I need some help. I've had this weird clank noise from the rear suspension of the car. I checked tie rod ends, the rear bearings, and everything else that moves and couldn't find a thing. Then I found this service bulletin:
So I finally have the car at a low enough level of fuel to tackle this project.

Here's the tank out of the car:


And this appears to be the gusset that the technical bulletin was talking about (I think). It looks perfectly fine. No rubbing, corrosion, paint missing, nothing.



The only thing that doesn't look perfect is this upper A-arm mount:
(the oil is from my leaking MN6 tranny.)


Sorry for the long post.

ttt

Sorry can't really help with your issue but had to click on this just because of the money post title....brought up all kinds of mental images.

The technical bulletin makes it sound like it can be on the LH or RH side ... so sounds like both fuel tanks would have to be removed to inspect both sides of the car.

ROTFLMAO

I didn't put that together till you posted. That's some funny **** right there!!!

I may be experiencing the same problem as you, but mine is an '02. Its really bugging the **** out me. Over every bump, I hear this rattle. Like metal hitting against metal.

The bulletin that you posted showed that it only affected '99-'00 models, but it meets the symptoms that I experience.

Mine is coming form the driver side near the speaker. If you were to have somebody else drive your car and you sit on the passenger side, you may figure out where the sound is coming from...

Ive had a clunk from the rear end before.....turned out it was the axle nuts that had come loose a little. Torque those down (I Think they are 33mm).

Alex

what is the condition of your sway bar bushings?

The axle nuts are tight as are the sway bar bushings. I'm going to hit those two gussets with the welder today. (BBQ yesterday)

That's what she said!

The gusset in red is now has an extra bead on it. The gusset in green is right next to the fiberglass pan of the rear hatch area floor. Welding it would catch the car on fire.

Put everything back together - still have the noise.

Mitch

dang

It would help if you provided detailed info i.e. When does the noise occur? Acceleration, shifting, turning, backing up, slow/high speed, etc?

The sound is a creak. It's located right behind the driver's seat near the outside of the car.

It happens when a torsional load is placed on the frame (i.e. sideways up a driveway, speed bumps, just going in reverse and with the front wheels turned as well)

It's most noticible at low speeds - this could be due to lack of background noise associated with low speeds.

The car has been occasionally tracked - never in an accident, but it does have a significant # of miles - 160,000

All the moving parts back there seem to be fine (bearings, ball joints, tie rod ends, upper & lower A-arm bushings, sway bar connections and bushings.) The rear cradle is tight, A-arm bolts are tight... I'm at a loss.

Mitch

Since it happens at low speed, speed bumps, etc.....I would have someone else navigate a speed bump, with you outside the car listening....to narrow it down. Should be plenty to find in a parking lot, etc.

Could be something as simple as the fuel tank, or even the RFA receiver bouncing around.

fuel tank maybe..I've got the same sound.

It's bigger than the RFA receiver and it's definitely outside the car. It's more of a creak like the OP is saying.

I'm glad to see that service bulletin though as it's the only thing I've seen so far even slightly describing the location of this sound.

I've tried lying down in the back of my car as my old lady drives around slowly and done the parking lot "walk along" thing

for some reason to me it just sounds like a suspension creak..the off camber angles that create the sound and the only certain speed bumps are what make me think so.

here soon I'll be getting a new catalytic converter and X-pipe which will hopefully quiet everything down except for this one noise.

I should hopefully be able to locate it better soon and I'll report back

Is the car lowered at all? I know you said you checked the bushings but what about the bushings that are part of the spring itself?

Having had my rear suspension out many times for clutch stuff I am trying to visualize what could be making that noise.....

muffler insolators?

Rear diff bolts (where they mount to the cradle).

Swaybar end links. I have the hiem joints on mine from Hotchkis and the left rear upper makes a clunk noise on bumps. Tight as hell but noise is always there so I ignore it until I replace them with LG quites or stock units.

rear exhaust hanger (rear of torque tube).

shock mounts, upper and lower.

Control arm bolts, cradle bolts.

Rear impact bar welds.

Rear brake caliper bolts.

Rear sway bar bushings mounting bolts.

Other than that, those hidden joints/gussets you are already aware of.

What's an RFA Receiver?

it's the receiver for your key fobs and TPMS system..it resides inside the car directly up above the left rear wheel house. you have to pull the carpet back and really bend your head down