awilli6

Hi guys,

87 S4 w/98k on the clock. When I hit bumps, my rear end goes thud. Thought it may be shocks, but my experience with bad shocks is a lot of bounce when they go. The car doesn't bounce at all. D you think this is a shock issue or something else?

Bilal928S4

Could be a lose shock.

GlenL

Check tire pressures

Need better sound effect

Bilal928S4

Could also be play in your rear hatch latch and it could be making the rear hatch 'thud' into the body over bumps.

h011yw00d

Too small a battery and not secured?

Bilal928S4

Something loose in the trunck area, tools, jack, spare tire, etc

jayc67

Jimmy Hoffa in the trunk?

Sorry, could be a ton of things but I'd start with the easy ones; loose stuff in the storage area, loose gas tank straps maybe, loose shocks (top of towers is easy to get to in the back).

awilli6

Thanks. Jimmy Hoffa my hatch latch is loose. I'll check those things this weekend

dr bob

My favorite method is to remove ALL the stuff that's in the car. EVERYTHING. Then put a listener back there (me) while the car is driven over the normally noisy roads that stimulate the thunk. Sometimes it takes a few passes. That method typically identifies the loose stuff in the car as the problem, BTW. After that we have broken or tired exhaust hangers, the loose latches, and only then do we get to suspension bits unless they've been worked on recently.