Clunking sound from rear

[sas]

When my car is cold all is fine but once you have been traveling for 40 mins plus you get a really odd clunking noise from the rear! If I turn off the engine and coast along in neutrel this still happens. I've checked the wheels (No Play), I've tried to wriggled various components behind the nearside wheel (Drive shaft, top wishbone and bottom wishbone) where it sounds as though the noise is comming from but no joy! I don't hink it's the exhaust, any ideas please?

Regards
Simon

[adrianr]

Possibly the ball joint on the inner end of the rear toe link (still with me?). It gets cooked by the exhaust, grease dries out and then it wears a little.

AdrianR

[sas]

Cheers Adrian, do you find the noise doesn't really have a trend? It just creaks and clunks randomly...

[adrianr]

I've lost track of all the odd clunks and rattles mine makes now (98 S1) - toe links, shocks, springs, brake pads....

In fact I'm planning a total rebuild with the S2 shocks, new ball joints, bushes, toe links etc to see if I can shut it up a bit.

AdrianR

[sas]

Adrian, if the problem is with the ball joint on the inner end of the rear toe link then would the wheel/hub wobble? As it doesn't when the the is making the noise... Are they expensive to change? My car next week is booked in to see Steve Williams so he should be able to sort it for me I hope...

[jb26413]

A mate of mine has a nearly new Z4 which had a creak in the roof frame - he asked one of his Z4 mates if that was normal and they said absolutely not, take it in for a warranty repair .

I'd worry if my Elise stopped making noises when I'm in it, it would mean that I've crashed!

[adrianr]

sas said:

if the problem is with the ball joint on the inner end of the rear toe link then would the wheel/hub wobble?

Yes, but not so as you'd notice, we're talking fractions of a mm here. You might be able to feel it clunk if you push/pull the toe link but then again it might only happen at a certain position, or when the car is hot so no guarantees.

I disconnected mine, wiggled it around to redistribute the grease and then wrapped it in sticky aluminium tape as used by central heating engineers, which shut it up for a bit.

The toe links used to be Lotus only and expensive (£70 ish) but I was told the price had dropped now, don't know to what but would be interested to as I might need some myself soon.

AdrianR

[fergusd]

Toe link balljoints now cost approx 17 quid . . .

Fd

[scary]

I had that on mine - it that's what it is, you'll find it doesn't creak much in the cold or at all in the rain. I'm sorry I can't help with a price but it happened to mine in the first year so I got it done under warrenty. Apparently Lotus are aware of this problem and usually fit a heat shield the side nearest the exhaust, mine was on the other.

Cheers

Sweary

[adrianr]

fergusd said:

Toe link balljoints now cost approx 17 quid . . .

Thanks, that's a whole lot better and will go on the shopping list.

Think I'll still wrap the new ones in shiny tape tho, esp. as I don't have heatshields.

AdrianR