haha.

shudog

iTrader: (3)

I was on a mission last week to track down the clunking/rattling/squeaking in my rear suspension... got the back end of the car up and started checking everything... saw my rear passenger side shock was missing the top nut... went back inside, pulled back the carpet, reinstalled the top nut, washer & bushing. Also retightened the LCA's (poly/rod) and retightened the swaybar endlinks which looked a little loose. Squeaks and rattles are gone but it's still very jarring over bumps in the pavement but I'm assuming that's due to the poly/rod LCA's.

Oh, and I pulled the spare & jack too, just to eliminate one more possibility.

99SilverZ

iTrader: (13)

As a Service Advisor at a Chevrolet dealership and also having very similar mods in your cars, having spherical rod ends on anything under your car will transfer noise into the vehicle. I had/have similar noises but I tightened EVERYTHING and made sure ALL grease points are properly lubed. Especially in stock parts. Bushings in our cars are normally worn by now. One other thing that can be checked is the motor and transmission mounts. A visual inspection is not enough and doesn't mean they are okay.

DrkPhynx

There seems to be 2 entirely opposite schools of thought on rod-end PHBs. I got one because I was convinced (by this forum) that the PHB won't transfer enough noise into the cabin to be noticed due to the nature of the part.

Here we see the opposite view.

As for lubing.... there's nothing on my car to lube. Everything is stock except the PHB and shocks, and the PHB has no lube points. The shocks have all their nuts and have been fully tightened down as well. I know that because I installed them with a friend and triple checked because I hate taking the interior apart.

I have to believe that there is a solution. That we must be able to have tight accurate handling without all the bleeding noise, clunking and rattling.

miken123

I too have a clunk noise but typically under low speeds when hitting uneven road surfaces (i.e. entering a driveway or hitting small pot holes).

My suspension is totally stock on my '95 T/A. HOWEVER - I removed, cleaned, lubed up my rear swaybar bushings and reattached them a few weeks ago and this helped reduce the noise greatly -

My question is this - the openings on the rear sway bushings (remember they look like the letter "C" and so you have to choose whether the opening of the bushing points to the front or back of the car) point to the back of the car on mine. My Hanes manual says to make the opening face the front - could this cause clunks?

Should I go in there and make them face the front? (I question Hanes manuals sometimes).


I have a few other theories for noise but I don't want to hijack the thread since mine is stock and everyone here seems to be pointing to non-stock rear end parts - let me know if it's best for me to start a new thread.


lastly- what's an LCA-Lower control arm or something else?

miken123

one last note - what's the name of the rubber part just behind each rear wheel inside the wheel well -
To clarify - think of removing a rear wheel. You're looking straight into the wheel well and you see a rubber piece bolted on to the inner liip of the well.

What is this piece called? Mine's totally falling appart on one side.

thx

koolaid_kid

iTrader: (21)

Not only do they have a good selection, they will also order anything from their warehouse that you need. You can go to their website and shop around, then go to the local store and get it.
They also carry a lot of stuff that does not show up. For example, I have a Kawasaki and a Suzuki motorcyle. The keymakers around here were not able to order blanks, but Ace was.

bad6as

iTrader: (17)

i have umi weld in 2 point bowed sfc umi single adj lca and their adj ta
when i went over bumps it sounded real bad like some thing was broken. turns out the bolts that hold the rod end on the lca to the rear were a lil bit loose and you could make the clunking sound by hitting up then down on the lca. the bolts that hold teh lca to the rear are a lil short, when all the way tight their flush with the end of the nut. ill get some longer ones soon, what grade should i look in to grade 8 zink plated?

shudog

iTrader: (3)

I'm going to jack my car up tonight, remove the rear wheels and tighten the hell outta the rear lower control arms and see if that does anything. It's become so bothersome that I don't even like to drive the car.