Hi All. I asked about this a few months back and thought I had it licked. But it's back, bigger and odder than ever.

I have a clunking noise at what sounds like is at the top of the right rear suspension. It's starting to bug me because I cannot work out what it is. The car doesn't feel to be driving any different. I'm going to blurt out what I'm noticing here and hopefully someone can give me a direction to head in.

- the noise does change. Sometimes it's a hard obvious "clunk clunk clunk". Other times it's a soft "knock knock". It sounds like it's coming from the top of the right rear strut, the wife agrees with that as well.

- it seems louder at slow speeds (20kmh or less). At higher speed I don't notice it.

- I can replicate it brilliantly on certain roads and car parks.

- the oddest part; the less fuel in her, the quieter the noise. Less than 1/4 of a tank today and the clunking is hardly there.

- when driving at high speed (over 80kmh), I am noticing a slight high pitched "dib dib dib" from the right hand side that sounds to me like a wheel has dropped a weight or is a bit out of alignment. No real vibration in the steering though. I'm thinking maybe wheel bearing could be starting to think about falling over.

Sunday I pulled the back seat out and tightened everything I could see. Looked at the top of each strut and the rubber caps were both off a bit, so fixed back on. Looks like whoever has had the back of the seat out broke 1 screw and didn't tighten another down quite right, but the seat itself is not moving. The parcel tray is damaged (a bit ripped on the drivers side), but fairly tight.

Took the jack out of the boot and put it back in again, making sure it was tight. Spare wheel, same thing. There's no loose trim that I can find in boot or back.

Shocks are ~25k kms old. I had new alloys put on around 5 weeks ago - noise was there before that but has changed since then. Car feels a bit jittery at times - sometimes it feels like the back end is sliding a little bit when I turn a corner a bit quick. But that (I reckon) is imagination - my mind going "is there something wrong back there?".

I'm at the point of "OK mechanic, fix this" but I'm thinking it's s simple thing that (my unmechanical mind) is still to figure out. So I'm hoping the group can give me some suggestions to try at home before I send her off to the doctor on Saturday morning. Worst comes to worst, I'll get them to pull the rear suspension apart and check everything but want to avoid that if possible.

Thanks in advance.

Regards, Tony

sounds like the shock strut.. i could be wrong but same is happening to my car and i know i need to change the shocks

get it double checked by a suspension pro though.

the bearing is more of a really annoying, loud grinding noise

Same thing happened to my Ralliart. Changed the rear shocks, no more noise.

One thing I have noticed tonight is the bumper is slightly partly loose on that side too. And my car painter neighbour noticed right on the corner of the bumper "someone's nudged you there".

I'll book her in for rear suspension. Just what we didn't need at this time of the year :cry:

Any suggestions on what I should buy. Not too expensive. And what I should expect to pay for labour? If there's anyone out there in Victoria that feels like doing rear shock replacements for me, name a price (hey, I have to ask don't I? Would rather keep it in our AMC family if I can).

Regards, Tony

Strut top mounts can make a rattling/clunking sound if rooted,not the bearing,but the rubber sorround section itself must decay and allow metal to metal contact over bumps etc,i have had first hand experienced with these!

noise sounds similarish to my KL - cept mine comes from the right hand front wheel (Drivers) / area only.
i know mines suspesnsion related, coz if i steer over smooth road, no noise, but as soon as its a lil bumpy - it clangs away.

one suggestion i got, was coil clash - the coils vibrate when they are working, and if they touch they make a clangy sorta noise.

all i know, is that mine still makes the noise - and its done it since the day i got the car; 40k km ago - mitsu said there is nothing wrong with it when i got it looked at under warrenty.

i know mines suspesnsion related, coz if i steer over smooth road, no noise, but as soon as its a lil bumpy - it clangs away.

one suggestion i got, was coil clash - the coils vibrate when they are working, and if they touch they make a clangy sorta noise.



Yeah, that's what it's like. Smooth road, no issues. Slow bit with lots of bumps = bang bang bang. It is new for me though, I have 190k kms on mine, and it's only started happening in the last month - 6 weeks.

I'll bung her to the mechanic Saturday and tell him to spend an hour looking. And he can tell me it's not going to fall to bits and I'll live with it for now.

Regards, Tony

my mate had that after it was lowered and new shocks. ended up being the bump stop was worn out

Might not be related but i had a knocking comming from my KJ AWD in the rear somehwere.

Would be a knock over small bumps or up driveways etc.

After a lot of looking, turns out to be the bushes on the sway bar. They had worn a little and the sway bar had a little free play in them causing the knock when jolted over a bump.

Would never of guessed but changed the bushes, and all gone.
I found this out by getting under the car and just pulling on everything to try and find movement.
I could move the sway bar a little in the bush to cause the noise.

OK, now I'm officially annoyed. This noise has basically gone. It is still there - just - but nowhere near as bad as it was when I first posted. Is it possible something was out of place in the right rear and it's jumped back into position?

I'm doing the oil/filter change just before Christmas, will get the mechanic to look in the right rear and see if he can see anything odd. I will suggest bushes to him.

Thanks for your help people - appreciate it.

Regards, Tony

I know from personal experience that smaller mammals make this sound alot especially if they are a fresh kill and tend to stick to the tire because of this. I find the best fix is a good stick and a bitr of elbow grease. NOTE: make sure the carcass is exposed, as trying to get the animal away from the tyre, whist it is underneath is a labour intensive and quite unpractical

Wouldn't I have been hearing screeching?? :D

I've come across this problem alot when i was working in suspension. sounds like the valves in your rear shocks are shot not to the point that the shock isn't working but not far off, if your car is lowered then that is more than likely the cause for stock shocks to fail. I would reccomend that if you are going to replace them, try to get ahold of some KYB's.

If you mechanic comfirms what i have said then you should be able to drive your car for a while before you change them, my fronts are doing the same thing and have been that way for over 6 months, I'll be getting coilovers this christmas.

Wouldn't I have been hearing screeching?? :D
Well it really depends on how hard you hit it, and the weight of the car.

Gonna threadmine a tad, as ive found i had the same issue with mine, but have now found the problem.

Check your exhaust and the mounts, with mine i had the rear flange was banging against the cross member, simple fix was the bend the mounts slightly to get it up out of the way. Id look at this option, we hoisted the car and thats when we found the problem.

Hope this gives you another idea on where to look.

im having this same problem, im fairly sure its the shock. also since i got my new rubber put on yesterday it seems to be slightly scrubbing when i accellerate out of corners.

any reccomendations on shocks? also should i do the front as well? im leaning towards doing all 4 as i like doing things right the first time.

im having this same problem, im fairly sure its the shock. also since i got my new rubber put on yesterday it seems to be slightly scrubbing when i accellerate out of corners.

any reccomendations on shocks? also should i do the front as well? im leaning towards doing all 4 as i like doing things right the first time.

Ze search button!

Depends on how much you want to spend really, KYB's will set you back around 400ish for the 4 and you can nick a set of new koni yellows are around 850-900, (you will need factory shocks to gut if you get those) labour is mates rate x2 for shockies (twice as hard for me :bowrofl: )

Ze search button!

Depends on how much you want to spend really, KYB's will set you back around 400ish for the 4 and you can nick a set of new koni yellows are around 850-900, (you will need factory shocks to gut if you get those) labour is mates rate x2 for shockies (twice as hard for me :bowrofl: )

i hit ze search button and come up with this thread that was relevant to me

so why are koni yellows twice as much but need more work?

i hit ze search button and come up with this thread that was relevant to me

so why are koni yellows twice as much but need more work?

Because they are twice the shock :D , They are an insert style shock and you will need to gut the original shocks out to put the koni's in, They are also externally adjustable. Ive gone from KYB's to Koni's and they are a far far far nicer shock ride wise, ability to handle potholes and all round in general.

Because they are twice the shock :D , They are an insert style shock and you will need to gut the original shocks out to put the koni's in, They are also externally adjustable. Ive gone from KYB's to Koni's and they are a far far far nicer shock ride wise, ability to handle potholes and all round in general.

well i think youve won me over, and i need to go buy more rum!

can i make the magna ride like a billy cart? i dont want my new tyres scrubbing when i get my fat ass mates in the back on the way to the footy

Best not to let scrubbers in the car, meet at the footy sure, but dont let your mates catch ya:D

well i think youve won me over, and i need to go buy more rum!

can i make the magna ride like a billy cart? i dont want my new tyres scrubbing when i get my fat ass mates in the back on the way to the footy

With new shocks i daresay it wont scrub out, your rims and tyres are the right match afaik, so you should be fine. let us know when you do decide to get the new shocks etc, as ill need to organise a bit in advance this time.

With new shocks i daresay it wont scrub out, your rims and tyres are the right match afaik, so you should be fine. let us know when you do decide to get the new shocks etc, as ill need to organise a bit in advance this time.

asap, but its xmas, and i drive a magna im assuming i need to wait 36 weeks for parts

asap, but its xmas, and i drive a magna im assuming i need to wait 36 weeks for parts

Ring Phillcomm on monday and get a price, if im down old works way ill get a "special" price for you.

Ring Phillcomm on monday and get a price, if im down old works way ill get a "special" price for you.

sweet as, will do