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Popping sound from rear

  • Thread starter Thread starter [Twitch]
  • Start date Start date Oct 4, 2007

[Twitch]

Member
Mar 30, 2005
168
0
16
Montreal
Oct 4, 2007
#1
  • Oct 4, 2007
  • #1
Recently, I've been hearing a lot of popping sounds coming from the rear. This usually happens when I am from stoplight and I start moving. I hear pop pop pop. This also happens when driving slowly around in a parking lot looking for space, when I turn, I hear the pops.

I have a Ford Bullitt Suspension kit (Spring shocks, struts and swaybars) and rear MM LCA-5. The chassis side is a 3 piece urethane bushing, the axle side is a teflon filled sperical bearing. The LCA have been purchased and recently installed about 2-3 months ago.

When I first got the LCA, I rearely heard any popping, not it's all the time.

I am wondering if this popping is from the LCA and if it is normal?
 
G

GettinThere

Member
Jul 29, 2005
553
1
19
Central Texas
Oct 4, 2007
#2
  • Oct 4, 2007
  • #2
[Twitch] said:
The LCA have been purchased and recently installed about 2-3 months ago.
Click to expand...

Did you install them yourself? Maybe they weren't adequately greased during install.
 

[Twitch]

Member
Mar 30, 2005
168
0
16
Montreal
Oct 4, 2007
#3
  • Oct 4, 2007
  • #3
GettinThere said:
Did you install them yourself? Maybe they weren't adequately greased during install.
Click to expand...

I had a shop install them. After it was done, I greased the urethane busing with a grease gun. I visualy inspected the LCA last night and grease was plentiful and there wasnt any sign of loose bolts. Its weird.
 
D

Disturbed One

New Member
Jun 26, 2005
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Oct 4, 2007
#4
  • Oct 4, 2007
  • #4
I have a feeling that the only thing that it sounds like you haven't replaced are the bushings on the differential that the upper arms mount too. I pretty much about have the same setup as you there and I get a knock/popping sound like somethings rocking around and loose and those are the peice I haven't replaced. I think someone made a post about the same thing that he did that and it's gone now.
 
G

GettinThere

Member
Jul 29, 2005
553
1
19
Central Texas
Oct 4, 2007
#5
  • Oct 4, 2007
  • #5
[Twitch] said:
Recently, I've been hearing a lot of popping sounds coming from the rear. This usually happens when I am from stoplight and I start moving. I hear pop pop pop. This also happens when driving slowly around in a parking lot looking for space, when I turn, I hear the pops.
Click to expand...

A couple of years ago, my car was making sounds from the rear. Not popping, but more like banging, and kind of loud. Turned out it was a loose bolt on an upper control arm.
 

[Twitch]

Member
Mar 30, 2005
168
0
16
Montreal
Oct 4, 2007
#6
  • Oct 4, 2007
  • #6
GettinThere said:
A couple of years ago, my car was making sounds from the rear. Not popping, but more like banging, and kind of loud. Turned out it was a loose bolt on an upper control arm.
Click to expand...

Was your UCA stock?

It is like a pop/bang, you can feel it through the floor pan with your foot.
 
G

GettinThere

Member
Jul 29, 2005
553
1
19
Central Texas
Oct 4, 2007
#7
  • Oct 4, 2007
  • #7
[Twitch] said:
Was your UCA stock?

It is like a pop/bang, you can feel it through the floor pan with your foot.
Click to expand...

Yes, passenger side. I got under it and had my daughter bounce the rear up and down, and I could clearly tell exactly where the sound came from. Then I could move the uca around and make the sound. Tightened the bolts and it's been quiet since.
 

[Twitch]

Member
Mar 30, 2005
168
0
16
Montreal
Oct 4, 2007
#8
  • Oct 4, 2007
  • #8
GettinThere said:
Yes, passenger side. I got under it and had my daughter bounce the rear up and down, and I could clearly tell exactly where the sound came from. Then I could move the uca around and make the sound. Tightened the bolts and it's been quiet since.
Click to expand...

Hmm, I was under my car, in a pit and tried to move the UCA, they wouldn't move. I'll try to tighten them just to be sure.
 
G

GettinThere

Member
Jul 29, 2005
553
1
19
Central Texas
Oct 4, 2007
#9
  • Oct 4, 2007
  • #9
[Twitch] said:
Hmm, I was under my car, in a pit and tried to move the UCA, they wouldn't move. I'll try to tighten them just to be sure.
Click to expand...

The banging sound would happen whenever the car changed acceleration, either positively or negatively. Of course, it also happened over bumps. Couldn't hurt to tighten all the bolts down there. Good luck with that, eh?
 
M

Mel96GT

New Member
Aug 31, 2004
255
1
0
San Diego
Oct 4, 2007
#10
  • Oct 4, 2007
  • #10
Disturbed One said:
I have a feeling that the only thing that it sounds like you haven't replaced are the bushings on the differential that the upper arms mount too. I pretty much about have the same setup as you there and I get a knock/popping sound like somethings rocking around and loose and those are the peice I haven't replaced. I think someone made a post about the same thing that he did that and it's gone now.
Click to expand...

That was me. I had a similar situation except mine did it on curves and bumps. Turns out my UCA bushings on the pumpkin were shot. I replaced the bushings with stock ones and used FRPP UCA's, problem solved. BTW, buy the bushing install tool. Check your torque boxes too.
 

[Twitch]

Member
Mar 30, 2005
168
0
16
Montreal
Oct 6, 2007
#11
  • Oct 6, 2007
  • #11
Good new guys! Finally found out what was wrong.

I was trying to replicate the sound, so I stood up on the driver side rocker panel and jumped up and down. Sure enough, the clunk/pop sound was there, at the rear wheel, nowhere close to the UCA.

Jack the rear up, inspected the MM LCA on the axle side, seems good, no visual gaps. Specs says to torque it 71-97ft-lbs, started on the lowest setting and the bolt and nut was spinning.

This is why I like to do all my work myself, so I can do everything right the first time. The mechanic must have never torqued it down to spec. So I torque both LCAs to be sure and voila, the clunk/pop is gone
 
G

GettinThere

Member
Jul 29, 2005
553
1
19
Central Texas
Oct 7, 2007
#12
  • Oct 7, 2007
  • #12
[Twitch] said:
Good new guys! Finally found out what was wrong.

I was trying to replicate the sound, so I stood up on the driver side rocker panel and jumped up and down. Sure enough, the clunk/pop sound was there, at the rear wheel, nowhere close to the UCA.

Jack the rear up, inspected the MM LCA on the axle side, seems good, no visual gaps. Specs says to torque it 71-97ft-lbs, started on the lowest setting and the bolt and nut was spinning.

This is why I like to do all my work myself, so I can do everything right the first time. The mechanic must have never torqued it down to spec. So I torque both LCAs to be sure and voila, the clunk/pop is gone
Click to expand...

Beauty eh?

Seriously, thanks for reporting back. Too often, someone defines a problem, asks for help, and disappears. We never know if or how the problem was solved.

 
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