CRAIGFIN

I took my car to be MOT'ed on Saturday morning. It was in perfect health. After an hour when I got the car back (passed with flying colours) I noticed a clunking sound coming from the rear drivers side area.
When the car is driving you cannot hear the sound at all, but when the car brakes or accelerates something appears to shift and the clunk happens. Being cynical I removed the wheel and looked under to see if there was any obvious signs of tampering, I could not see anything.
The clunk also happens when I pull off (forward or reverse). The timing of the event makes me very suspicious as it was perfect before the MOT. I know I cannot prove anything so I have not said anything to the company.
Has anybody got any ideas at all? Also has anybody got experience of their rear drive shaft going? What doe's it sound like?

My car is a 99 STI Type-R V5. Any input appreciated.

Craig.

stiscooby

I also have a small knocking noise coming from the back of my 99 STI Type R.

Checked top of shock and nothing loose there and all the bushes are fine????

Only does it when moving slow coming to a stop and pulling away.

CRAIGFIN

stiscooby,

You have just described my problem in a nutshell. I also checked underneath at the bushes but couldn't see anything obvious. Sounds like we have the same problem. I think it's either the bushes or the drive shaft. Are you doing anything about your problem or are you going to live with it? When I get some time of work I am going to book it in at the garage to see what they say.

Any other idea's from anyone!!!

Craig.

[Edited by CRAIGFIN - 6/24/2003 10:11:37 PM]

drb5

iTrader: (4)

aha! i may be able to shed some light, if it is indeed the same problem as i have had. got an rb5 off drive subaru in falkirk in october and a couple of months ago i found once i had driven it for a got, say twenty miles, { once it had properly heated up} there was a cluncking when i began to park it. hard lock either way really made it stand out. driving normaly you couldn't hear it, but i tried it in a big car park in second and third gears and it was still there. a technical advisor from subaru themselves finally diagnosed it, cause the mechanic in drive had came across it before, as the centre diff being knackered! got it done under warranty and since then not a problem. does this info help anyone?

CRAIGFIN

drb5,

Thanks for the input, I hope to god that it isn't the centre diff as my car is no longer under warranty. I think my clunk is mainly towards the rear which I hope rules out the centre diff. Time will tell.

Cheers,

Craig.

drb5

iTrader: (4)

what to do m8, if you haven't done already, is get some to stand next to your car as you drive it along. when your driving the car it can be incredibly difficult to work out just where the noise is coming from as your really only hearing it from where you are closest to. it might help anyhoo.

rally colin

Give me a bell 07771767874 I suspect if the noise is coming from around the seat area I will be able to give you some pointers.

stiscooby

I want to try and find out what this is as I will probably be selling it soon so want to get it sorted out.

Odd thing is every now and then it won't do it but just lately it is doing it a fair bit.

If I sit in the back seat and kinda bounce up and down then you can hear it knocking then (when car is stationary). Seems to be coming from the passenger side at the rear.

Got someone to pull on the shock while I was making it knock to see if it was a little loose and thought that was the problem but doesn’t seem to be.

Car was in Scoobysport a while ago and they couldn't find the problem??? Mind you wasn't doing it much at that time.

If anyone knows/finds the answer to this or has some ideas of what to check then I would be very grateful.

Sh!te hope it’s not the bloody diff!!!!! Don’t want that expense before I sell it.

CRAIGFIN

Update.

I'm pretty sure that the clunk is transmission related, as opposed to suspension related. If I go over speedbumps or slow down/speed up in gear the clunk is there. If I go over speed bumps or brake whilst in neutral, there is not a sound at all.
I'm assuming that this rules out bushes as they would clunk in or out of gear. This must point to the transmission side of things. I hope its a drive shaft and not a diff!!
Does any body know what actually goes wrong with a drive shaft??

Craig.

Dyney

Have you checked the rear diff mounts?

stiscooby

I will have to listen out again but I think mine does it when have the clutch in/or in neutral.

CRAIGFIN

bttt.

Eprom

How did they jack the rear end up to test the bushes? If they used the rear diff front cross member support, this can bend the brackets that are fixed to the body, reducing the clearance on the mounting bushes, this allows the bushes to clonk against the underbody. Look under car just behind drivers door you will see a plate bolted to the body, it has a large round rubber bush mounted on the other side, make sure the plate is not bent up to the underbody of the car, you could check will the other side of car to compare.
Hope this helps

stiscooby

Well still don't know whats making the noise on mine???

Can hear the knocking noise if I am rolling to a stop in neutral or when crawling along in gear so hopefully not the drive shaft/diff on mine.

Sounds as if it's coming from the left rear shock area??

submannz

The knocking problem you explain is the rear top hat bushes, it is very common and even more so if you have uprated your suspension.

A suspension shop can rebush them with say polyurethane bushes (should never have the problem again), or you could buy second hand top hats

BTW it is very difficult to check these bushes.

[Edited by submannz - 6/30/2003 4:32:32 AM]

5 Type R

I know exactly what you are talking about as I have it on my MY99 Type R...........

Makes a loud clunk sometimes when pulling away in say 2nd and also when you slow down but stay in a higher gear say 2nd or 3rd, when the throttle takes up the load you get a similar clunk..........

ANSWER: Its wear in the rear diff.
Basically the noise is the clunk on take up of the diff.

AFAIK it isnt worth replacing the diff until it goes way beyond this. Its an unpleasant noise I grant you, but
lets remember that the Type R is barely more than a street legal rally car and subaru did little more than make it appear to be a road car on the surface.
I think we all know that they are not the quietest , refined cars in the world and all these extra noises just add to the "rally" experience.

If I wanted a more refined scoob I would buy a 4 doord, 7 or 8...........

Julian

Have had a very similar problem recently, low speed, NSR, over some bumps, not others, sometimes when pulling away, sometimes not, but generally worse after teh car was well warmed up. Have just replaced the Rear Beam Mount Bushes and all is now OK.

johnfelstead

its unlikely to be the centre diff as you have a DCCD setup on that car and its less suseptable to failing, especially during an MOT where some muppets use a 2 wheel brake dyno.

It could be the rear diff having a bit of play as stated, easiest way to tell is get under the rear of the car and grab hold of the prop shaft and spin it back and forth to see what backlash the diff has, you should hear the clunk noise and feel some play if it is the diff. You can get the rear diff reshimmed to take the play up unless the CWP is worn to buggery, then its a bit more expensive a job.

scoobymoo

I have the same problem on my MY99 and thought it it was worn bushes, had it in to the dealers and they initially thought the same however after going over the suspension and replacing some of the bushes it was still doing it so they reckon it is the rear diff and its booked in for a replacement in two weeks (thank god I paid the money to extend my warranty, job costs over a grand apparently!). Mechanic said you can drive with it like that for a few months but it will only get worse and will put a strain on other components in the drivetrain so its best to get it replaced.