[Invictus]

Okay, for the last 2-3 months i've had this terrible clinging noise coming from the REAR of my car. I thought it was slack in my rear end, i thought it was coming from my differential, now i'm not so sure what to think. It's coming from the right rear i'm starting to think now it may be a shock or something but for the life of me I can't pin it down. BTW - I just spent $340 on a new rear axle (which didn't solve the problem obviously).

The clinging noise sounds like a loud POP noise almost like a spring popping and hitting something metal, its a high pitch noise.

It happens when I start backing out of my garage, or if i'm rolling forward slowly, shift into reverse and change the motion of my car it will happen again. (sometimes) it's not 100% consistant . It will also happen as i'm turning. I'm i'm turning right in my neighborhood sometimes i'll swing left outside to make a wide turn so I don't have to use the break so much and as soon as I begin turning (basically when the weight of the car shifts) itll make the noise cling noise. Itll do it going over a bump or someting out of my driveway and it pisses me off. I'm almost CERTAIN its not coming from my differential but definately from the passenger side in the rear wheel perhaps. I took of my wheel and tried kicking everything to see if anything was looseor hanging down or anything.. nothing.

Check out this video:: looks kinda funny at first but it was taken with my cellphone and thats the best .3gp to mpeg conversion i could manage.
I'm putting my weight up against my right rear fender and rocking the car side to side (this it makes the exact noise i hear on the road) the noise i'm trying to solve.

http://s36.photobucket.com/albums/e4...gAnch=imgAnch1

This has been pesturing me forever and i've waisted over $300 so faR!!! HELP

[AtxStang]

shock or spring maybe... I dunno but it sounds like if it makes the noise when the weight shifts it is a suspension problem. But I'm no rocket surgeon so I would wait for the other guys to diagnose

[Twist 2 Go]

try tightening the control arm bolts. They have a tendency to loosen up sometimes. As for the clunk when rocking back side to side thta's normal. that's just the end play in the axles.

[Invictus]

Thats definaltey not normal... Thats the same noise i get when im on the road every sinlge little dip or bump in the road and its annoying people think my car is ***ed up when they ride with me lol. The video noise is the exact same noise i get when i'm on the road :/

[Twist 2 Go]

Try jacking the car up, grab the wheel and move it in and out. It will move about 1/16-1/8". That is the end play I'm talking about. Again, 1st step is to tighten all the rear end components, especially if you just had the axle replaced

[99mustang232]

i once had a similar popping noise from the rear and re-torqing the control arms solved the problem... another common problem is sometimes exhaust setups will slap the suspension.

[Invictus]

I've taken both rear wheels off now and re torqued every bolt i could find in the rear end. Problem still exists, I do have a slightly noticeable amount of play when i wiggle my wheels side to side about 1/12" but I do'nt think thats the problem because when I shake it that's not the noise I hear. I shouldn't be worried about that slack then? Is it possible to just have a bad shock or upper/lower arm? I can't seem to pin it down I can get up under the car while my friend shakes it but for the life of me I can't pin point exactly where the noise is coming from!!!

The axle was replaced by a tech thinking that might be the problem.. Brand new axle is on there now and still the problem exists and im $330.00 in the hole.

This is a pic of my old axle:: looks completely normal (i think those wear marks are from the bearing but that's normal isn't it? so basically i replaced a perfectly good axle.

[99mustang232]

how do the control arm bushings look?

[ChrisJ]

Originally Posted by 99mustang232 how do the control arm bushings look?

Yeah check those out...If they look rough just buy a new set of tubular control arms...

[Invictus]

OMG.. I torqued my control arms down and no more noise!!! I spent about 3 hours under there this morning oiling, kicking, banging a wrench against, shaking, twisting.. LOL and i forgot the control arms... I was focusing on the spring and those rear struts, and thinking it might be a wheel bearing, caliper or in my hub somewhere... Read you guys post went under there and IMMEDIATELY I realized that the control arms were making the exact same pitch of the noise when my wrench touched it.

Anyhow its all tightened up as hard as I possibly could and the drive is smooth as can be!! Its like driving a brand new car again this has made my day I love you guys and this website!!! lol



i need to drive it back to the guy who changed my ***kin axle and slap him across the face.. he said he'd call me and quote me on the differential housing because after changing the axle he said the only other thing could be in the differential and it will get pretty expensive. UGHHHH (btw he also had my car for 5 days and that took me all of about 7 minutes)

[Invictus]

guess i have a spare rear axle in case i screw mine up launching or something.. heh

[ChrisJ]

well glad to hear that it all worked out for ya...I check my control arms every once in a while just to make sure all is good...With the tubular ones I can grease them up nicely thought the grease alamite...

[99mustang232]

glad you got it fixed i know mine drove me crazy, i did the same when mine were lose... even went to the extent to put it up on 4 jack stands and start it up, then put it into drive thinking it was something in the rear? didn't hear any noise, then took off the wheel and was like damn there is some play in the axle but found out it was suppose to be like this. did you get the axle replace at a ford dealership or at an independent mechanic?

[Invictus]

it was an independant mechaninc. i've decided to never go back to Ford ever again. They had it 2 weeks for a transmisson leak. They replaced both output seals the yoke and censor and it cost me over $500.00 and i'm still leaking tranny fluid like a bitch. after i got it home and it sat in the garage over night the very next morning tranny fluid was everywhere... Brought it back to ford TAHT day and they called me (after another 4 days) and said that my transmission isn't vented so pressure builds up and they quoted me $800 to drill the housing and make a vent so i said screw and picked it up. i then found out that theres no such thing as an unVented transmission...... so that would have been a lost cause. i also paid $400 for an oil pan gasket replacement which is still leaking as we speak. over all ive spent about 1600 on repairs and i may have well spent $0000

just got home actually and its in the same shop to hopefully get the last 2 problems fixed for good (Tranny leak, oil pan gasket)

[Twist 2 Go]

Originally Posted by Twist 2 Go try tightening the control arm bolts. They have a tendency to loosen up sometimes. As for the clunk when rocking back side to side thta's normal. that's just the end play in the axles.

you're welcome

[Invictus]

hah thankx bro.

[Casper98GT]

Twist 2 Go wrote: try tightening the control arm bolts. They have a tendency to loosen up sometimes. As for the clunk when rocking back side to side thta's normal. that's just the end play in the axles. you're welcome

twist.... the young kids just dont listen ( well... im only 22 ) I have been telling him this for a few days now.