Clunking sound from passenger side rear
I quite literally laughed out loud. Glad you tracked it down 
Thread Starter
Evolving Member
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 257
Likes: 0
From: Houston, TX
An update, and a question:
This has been driving me nuts. I've gone around the entire car, inside, outside, top, and bottom, and I can't find the source of the clunking.
It really only happens when there is some kind of side load, especially when turning left. Going down a bumpy road in a straight line does NOT make the clunk. Which leads me to believe something is "shifting" from side loads.
Question: I made sure that the spring spacers were removed, and they are. However, there is a piece of very flimsy black plastic tube around the shock/strut pistons in the front (yes, the front), maybe 1.5 inches long. Is this supposed to be there, or should that have been removed? Might that be the cause of the noise?
--michael
This has been driving me nuts. I've gone around the entire car, inside, outside, top, and bottom, and I can't find the source of the clunking.
It really only happens when there is some kind of side load, especially when turning left. Going down a bumpy road in a straight line does NOT make the clunk. Which leads me to believe something is "shifting" from side loads.
Question: I made sure that the spring spacers were removed, and they are. However, there is a piece of very flimsy black plastic tube around the shock/strut pistons in the front (yes, the front), maybe 1.5 inches long. Is this supposed to be there, or should that have been removed? Might that be the cause of the noise?
--michael
Evolved Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 860
Likes: 1
From: Bay Area
From your description, it doesn't sound likely. If the tube is flimsy, how would it make a clunking sound? Clunking almost explicitly describes a metal-on-metal contact... you'd probably even describe metal-on-rubber as a thud. It doesn't seem to me that metal-on-flimsy plastic would make any discernible sound audible from the cabin.
If you take a picture of what you're talking about we can verify with our cars. I do seem to recall there was sensor wiring along that route, which may be what you're seeing.
If you take a picture of what you're talking about we can verify with our cars. I do seem to recall there was sensor wiring along that route, which may be what you're seeing.
Thread Starter
Evolving Member
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 257
Likes: 0
From: Houston, TX
Another update:
Noise is still there. I've taken apart the entire trunk, nothing.
If I had to describe the noise, it may not be a metal-on-metal noise... maybe more of a "snapping". But, it's really hard to tell. I can reproduce it by doing any kind of turning, either left or right. And, now, it's starting to come from the driver side rear as well, and it's getting worse every day.
I have some new ideas:
1. Side skirts. I do NOT have the aero kit, just the stock sills. They snap onto the wheelwell in the rear with a little plastic clip. This clip comes loose with very little pressure. Could it be that side-to-side flex of the body is causing this skirt clip to snap off and then snap back?
2. Window bolt TSB. I read about that (need a higher-torque bolt somewhere in the door), but the TSB states that this only applies to cars built (edit: before!) January 2008. My Evo is a May 2008 build. I tried rolling the windows down, all the way, halfway, but that didn't change the sound.
Any other ideas? I think I'm just going to bite the bullet and take it into the dealer, and exercise my warranty. (I'm bone stock, no mods, so nothing to deny warranty)
--michael
Noise is still there. I've taken apart the entire trunk, nothing.
If I had to describe the noise, it may not be a metal-on-metal noise... maybe more of a "snapping". But, it's really hard to tell. I can reproduce it by doing any kind of turning, either left or right. And, now, it's starting to come from the driver side rear as well, and it's getting worse every day.
I have some new ideas:
1. Side skirts. I do NOT have the aero kit, just the stock sills. They snap onto the wheelwell in the rear with a little plastic clip. This clip comes loose with very little pressure. Could it be that side-to-side flex of the body is causing this skirt clip to snap off and then snap back?
2. Window bolt TSB. I read about that (need a higher-torque bolt somewhere in the door), but the TSB states that this only applies to cars built (edit: before!) January 2008. My Evo is a May 2008 build. I tried rolling the windows down, all the way, halfway, but that didn't change the sound.
Any other ideas? I think I'm just going to bite the bullet and take it into the dealer, and exercise my warranty. (I'm bone stock, no mods, so nothing to deny warranty)
--michael
Last edited by weneversleep; Aug 20, 2009 at 08:14 AM.
Another update:
Noise is still there. I've taken apart the entire trunk, nothing.
If I had to describe the noise, it may not be a metal-on-metal noise... maybe more of a "snapping". But, it's really hard to tell. I can reproduce it by doing any kind of turning, either left or right. And, now, it's starting to come from the driver side rear as well, and it's getting worse every day.
I have some new ideas:
1. Side skirts. I do NOT have the aero kit, just the stock sills. They snap onto the wheelwell in the rear with a little plastic clip. This clip comes loose with very little pressure. Could it be that side-to-side flex of the body is causing this skirt clip to snap off and then snap back?
2. Window bolt TSB. I read about that (need a higher-torque bolt somewhere in the door), but the TSB states that this only applies to cars built after January 2008. My Evo is a May 2008 build. I tried rolling the windows down, all the way, halfway, but that didn't change the sound.
Any other ideas? I think I'm just going to bite the bullet and take it into the dealer, and exercise my warranty. (I'm bone stock, no mods, so nothing to deny warranty)
--michael
Noise is still there. I've taken apart the entire trunk, nothing.
If I had to describe the noise, it may not be a metal-on-metal noise... maybe more of a "snapping". But, it's really hard to tell. I can reproduce it by doing any kind of turning, either left or right. And, now, it's starting to come from the driver side rear as well, and it's getting worse every day.
I have some new ideas:
1. Side skirts. I do NOT have the aero kit, just the stock sills. They snap onto the wheelwell in the rear with a little plastic clip. This clip comes loose with very little pressure. Could it be that side-to-side flex of the body is causing this skirt clip to snap off and then snap back?
2. Window bolt TSB. I read about that (need a higher-torque bolt somewhere in the door), but the TSB states that this only applies to cars built after January 2008. My Evo is a May 2008 build. I tried rolling the windows down, all the way, halfway, but that didn't change the sound.
Any other ideas? I think I'm just going to bite the bullet and take it into the dealer, and exercise my warranty. (I'm bone stock, no mods, so nothing to deny warranty)
--michael
man i hope you find what it is cause iam on the same boat as you....
Evolved Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 860
Likes: 1
From: Bay Area
I plan on crawling under the car tomorrow. The noise is really beginning to bother me. Had my suspension been stock I would have taken it to the stealership long ago. I'll post an update as well if I discover anything new or remedy the situation.
Another update:
Noise is still there. I've taken apart the entire trunk, nothing.
If I had to describe the noise, it may not be a metal-on-metal noise... maybe more of a "snapping". But, it's really hard to tell. I can reproduce it by doing any kind of turning, either left or right. And, now, it's starting to come from the driver side rear as well, and it's getting worse every day.
I have some new ideas:
1. Side skirts. I do NOT have the aero kit, just the stock sills. They snap onto the wheelwell in the rear with a little plastic clip. This clip comes loose with very little pressure. Could it be that side-to-side flex of the body is causing this skirt clip to snap off and then snap back?
2. Window bolt TSB. I read about that (need a higher-torque bolt somewhere in the door), but the TSB states that this only applies to cars built after January 2008. My Evo is a May 2008 build. I tried rolling the windows down, all the way, halfway, but that didn't change the sound.
Any other ideas? I think I'm just going to bite the bullet and take it into the dealer, and exercise my warranty. (I'm bone stock, no mods, so nothing to deny warranty)
--michael
Noise is still there. I've taken apart the entire trunk, nothing.
If I had to describe the noise, it may not be a metal-on-metal noise... maybe more of a "snapping". But, it's really hard to tell. I can reproduce it by doing any kind of turning, either left or right. And, now, it's starting to come from the driver side rear as well, and it's getting worse every day.
I have some new ideas:
1. Side skirts. I do NOT have the aero kit, just the stock sills. They snap onto the wheelwell in the rear with a little plastic clip. This clip comes loose with very little pressure. Could it be that side-to-side flex of the body is causing this skirt clip to snap off and then snap back?
2. Window bolt TSB. I read about that (need a higher-torque bolt somewhere in the door), but the TSB states that this only applies to cars built after January 2008. My Evo is a May 2008 build. I tried rolling the windows down, all the way, halfway, but that didn't change the sound.
Any other ideas? I think I'm just going to bite the bullet and take it into the dealer, and exercise my warranty. (I'm bone stock, no mods, so nothing to deny warranty)
--michael
I think you are looking wayy to deep into it.... I just bought my X two days ago and it had this very same clunking noise. I just crawled underneath the car and checked the endlink bolt and sure enough, it was almost completely backed off.
You have to check the bolt when the suspension is loaded and the wheels are on the ground. The bolt will be tight when the car is jacked up.
Thanks for the help! I went and checked mine just minutes ago and found the bolt almost completely off. I just tightened it with a 14mm wrench....
Newbie
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 24
Likes: 0
From: Singapore
Another update:
Noise is still there. I've taken apart the entire trunk, nothing.
If I had to describe the noise, it may not be a metal-on-metal noise... maybe more of a "snapping". But, it's really hard to tell. I can reproduce it by doing any kind of turning, either left or right. And, now, it's starting to come from the driver side rear as well, and it's getting worse every day.
I have some new ideas:
1. Side skirts. I do NOT have the aero kit, just the stock sills. They snap onto the wheelwell in the rear with a little plastic clip. This clip comes loose with very little pressure. Could it be that side-to-side flex of the body is causing this skirt clip to snap off and then snap back?
2. Window bolt TSB. I read about that (need a higher-torque bolt somewhere in the door), but the TSB states that this only applies to cars built (edit: before!) January 2008. My Evo is a May 2008 build. I tried rolling the windows down, all the way, halfway, but that didn't change the sound.
Any other ideas? I think I'm just going to bite the bullet and take it into the dealer, and exercise my warranty. (I'm bone stock, no mods, so nothing to deny warranty)
--michael
Noise is still there. I've taken apart the entire trunk, nothing.
If I had to describe the noise, it may not be a metal-on-metal noise... maybe more of a "snapping". But, it's really hard to tell. I can reproduce it by doing any kind of turning, either left or right. And, now, it's starting to come from the driver side rear as well, and it's getting worse every day.
I have some new ideas:
1. Side skirts. I do NOT have the aero kit, just the stock sills. They snap onto the wheelwell in the rear with a little plastic clip. This clip comes loose with very little pressure. Could it be that side-to-side flex of the body is causing this skirt clip to snap off and then snap back?
2. Window bolt TSB. I read about that (need a higher-torque bolt somewhere in the door), but the TSB states that this only applies to cars built (edit: before!) January 2008. My Evo is a May 2008 build. I tried rolling the windows down, all the way, halfway, but that didn't change the sound.
Any other ideas? I think I'm just going to bite the bullet and take it into the dealer, and exercise my warranty. (I'm bone stock, no mods, so nothing to deny warranty)
--michael
Bro, you are very determine to find the problem, really you can find the root cause of it... Becos, I am also hearing this strange nosie too.. I cannot really re-produce it.. i check the swaybar end link bolt... nothing, it is very tight!! So i rule out the swaybar end link... but i suspected it could be a brake pad issue... soemtime brake pad might be vibrating and touching the rotor... so it might be a good idea for you to clean your brake pad... and monitor for the noise...