Rear end noise/clunk when shifting

[DJ23GSX]

Every time I shift and get back on the throttle I'm hearing this clunk noise coming from the rear end. I actually noticed how bad it was today while my old lady was driving it. She has a tendency to rev the engine up a bit before she fully releases the clutch and when the clutch finally grabs is when the noise is the worse. I sat in the rear seats and the noise if def coming from somewhere back there.

These are the things I've done back there that might be related to this noise

Brand new carrier bearings and yoke recall kit installed last week
Brand new gr2 shocks and pro kit springs installed in the spring
Brand new Ingalls upper control arms installed in the spring


I'll be under the car this weekend to swap my stock exhaust back on for inspection and would like to know what and where I should start looking for this clunking noise.

 

[Awdspyderman]

I've been told that the issue your talking about having stems from the sub-frame bushings, they are more than likely shot. I would check there first than your carrier bearing bushings you know. Good luck man! report back with what you find=)



oh wait i see you have a 1st gen my bad, but i'd check the bushings anyway. sorry bout that

 

[jtmcinder]

More likely slop in the rear diff. Had that in mine and there's even a smidge of this in the Evo.

Lift one rear wheel with the car in gear (and the parking brake off, obviously). See how far you can turn it back and forth. It shouldn't turn much. If it does turn a bit, see if the driveshaft is moving. If the wheel can turn without the driveshaft moving, it's the rear diff. If the driveshaft always turns with the wheel, then it's your transfer case or center diff. A tight driveline won't let the wheel turn at all when the car is in gear.

If you can't turn the wheel at all, then look again at the bushings on the diff (as suggested above) and check the suspension.

 

[DJ23GSX]

More likely slop in the rear diff. Had that in mine and there's even a smidge of this in the Evo.

Lift one rear wheel with the car in gear (and the parking brake off, obviously). See how far you can turn it back and forth. It shouldn't turn much. If it does turn a bit, see if the driveshaft is moving. If the wheel can turn without the driveshaft moving, it's the rear diff. If the driveshaft always turns with the wheel, then it's your transfer case or center diff. A tight driveline won't let the wheel turn at all when the car is in gear.

If you can't turn the wheel at all, then look again at the bushings on the diff (as suggested above) and check the suspension.

Thanks for the info. I will def check this out while I'm under there but unfortunately mother nature has decided that she would like to dump 8-10" of snow on us this weekend It was also suggested to check the lower rear control arm bushings. That could also make sense as I just had a similar sound coming from the front of the car while braking at slow speeds. That ended up being a bad front control arm bushing and it was making the control arm move and hit the bracket while braking.

 

[jtmcinder]

Yeppers. As I said, the suspension bushings are also on the list of stuff to check, but I'd start with the most-likely, which is slop in the rear diff. It's a Mitsu thing. Even my uber-fancy AYC rear has some slop.

 

[DJ23GSX]

Yeppers. As I said, the suspension bushings are also on the list of stuff to check, but I'd start with the most-likely, which is slop in the rear diff. It's a Mitsu thing. Even my uber-fancy AYC rear has some slop.

OK so if it does end up being slop in the diff i should probly start looking for another one right? I'm assuming that it won't last too much longer making this noise? I hardly drive the car but do occasionally take it when it snows out so my old lady can drive my jeep.

 

[estoyaqui30]

I would think that it could run for quite a while like that. My brother had a Chevy LUV pick up truck and he drove it with a worn rear ring and pinion for 3 years until he sold it. I would say, just don't beat on it.

 

[DJ23GSX]

I would say, just don't beat on it.

Its a modded dsm is that even possible . The noise def isn't that bad when i drive it its just that my old lady kept revving it up a bit between shifts making it sound worse when the clutch grabbed.

I got over a foot of snow and haven't had power for 2 days and my neighborhood looks like it got bombed with the amount of trees that are down i won't be able to look at the dsm for a while :'(

 

[DJ23GSX]

So i had a minute the other day to take a look at the dsm and i think its slop in the rear diff. I put the car in neutral and rocked it back and forth and the wheels rolled (on the ground) about 3/4 of an inch before the driveshaft started to move. I could also see the axles twist maybe a 1/4 turn (at most) before the driveshaft moved.

 

[numbertwelve]

If the noise is a clunk when you engage gears its your rear sub-frame bushings wearing out... you can buy alum. / poly. for about $250 or solid alum. bushings for about $70 (these will ride kinda rough). unless you have been really launching your car and cracked the rear diff you should be fine with just replacing the bushings. If you however are getting a thump thump thump thump when you begin to accelerate from a dead stop it could be either your carrier bearings being worn or where the drive shaft slides into the transfer case could be worn. I have a few links here from the places i looked when i had to replace my rear diff bushings. you can drive it normally with the bushing being worn out just DO NOT try and launch with it being like that you could crack the housing and end up replacing bushing's and rear diff. Just DD it instead of playtime driving and your should be okay.


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[jtmcinder]

If the noise is a clunk when you engage gears its your rear sub-frame bushings wearing out...

Like much of your post, the above is worded much too strongly. Yes, worn sub-frame bushings can produce a clunk as you get into each new gear, but so can slop in the diff, inter alia. Please don't overstate things. That's not helpful.

 

[numbertwelve]

Let me rephrase if your getting a loud clunk in the rear of your car when you engage gears you should poke your head under the rear end and peak at the rear differential bushings to be sure they are worn out before you decide to purchase some replacements. Also i read that you live some place that snows so checking the rest of your bushings would be a good idea as well. Hope this was helpful and good luck.

 

[DJ23GSX]

I will def take a look at the bushings when I'm under there next but as for bad carrier bearings or a worn out yoke i have brand new carrier bearings and a new yoke recall kit install a few weeks ago. As for the car being launched alot i bought it 100% stock so I'm not sure how much the previous owner launched it. I modded it myself and have only launched it once in the 2 years I've owned it.

I checked out the subframe bushings today and they are good as well as the lower control arm bushings. There is no play at all in those when I rock the car back and forth in gear. Here's a little video I just took. From what I can tell its slop in the rear diff but maybe someone else can verify this for me. It seems to be a lot of play to me but then again I've never had a reason to check this in any of my other dsm's.

<a href="http://imageshack.us/clip/my-videos/848/xtk.mp4/"><img src="http://img848.imageshack.us/img848/1611/xtk.mp4.th.jpg"/></a>

 

[DJ23GSX]

I was under the dsm last weekend swapping the stock exhaust back on for inspection when I noticed that one of my Ingalls upper rear control arms was on upside down and it was hitting the frame/undercarriage. I pulled it off and turned it over and now no more thumping when I shift or hit big bumps. Fixing that killed 2 birds with one stone which in the dsm world is a rarity

 

[jtmcinder]

A hilarious but happy ending.

 

[DJ23GSX]

A hilarious but happy ending.

Amen to that !