Only happens at slow speeds below 30ish. Over uneven surfaces it goes 'Clunk' from either side or sometimes both.

Kind of sounds like the exhaust is loose and hitting the bottom of the car but i've checked it out and it's fine.

Anyone else get this? Should I be worried too much?

MY99 Wagon FYI

ARB bushes or droplinks,
CV joints,
other bushes/balljoints worn,
badly seated spring,
jack loose,
damper top nuts loose...

The list goes on...

Well that's narrowed it down at least it's nothing serious:)

Any ideas of the best place to start looking. It's due for a service so shall I ask them to check it out or is that gonna be a question of 'Well we replaced everything and it still does it and that'll be £2000 please'???!

also check the spare is wheel is bolted down properly !! Had this problem and checked the wheel and there's clearance even with the butterfly bolt tightened fully. !

Had a similar problem, found to be rear ARB bush to be worn, now cured

Thanks guys will check that out.

Are the ARB bushes a DIY job?

I seem to have the same problem.

I have fitted powerflex rear arb bushes and solid drop links but the noise is still there. As you say, it only happens at low speeds, usually when i reverse i get a single "clunk" from the nearside rear and also sometimes when i change down gear at low speed. It is not the spare wheel or jack moving around, it only happens on the flat ie not going over speed bumps etc.

Gonna get the dealer to check it out when i go for next service.

Ed

I've checked the wheel, jack etc nothing loose.

I don't have any problems from the back when I reverse but do get a clunk from the front when I brake in reverse??!

The rear clunk only occurs across pot holes etc and especially when one or the other wheel hits a pothole and the car get's rocked. This leads me to believe it is the ARB bushes. I'll get it checked at the service next week. Question is how difficult a job is it?
I'm quite happy to have a tinker but my years of spending hours upto my arms in grease and Sh*t under a car are over, now I can afford to pay someone to do it for me.

Also which bushes are best to fit? Is it worth putting in solid droplinks at the same time. How much are they gonna cost me?

Demon tweeks do the whiteline/mrt droplinks and bushes for £31.62 inc vat. I found this out after paying the £42 "going rate" for mine :( Mine have gone on my wrx and it was just as cheap to buy the whole lot as it was just to by some poly bushes. Fitting is supposed to be fairly easy but I reserve judgement until I've done mine ;) Two ramps are recommended as you need to leave the suspension compressed to do it and the ramps will make life a bit easier

[Edited by Charlie H - 3/13/2003 3:08:32 PM]

Its dead easy to change the arb bushes, takes about half an hour to do the whole job. Its easier if you have both sides of the car off the ground though ie so that the arb is not loaded at just one side. The solid alloy arb links are available from power engineering and come complete with powerflex bushes for about £75 a pair. The mounting bushes for the arb are £15 a pair. Other places charge per link so are around £30-35 each.

Thanks for that info guys.

I squeezed myself under the arse end of the scoob last night and had a good look at all the bushes. I can't say that there was much noticeable play in any of them. I could just about move the drop links by about a mm or 2 if yanked them for all I was worth.

Also check the strut top mounts and they were all tight. So I'm a bit mystified now!!

Any bright ideas...... anyone..... HELP!!!!!

Mine don't move when the car is on the floor but when it was jacked up there was loads of play so jack it up first, then check them again :)

Cheers Charlie, will do.

mine was like that but still the noise!!

My rear nearside shock has also now gone, dont know if that is anything to do with it.

Have mucked about with rear tyre pressures and it seems to have eased the noise. Have got them set on 28psi. Any views on that?

seepy, are they shorter/lowered springs? if they are and the noise is at its worse when youre slowing down (the back of the car is lifting up slightly), then it could be the spring is no longer in compression and flaps about a bit. i know i had this problem with eibachs.

Kippax - as far as I know it's on standard uk suspension. It's an ex-lease car so doubt it's been modded too much. Has got a prodrive quickshift on though so ya never know.

Ok it's been for a service and the man reckon I've got knocking drop links (Ouch)

I think that's a good enough excuse to fit so solid droplinks and an antilift kit at the same time.

Anyone done this?
Couple of questions
1. Easy? can I do them myself
2. Do I need to get the wheels aligned afterwards?

I've just fitted the Powerflex solid links to mine last weekend.

It was a doddle, TSL said i needed to lift the rear but i didn't and it was dead easy.
Just unbolted the links and out they came, noticed that the upper bush and a large amount of play.

I've had this rear end clunk for ages and Carstins didn't spot anything, so fitting these wasn't a definate fix but thought it was worth a go.
No more rear end clunk, just goes to show that dealers aren't always any good.

Russ

Russ,

I take it you got them from TSL??

Can you tell me how much they were and which ones you bought??

I've got the same noise from the rear too!!!

Cheers.

Ali.

Ali

They were indeed from TSL, they're the aluminium ones on their website or Powerflex's.
£77.** was the price inc of VAT.

They only sell rear drop links, although i might now be tempted to replace the front ones.

Russ

I have recently started to notice the same problem on my MY99 ie my passenger side rear clunks when I lift off at low speed. I have an extended warranty so should I get it looked at and is it covered by warranty? Just had my 45k service two weeks ago and they never noticed?