Noise?

[rampagingsloth]

Ok, new stupid question. My '95 Thunderbird has aftermarket springs/shocks (Eibach/Tokico) and urethane bushings in most places, stock swaybars, stock-ish (16" rims, I think 7 or 7 1/2" wide) wheels and tires. These were transferred over from my original Thunderbird that hydroplaned on the freeway one rainy morning. This never happened with the original Thunderbird but now with the new one, occasionally, usually when making a left turn into a driveway, I will hear/feel a loud pop! from what I'm pretty sure is the passenger side rear wheel area. It sound like something just broke off or was binding and snapped back into place. I've had my mechanic look under the car and check the obvious places, he doesn't see anything different (compared to the driver side rear). Sometimes it's really loud, more often usually just loud enough to make me panic. But no obvious driving changes, pulling to one side, funny noises, etc. Occasionally when I'm putting the car into reverse I'll hear/feel a very slight clunk like something adjusted, again passenger side rear wheel area. Not predictable or repeatable on command, it just happens and if I try it again, nothing funny going on.

To my untrained ears it seems like something loose moving around back there that would be obvious to see on a lift, but I've never seen anything when looking underneath, no part hanging free or missing bolt or big crack or whatever. Anybody else every experience this?

 

[Zep5.0]

Any play in the half shafts? Almost sounds like it could be a cv joint

 

[rampagingsloth]

Any play in the half shafts? Almost sounds like it could be a cv joint

I'll have to have that checked out. When they went through the task of swapping in the lowered springs and shocks and such they said the half-shafts were leaking so they had them rebuilt.

 

[Grog6]

Are you sure it's the rear? the strut rod bushing can make a popping noise if it's worn. Usually going into/out of a parking space.

 

[rampagingsloth]

Are you sure it's the rear? the strut rod bushing can make a popping noise if it's worn. Usually going into/out of a parking space.

I don't get any sense of something loud coming from the front half of the car. When it happens (it of course didn't do it once yesterday) it feels very much like from the passenger rear wheel area. Or, maybe, just from around the passenger side between the front and rear seats. But all the bushings were replaced at the same time a few years ago when the car had the springs/shocks upgraded.