mikey_audiogeek

I'm not sure a soft trans mount would exhibit the stick-slip behaviour that must be present to cause these symptoms. A trans mount doesn't have any inherent friction.

Same goes for exhaust. Not sure about fuel tank tho?

Jeff N.

I'm going to try to get under the car again and carefully look around at a few of the mount points. My gut wants to say this is related to spring plate bushings / t-bar but this thread has suggested some other ideas.

Mikey - if you get a chance, see if you can do the same and let's compare notes again.

C ANDERSON

Just had all similar sounds on a low mileage 87 51.000 has been the most sound car I have, drove it one night this week after reading this post go figure and the sound started . Sounds just like a CV axle cage is broke. Checked CV'S all appear well so get out another low mileage set clean up grease and re-boot .
Get under car to swap em out turn the wheel to line up the bolts and the sound urg urg thunk. turn a few times and realize its the inboard brake pad ! Had just changed the pads to HAWK HP+ last week end .
pulled the pads out and they are real loose fore and aft in the caliper checked the padgid pads that came out and they have to tapped in. put lots of anti rattle on the back side and ends no more problem.

Now can hear the other 3 clanking a little .


Clifton

mikey_audiogeek

Hi Clifton, thanks for posting. Good point - I'm running Pagids without the factory anti-rattle pucks. Don't know if there's a correlation in my case but deserves further investigation.

Jeff - will do, however it won't be for the first time...

Jeff N.

Well, got under the car and poked around a bit. Looked at the following:

- transaxle mounts and x-member bolts
- upper and lower shock mounts
- inner "banana arm" mounts

All tight, no sign of slipping. Will keep looking.

86 951 Driver

Any update on this issue?

superloaf

i can't believe no one's figured this out yet. although i'm not sure we are all experiencing the same problem. when i read what others say, i think it is the exact thump that i hear except for one very important difference: i also hear mine when first accelerating from a stop. so it almost could be CV joint or axle related except that it also happens when the suspension compresses whether torque is going through the axles or not. that axial play in the trans sounds promising as that would explain many of us are getting these symptoms as the miles roll on and i'm sure that it's pretty difficult to isolate or prove to be the noise.

oh, and i also "feel" my noise when it happens. it comes through both the chassis and the drivetrain or well, it's kinda hard to describe. do others feel it or is it more of just a sound?

86 951 Driver

Mine is only under load aka throttle.

86 951 Driver

I have replaced my motor mounts, wheel bearing, CV Axles, Turbo, and the noise is still there. My suspension is all original I heard that it might be from bad shocks or maybe the torison carrier is banging somewhere?

It seems to be there when it is squating?

SpeedyC2

It looks like it's been a while since a post on this topic, but I've just found this thread with a search and I'll chime in and say I have this problem as well. I bought the car ('90 S2) last October and it has had this "popping" sound coming from - seemingly - the right rear since day one. It only seems to occur during hard cornering which makes the car lean heavily. I've not noticed it under heavy acceleration.

FWIW, I have noticed if I really concentrate on getting a "perfect" heel-toe shirft and get around the corner as smoothly as possible (and not in my typical ham-fisted fashion) the "pop" doesn't happen. So to me anyway, it's definitely a loading/weight transfer issue.

A few months ago I replaced the worn out, orginal shocks with Koni sports and hoped maybe the rear shock bushing was shot. No change in the noise, though the ride/handling was much beter with the Koni's.

Having read through this I'll check the rear brake pads for play, but has any other theory surfaced and/or a solution been found? Thanks for any input!

rcatherton

I went on a similar wild goose chase with a thunk in the rear. The sound location was a deception. I gave up and took it to the shop. They could not locate it. I later found it after checking every nut and bolt on the suspension. Check the front caster block bolts. The internal anchor nuts welds could have given way.

SpeedyC2

Interesting. Thank you.

I have had one friend in the car say the sound was coming from the front - everyone else thinks rear - and he is typically right about such things.

New castor blocks are on my short list of items to replace anyway. Guess they'll be next.

I'll report back...

mikey_audiogeek

Still haven't found my clunk, doesn't seem as bad these days. Nothing has broken or fallen off though.

Cheers,
Mike

dillon410021

sway bar shifting

Clown

Im having the same issue as well. Sounds like someone hitting a hammer once under the rear passenger side of vehicle. It happens on body roll from right to left. Sounds like a single thunk noise during chassis flex.