Loud clunking in the rear? Ford can't find it... Help!
04-20-2010, 06:34 PM
#1
6th Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Citrus County, FL
Posts: 8,007
Loud clunking in the rear? Ford can't find it... Help!
My buddy has an 08 GT, and when he comes off the clutch hard it is making a wickidly loud metel on metal clunk/bang type of sound from the rear of the car. He checked underneith and saw that he had a shock leaking fluid. A trip to Ford later and the shock was replaced. We figured this would fix the problem but it is still there just as loud as ever.
It will happen when you take off hard, then you have to take off hard in reverse to get it to make the noise again. To me, this points to something connected to the rear end or suspension in the rear of the car that is twisting or tweaking forwards or back as you accelerate quickly one way or another.
We took the car back up to Ford and they've pulled the entire rear end out, gone over every nut and bolt in the back of the car, and looked over all the spot welds that are visible and nobody can find it. They tried to tell him it was due to his LCA relocation brackets (which btw are welded in and not going anywhere). They moved the LCA's back to the stock location and the car is still doing it. We asked if they would pull the back seat and have someone go in the back of the car while another mechanic popped the clutch and made the noise in hopes of narrowing down the location the sound is coming from and they seemed to think that was a waste of their time.
To add to this we now have a second concern. While the car only has 19k miles on it we are getting hints that the dealer wants to pass the buck onto my buddy (and void the warranty, especially if a Ford engineer has to come out to diagnose it) simply because he has the LCA relocation brackets - which is total crap because there are a LOT of people who have them and have had ZERO problems like this.
Ford has put in a request on their "hotline" to see if any other dealers have reported this issue, and in the meantime has checked the TSB's which came up with nothing.
If anyone has heard of this problem PLEASE let me know asap, it would be great to have something to go on before we talk to the dealer tomorrow.
It will happen when you take off hard, then you have to take off hard in reverse to get it to make the noise again. To me, this points to something connected to the rear end or suspension in the rear of the car that is twisting or tweaking forwards or back as you accelerate quickly one way or another.
We took the car back up to Ford and they've pulled the entire rear end out, gone over every nut and bolt in the back of the car, and looked over all the spot welds that are visible and nobody can find it. They tried to tell him it was due to his LCA relocation brackets (which btw are welded in and not going anywhere). They moved the LCA's back to the stock location and the car is still doing it. We asked if they would pull the back seat and have someone go in the back of the car while another mechanic popped the clutch and made the noise in hopes of narrowing down the location the sound is coming from and they seemed to think that was a waste of their time.
To add to this we now have a second concern. While the car only has 19k miles on it we are getting hints that the dealer wants to pass the buck onto my buddy (and void the warranty, especially if a Ford engineer has to come out to diagnose it) simply because he has the LCA relocation brackets - which is total crap because there are a LOT of people who have them and have had ZERO problems like this.
Ford has put in a request on their "hotline" to see if any other dealers have reported this issue, and in the meantime has checked the TSB's which came up with nothing.
If anyone has heard of this problem PLEASE let me know asap, it would be great to have something to go on before we talk to the dealer tomorrow.
04-20-2010, 08:14 PM
#4
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 3,401
It will happen when you take off hard, then you have to take off hard in reverse to get it to make the noise again. To me, this points to something connected to the rear end or suspension in the rear of the car that is twisting or tweaking forwards or back as you accelerate quickly one way or another.
04-20-2010, 08:20 PM
#5
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Florida
Posts: 6
Hey, I am the buddy with the car...the whole point is that it should not make this noise. I first discovered it one tonight when I was at a stop light and my girlfriend would not quit nagging at me, I went passed the white line then put it in reverse and got on it spiritedly. Like I said the point is it should not make this noise. It sounds like the body is snapping apart. I need some real suggestions. That is why the post was made.
04-20-2010, 08:36 PM
#6
S197 Section Modder-ator
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Orlando FL
Posts: 13,373
It could be internal but you'll need to put the car on a 2 post lift and check every suspension components for tightness. I would suspect that 2 piece drive shaft...
If you can't see any visual glitches, have someone in the car go to first and reverse and check for parts movements.
If you can't see any visual glitches, have someone in the car go to first and reverse and check for parts movements.
04-20-2010, 10:42 PM
#7
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Florida
Posts: 6
We checked under the car for any loose welds on the body or anywhere else. At the ford dealer they loosened every bolt then tightened them back to factory specs. It still made the noise. I am kinda lost and dumb found......
I think it could be internal in the rear end, maybe the splines on the axles are wore some how(maybe factory error) and slipping in the diff.
The driveshaft may also be a problem????? Hopefully I will get lucky and find someone with the same issue that was resolved.
I think it could be internal in the rear end, maybe the splines on the axles are wore some how(maybe factory error) and slipping in the diff.
The driveshaft may also be a problem????? Hopefully I will get lucky and find someone with the same issue that was resolved.
04-21-2010, 12:56 AM
#9
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Florida
Posts: 6
For those of you who posted thank you for your input.
To add.....the car does not make that noise when driving, even if your cruising at 50 throw it in 3rd and punch it. The only way to make the noise is to put it in reverse and get on it spiritedly, then do the same going forward (from a dead stop) then if you go forward again it wont do it. So its like when you throw it in reverse something is slamming forward then when you throw it in 1st and go forward slamming backward.
The reason I think that is because after whatever it is slams backward it does not do it again until you reverse it.
To add.....the car does not make that noise when driving, even if your cruising at 50 throw it in 3rd and punch it. The only way to make the noise is to put it in reverse and get on it spiritedly, then do the same going forward (from a dead stop) then if you go forward again it wont do it. So its like when you throw it in reverse something is slamming forward then when you throw it in 1st and go forward slamming backward.
The reason I think that is because after whatever it is slams backward it does not do it again until you reverse it.
04-21-2010, 08:58 AM
#10
6th Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Citrus County, FL
Posts: 8,007
We looked the the driveshaft and thought maybe it was the carrier bearing, then crawled under my 06 GT and compared play in mine and they were the same. Also it sounds like it is further back in the car than where the 2 pieces of the driveshaft come together. A one piece driveshaft would be great, but I don't think it will solve the problem
Btw, billy your a douce for making your screen name your full name
Btw, billy your a douce for making your screen name your full name