Lowered 97 Cobra help needed
 

I've been having some rear end howling and what appears to be transmission gear noises recently. The car has been lowered for about 2 years now. I took it to a shop yesterday so we could get it on a lift for a better view. One thing we noticed is above the rear end housing there is a rubber bump stop and my rear end housing is touching it. The mechanic there said this does not look right and probably is whats causing my rear end noises. He's aware the car is lowered and said maybe that rubber stop needs to be modified so the rear end has room to go up and down normally. As for the transmission noise he seems to think the garage that recently replaced my clutch has the tranny support bracket in wrong. The two bolts that mount through the bracket to the tranny are not sitting in the same location they originally were. You can see where they were tightened down before and now they are about 1/2 inch back?? Any help or knowledge is much appreciated.

If your car is "riding" on the bump stop, you are too low. The rear gears appear to be transferring harmonics into the cabin via the contact with this rubber stop. I don't see how the moving transmission mount bolts will effect noise, I think this is all realated to the contact with bump stop.

How low did you drop your car?

Jazzer :)

On my 95 Cobra they removed the bump stops. It never bottomed out.

You usually put a smaller snubber in when you lower a vehicle.
And as far as the mounting bolts go it is next to impossible to get everything back as it was before. You are dealing with Rubber motor mounts and a rubber trans mount they are going to flex

Remove the bumpstop, make sure the rear end doesnt touch the body and see if that gets rid of the noise

+1

they are usually included some kits too.

It was dropped 1.8 in the front and 2.0 in the rear. What I don't get is I see many other lowered mustangs which appear to be dropped more than mine and how are they not having this same problem. Take a look at the picture on my car and to me the rear is not that low.

Thanks for the replys. I dropped the car off at a friends shop and his 1st thought was to either modify/cut in half the original rear bump stop or remove it like some of you suggested. The 2nd thing he wants to look at is why the bolts that mount the tranny to the cross member are sitting back so far and not at the original location. My 1st concern was when I had a new clutch put in a few months back they had the throw out bearing sitting in front of the clutch form not it in. Naturally this caused a nasty rattle in the clutch pedal which they tried to say was normal. NOT!!! All cables were connected but left hanging and one was wrapped around the drive shaft. I guess they thought I wouldn't notice. So.....this is why I'm concerned about the cross member or parts of it being installed wrong. I looked in my repair manual but it don't give any good pictures. There's a guy down the street with a 97 Cobra also so i'm going to stop by there later and take a look at his if possible. It's lowered as well. His appears to be sitting lower than mine.

Anyone ever install the "bump steer" kits?? I'm going to have to do that soon as well.

I told you why your trans crossmember did not line up with your trans mount! That is why the CM is slotted because of the flexibility
And the shop did what with your Throw Out Bearing? Your sentence makes no sense
"My 1st concern was when I had a new clutch put in a few months back they had the throw out bearing sitting in front of the clutch form not it in. Naturally this caused a nasty rattle in the clutch pedal which they tried to say was normal NOT!!! " Did you seriously use the phrase "NOT"?:icon_deadhorse: