what is this clunk?

[wicked stang]

edit - This issue has been resolved, the rod end on the uca had play in it. New problem now though, go to post 21.

I have a pretty bad clunk thats coming from the rear end thats getting worse. It clunks when going over bumps at low speeds and everytime i shift or let off the gas. I have a steeda uca with rod end and the hd mount and I have checked and tightened everything on it and I dont think the uca should be that loud.

Ford did a really bad install with my 4.10 gears and they whine reall really bad on accel and howl on decel, so I'm wondering if something is messed up in the rear end.

Here's a vid, what do you guys think it is?

 

[Synyster06Gates]

Check to see if there's play when you try and turn the driveshaft left or right. That sounds horrible

 

[wicked stang]

i backed up onto ramps and put the car in neutral and the driveshaft turns side to side quite a bit and clunks a bit when i turn it too

ya its driving me crazy, i just got the exhaust redone and its alot quieter so i notice the sound alot more now

 

[Synyster06Gates]

If it's in neutral it's going to spin regardless. I believe it needs to be in gear.

 

[wicked stang]

well the tires were on ramps so they cant turn but it had some movement with it in gear and alot more when i put it in neutral

 

[nasty281]

Rod end is your problem. Rod end is not streetable for a reason. I had spherical uca and it sounded like yours

 

[NotaHybrid]

If you are coasting then add some throttle is there clunk?

Sent from my helicopter

 

[wicked stang]

Yes there is, it will clunk over any little bump, when I shift and when I let off or get on the throttle

 

[Riptide]

I have spherical ends (umi roto joints) and they don't sound anywhere near that ridiculous. I think the problem goes deeper than that.

I do have a clunk as well out of mine but it's been there since I bought the car and different bushings never made any difference at all. In my case I've narrowed it down to the shocks or slop in the driveline.

 

[BIGCHRISS197]

That sounds like somethings hitting the bottom of the car, can you "feel" the noise?

 

[Whiskey11]

The rod end could be completely shit too with just enough gap that a bump causes the noise. I say that because lets face it, there is a TON of force on the rear axle when it goes over bumps so it would stand to reason that that kind of force with any gap is going to cause some pretty nasty clunking...

Do you still have the stock UCA? It's worth a shot...

 

[wicked stang]

Can't really feel the noise, I'm thinking it has to be the rear end or uca. I was wondering about the rod end also, when I installed it I could barely move the joint with my hand. The last time I took it out to make sure it was installed properly, I could very very easily move the joint by hand. Is that normal? I have the stock uca and mount laying around so I might try that today.

 

[Black 5.0]

Can't really feel the noise, I'm thinking it has to be the rear end or uca. I was wondering about the rod end also, when I installed it I could barely move the joint with my hand. The last time I took it out to make sure it was installed properly, I could very very easily move the joint by hand. Is that normal? I have the stock uca and mount laying around so I might try that today.

I think you choice of UCA is the problem. That sound on your vid is a rattle to me, not a clunk and if you are using the UCA I think your using, the direction of the movement making the noise is side to side hammering on the bracket. Is it this one?:


http://www.steeda.com/store/steeda-mustang-adjustable-competition-upper-control-arm.html

 

[wicked stang]

Sounds more like a rattle in the vid because I was driving slowly down an unpaved road but it definitely is a clunk. Yes that is the uca I have. Do you mean the joint itself fully going from side to side and hitting the spacers?

 

[Black 5.0]

"Do you mean the joint itself fully going from side to side and hitting the spacers?"

Yes, I believe that may be the case.

Not knowing what year Mustang you have, I'm assuming a '05 to '09 (?) or what other suspension mods you have, if you are in need of an aftermarket UCA, you may consider a fully bushed UCA. Suspension mods can create their own problems and noise is the most likely result depending on what you use. Anyway, any thought I might have on your situation can only be considered a guess on my part but, an educated one. Good luck!

 

[nasty281]

Uca is gonna transmit all the noise and vibration the car makes. Our cars do have slop in them and you will feel it but also if you have even the slightest play in that bushing it will clunk. I was constantly retightening my uca

 

[wicked stang]

Well the clunk is gone! I put the stock uca back in and its quiet now, the rod end on the steeda uca is definitely loose and has play in it and that was causing the clunking. Im going to call steeda tomorrow and see if they can do anything about it.

I have a different problem now though, it seems like the whole rear end sits a little farther back in the wheel well and it has a slight angle to it. The springs aren't sitting completely straight up and down, the bottom of the springs are angled slightly towards the rear of the car. Basically the whole rear end seems slightly twisted with the bottom a little more towards the rear and the top more towards the front of the car. Is this because I put the stock uca back in and I am lowered 2"? I am also wondering if the lca brackets are welded in wrong because it looked like the guy that welded them in did it while the axle was not loaded, the car did sit fine before I switched to the stock uca though.

 

[Fullboogie]

Yes.

 

[wicked stang]

I measured the wheelbase and it is 1" more then stock, the axle is sitting pretty far back.

 

[Black 5.0]

Well the clunk is gone! I put the stock uca back in and its quiet now, the rod end on the steeda uca is definitely loose and has play in it and that was causing the clunking. Im going to call steeda tomorrow and see if they can do anything about it.

I have a different problem now though, it seems like the whole rear end sits a little farther back in the wheel well and it has a slight angle to it. The springs aren't sitting completely straight up and down, the bottom of the springs are angled slightly towards the rear of the car. Basically the whole rear end seems slightly twisted with the bottom a little more towards the rear and the top more towards the front of the car. Is this because I put the stock uca back in and I am lowered 2"? I am also wondering if the lca brackets are welded in wrong because it looked like the guy that welded them in did it while the axle was not loaded, the car did sit fine before I switched to the stock uca though.

Since your car had a 2" drop it was necessary to install an adjustable UCA because the pinion angle changes. You have described the reason for the new UCA. The diff is pitched forward counterclockwise. The Adjustable UCA will correct this. The one you had in their did this very job however, IMO, you need to get a different Adj. UCA that is bushed on the 'body' end as well as the diff end.

As far as the LCA go, it sounds as if you had LCA re-locaters install and welding was involved. Are your LCA's adjustable? If they are you should be able to correct the problem with the 'extra inch' in your wheel base. At any rate, you need to scrutinize the location of the re-locaters.

I, myself, am in the middle of upgrading my suspension on my new '13. Today I installed Koni yellow adjustables on the rear along with an Eibach pro kit.

Tomorrow, I'll do the front end. I also have on order Whiteline Adj. UCA, panhard rod and panhard stabilizer going on later this week. LCA's later on down the road.

I am also in need of some adjustments for axle centering and pinion angle correction. I was particularly baffled at how off center the stock axle set up is being biased to the drivers side by a good 3/4 of an inch. Didn't expect to see that much deflection. The new panhard should correct it.