Help Needed with Loud Clunking sound at rear under hard accel????

[SF Final 286]

When I took my car to the Viper Days at Thunderhill I noticed a loud thumping sound coming from underneath the car towards the back of the car. Sounded and felt like someone was pounding on the rear dif or half shafts with a sledge hammer. I could definitely feel something hitting. It occured under hard acceleration especially out of a tight corner.

Then we checked under the car and found the rear sway bar was completely unbolted from the rear end linkage. Tom the Viper days tech guy found out for me. He bolted it back together and tightened the rear hubs and off I went for a few more laps.

Unfortunately the problem is still there!!!

I took the car to Lithia Dodge in Burlingame and they replaced the sway bar and sway bar linkages.

And the problem is still there!!!

I can reproduce the problem; I go strait at about 10 mph in 1st gear and then jump on the gas as soon as the car accels, and the weight shifts, back there is loud clunk/thump from the rear somewhere. Then if I quickly release the gas, the car shifts it's weight again and I hear another clunk. It especially occurs if you just jab the gas in 1st gear from a rolling start.

What could this be?

I am hesitant to bring it back to the same dealer who could not fix the problem.

 

[terribleted13]

SF Final,
Sounds like loose suspension, look for a shinny spot where parts/linkage come together. Do you have a prybar? Retorque nuts and bolts.

 

[SapphireGTS]

Mind did that. I found out that the band holding the corsa in place in the rear has broken loose and the muffler was hitting the bottom of the car. I rewelded it and that fixed it. Its a stretch but worth a look.

 

[Tomcat]

Repalce half shafts and hubs. It is the slack in the parts that makes the sound. It was for me anyway.

 

[Vic]

My clunk turned out to be the right rear wheel hub, it was letting the bearing shift around under acceleration.

Good luck, Dennis!

 

[SoCal Rebell]

Same thing happened to me on the track, it sounded awful, I bet I know what it is


There are 2 bolts on top of the diff to the frame, I bet they're loose, it took Dan Cragin to find it for me

 

[Mike_W]

Maybe you have a glass bottle of pepsi or something in your trunk that you forgot to take out.

Mike

 

[PaViper]

I have an FE with clunking noises in the rear as well....dealer has looked at it twice and hasn't found anything yet. Supposedly they they checked the entire suspension, the axle bolts, right front motor mount. Just do like I am going to do. Drive it until something falls off and then they will know where to look.

 

[SF Final 286]

Hey Vic, how did they fix your problem?

Hey Tomcat, how did they diagnose your problem?

I did have the rear hubs tightened and torqued to 150 ft/lbs.

 

[Roland L-Ocala FL]

On the older Gen I cars it was the bolts that hold the ladder bar to the rear end that get loose. You can see where the metal is shiny at the attachment point. The bolts need to be re-torqued if that is indeed what happened. It will only last so long before they come loose again!

 

[sbkim]

Any update on the fix? Mine was a really loud pop but it does not do this all the time.