A couple days ago my car developed the dreaded rear end clunk. I havent had a chance to crawl under there to check it out, but from what I've been reading it seems the End links on the sway bar could be the issue, and may need to be replaced.

I still have the Stock Sway. If it is the bushings what did you replace yours with or what would you recommend? I wasnt ready to replace the rear sway yet. Too bad this didnt happen around black friday lol.

The car now has 36k.

 

I replaced both rear links around 3 years ago (~57k miles) with OEM replacements for the 11MY (BR3Z-5C488-A). The passenger side drop link had worn just enough to allow a little play and generate the clunk noise as the axle articulates.

At 101K the clunking has now returned. Last night I determined it was the driver side link making the noise. I can see a little play in the lower bushing as I push pull on the bar next to the link and the noise occurs.

It appears to me the outside of the lower rubber bushing is wearing against the inside of the lower drop link. I've ordered the Energy Suspension bushing kit (4.5195G) for the 24mm rear bar and all the associated bolts. I may replace just the lower bushings as the bonded rubber upper and axle end bushings have no perceptible play. The axle end bushings are still the original and the bonded rubber upper bushings weren't bad in the original links.

 

Is this more of a clunk or creak? I've been chasing creaking coming from my rear end for months, but I thought it was the bushings on my LCAs that weren't greased properly when they got installed.

 

It is a definite clunk. This morning I crawled under the car and saw my drivers side muffler drooping, and checked the hangers, and found the rear hanger tore away from the muffler. so the over axle pipe and muffler have been clanking around back there. Going to take to a muffler shop, hopefully they can weld it back.

Not sure what I did to cause that?

 

Fixed! Whoo hoo. I took it to a local muffler shop. The guy looked at it said it could be re-welded. $25.

 

At least that one was easy to solve. Most rear end clunks are harder to diagnose. I have one that has been driving me crazy for about six months now. I don't drive the car much, so it is taking awhile to figure out. So far, the upper shock nut started to come loose on one side, everything has been re-torqued to spec, and the rear sway and end links replaced. I am down to either the drive shaft or the upper control arm bushings.

 

Have you replaced the control arms? I have a new set of non adjustable BMR LCAs and UCA to replace my current adjustable stuff, also BMR. I had the non adjustable before and they were much quieter.

 

I have Steeda billet aluminum lowers and the adj upper. I am going to pull them out and regrease all the bushings since they have been in the car 1 1/2 years. I am starting to think the adj upper is the source of the remaining noise. I have reduced it quite a bit as I have worked through the suspension, but have not completely eliminated it.

 

How do you like the Steed UCA. How is the NVH? I've been thinking about a UCA but I was concerned about the NVH.

 

I installed it with the springs, LCA's, shocks, struts, and pan hard bar. Since I did everything at once I can't really say which parts had the most affect on handling, but I can say that afterward it was like driving a different car. I didn't notice any additional noise upon the initial install, but developed a clanking noise several months later. A loose shock nut was part of the problem, then the rear sway end links. I still have a little clanking that may be the UCA, but not sure yet. I am going to pull the UCA/LCA's and re-grease. I am also considering putting the stock UCA back in to see if that quiets the remaining noises.