Thread: Rear Suspension "CLUNK"???

I'm by no means an expert, but have you checked the "tightness" of the rear sway bar mounts?
Mine made a clunk after refitting coz I hadn't tightened it up properly.
Tried it removed for a while for more articulation but was very minimal, so re-attached it.

Just a thought....

Cheers.

Originally Posted by Hamish71

I have a 2003 D2A, TD5, with bilsteins and King Springs. I have a noise which I thought was normal until I drove another D2A today. When I run over a speed bump at anything more than a crawl, I get a LOUD clunk in the back. It sounds like something big, and heavy, being thrown in the air, and landing again, like the body coming off its mounts. Noise is kind of metallic. Its been there since I got it 12 months ago. Its not the fuel tank. I had it out last week, and its back in, and very solid in the cradle.

(No, its not something in the loadspace).

I have something very similar and it is one of the bushes in the Watts Linkage.

To me it sounds like something big and loose swaying around every time I go over a kerb or get some flex in the rear.

My mechanic said they have never seen it happen on any other D2's but I am replacing the linkages with some curved ones for extra travel so I am not too worried.

To check, get one person under the back of the car and the other person to rock it hard from side to side and you should see and hear the worn joint.

What lift with king springs,maybe your shocks are short and are topping out

Maybe the springs are not sitting in the mounts properly. Heavier guage springs can move around a bit as they are a heavier gauge then the stock ones. Just a thought

Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies

Get underneath with a torch and a lever to check if you have movement in any part of the "A" frame assembly or ball-joint.

There is no A frame or ball joint with the D2.

If the aftermarket springs and shocks were fitted to the car when you got it I would be looking there first as others have said, shocks possibly topping out. Simply disconnect your shocks and check their free length or you could go for short drive up and down some gutters with the shocks out if you are not sure. There are some specs here somewhere on what travel you should have, but if the springs are wrong for the shock combo these specs wont matter anyhow. If its not shocks you will have to check the watts linkage and control arms.

cheers

Originally Posted by fatman

What lift with king springs,maybe your shocks are short and are topping out

Its only 50mm.

Originally Posted by Hamish71

I have a 2003 D2A, TD5, with bilsteins and King Springs. I have a noise which I thought was normal until I drove another D2A today. When I run over a speed bump at anything more than a crawl, I get a LOUD clunk in the back. It sounds like something big, and heavy, being thrown in the air, and landing again, like the body coming off its mounts. Noise is kind of metallic. Its been there since I got it 12 months ago. Its not the fuel tank. I had it out last week, and its back in, and very solid in the cradle.

(No, its not something in the loadspace).

If the shocks are the standard length, thay are to short for a 50mm lift.

Check your upper and lower shock mount bushes
Check tail pipe mounts
Watts link bushes are a good culprit for this.Not hard to change if you have the gear.

Originally Posted by AussieAub

I'm by no means an expert, but have you checked the "tightness" of the rear sway bar mounts?
Mine made a clunk after refitting coz I hadn't tightened it up properly.
Tried it removed for a while for more articulation but was very minimal, so re-attached it.

Just a thought....

Cheers.

Cricky that takes guts, Watts is the main mechanism keeping the ass end of the car under itself.

Had exactly this on my old D2, it was the watts link bushes.... they aren't cheap either ($200 or so) and you need a press to change them... I stand to be corrected here, but I think I'm right.