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Nasty clunk noise
#1

Ever since I've had my 968 there's been a very funky clunk noise coming from the passenger side of the car. RS Barn has looked for it, PowerTech has looked for it - nobody can find it. It's definitely not the suspension - all is nut and bolted and when I aggresively rock the car, bounce the suspension - no noise.



It's almost as if there is somethink like a big rock down inside the sheet metal where the rear speaker used to be. That cavern is big. I drove the car on the street last night getting ready for Watkins Glen and without the helmet on it's loud!



When I nail the gas or slow down hard I get the noise. Run over cracks or bumps, loud clunking noise. Bounce the car in the garage - no noise.



Reached my arm into that speaker hole and nearly got it stuck! Shoved a stick in there to see if I could wiggle something around - no luck.



I'm going to shove the vacuum hose in there and see what it gets tonight! Free set of worn out Hoosier R6s to whoever can figure this out!!! <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/biggrin.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />
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#2

Had a clunk in my car for a while but not quite as bad as yours. Turned out it was the front rubber guide strip on the window. It had slide down so the window would bang on the metal rail that encased it.
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#3

Can you see anything if you take out the black plastic vent? It (the vent) is only visible when you open the door, and it's located on the back vertical surface of the body where the door would cover it when closed. Just a thought, maybe there's something rattling around in there...
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#4

Another thought from experience. I had this thud when the car is moving (previous 944). Many attempt to find the problem. It turned out that the front sway bar bracket that is connected to the frame was cracked... When the car is stationary, the crack is not noticable. Only when the car is moving and I can hear the clunk...It had to be rewelded...Luck
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#5

Forgot to mention, on my first P-car the top mount of the passenger side rear shock had cracked all the way around, and clunked very loudly. I did not clunk when I rocked the car by hand no matter how vigorously, but it would clunk like mad under spirited driving. It took me quite a while to find.
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#6

Great suggestions everybody! Now I have some homework (following trip to store for 6 pack of good German beer!)



I like the idea of looking into the vent on the doorsill - maybe it is something in there.



I hope its not broken suspension bits <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/unsure.gif" class="smilie" alt="" /> car drives great but I better jack it up again and get a really bright light on things.



But the location of the noise - sure seems like its right at the door and down low. I'll check the glass too but that all seems nice and tight.



Last think I'm checking - rear passenger shock mount - reminds me of when a RX7 top mount broke - could be it - but I'd rather pull a rock out of that vent!
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#7

PS - just called Powertech who fixed my bearing (again, but free) - they said it's a loose cinderblock in the sheetmetal.... <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/blink.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />
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#8

"PS - just called Powertech who fixed my bearing (again, but free) - they said it's a loose cinderblock in the sheetmetal.... <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/blink.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />"





Cinderblock? As in, the stuff they build houses out of [Image: blink.gif]?
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#9

Clearly you need a new cinderblock mount if your old one has rusted away... <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/biggrin.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />
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#10

So I checked the vent in the doorsill and found nothing. Stuck the vacuum in there and got nothing. Looked at the shock mount and saw the bolt was nice and tight and the mount was in One piece but didn't pull the shock since all looked good. Checked the rear glass for looseness. Nothing there. Looked at the sway bars and those seem fine.



Stumped!

<img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/blink.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />
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#11

Assuming the shock isn't broken, there must be a bottle of wine under the passenger seat. <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/smile.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />
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#12

Hope it's a good Pintot!
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#13

have you checked for side play in the bearing inside the top of the strut? in a car with rubber bushings everywhere this is usually hidden - once you start putting in spherical bearings, especially if you use camber plates, it takes very little side play in the bearing in the strut itself to result in noise
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94 Midnight Metallic Blue Cab Porsche 968 w/deviating cashmere/black interior and WAY too many mods to list - thanks to eric for creating www.968forums.com



"It isn't nearly as expensive to do it right as it is to do it wrong."
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#14

I would give a good, hard, detailed look at the rear suspension cradle mount on the passenger side (Porsche calls it the axle tube and bearing flange, I don't know why - it holds the torsion bar). That is located just below were your noise is coming from. Retorque the bolts and look at the wishbone that stabilizes the cradle (axle tube) at the top of your wheel well. It takes the weight of the car under load to move these parts around. Are these the bearings that were replaced or upgraded tp spherical bronze hard bearings?
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#15

This link has a nice diagram of the 944/968 rear suspension, including the bushings that benspeeder most like replaced with spherical or solid ones:



Rear suspension diagram

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#16

My guess is that we have the same clunk from the sounds of it.

The previous owner said the shop he had been bringing it to was pretty sure it was the rear passenger shock mount cracked. Like yours, the bolts look nice and tight but I haven't pulled anything apart to check.

I haven't pulled out the speaker panel or anything yet, so I'm really hoping that the PO switched speakers and didn't bolt the rear passenger one in. Maybe I'll get into it today.
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#17

Flash - I grabbed that strut and worked it back/forth - no play.



GCB - all the bearings/mounts were replaced. Checked torque on all the bolts mounting the suspension assemblies - all good.



The torque tube - funny you mention that...I was wondering if something was loose or spripped in there. I recently had some pics sent to me of a Pro IT race and I noticed some cross roll - made me think the rear needed more spring. Maybe something is up with the torsion bar/axle tube...



Car still handles awesome - nothing is effecting performance. Darn noise has been there ever since RS Barn built it - hardly drove it when it was in street trim. Went straight to race conversion.



On edit - no relationship between noise and RSBarn build - just don't want anybody inferring the wrong thing
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#18

[quote name='benspeeder' timestamp='1310674529' post='112547']

Ever since I've had my 968 there's been a very funky clunk noise coming from the passenger side of the car. RS Barn has looked for it, PowerTech has looked for it - nobody can find it. It's definitely not the suspension - all is nut and bolted and when I aggresively rock the car, bounce the suspension - no noise.



It's almost as if there is somethink like a big rock down inside the sheet metal where the rear speaker used to be. That cavern is big. I drove the car on the street last night getting ready for Watkins Glen and without the helmet on it's loud!



When I nail the gas or slow down hard I get the noise. Run over cracks or bumps, loud clunking noise. Bounce the car in the garage - no noise.



Reached my arm into that speaker hole and nearly got it stuck! Shoved a stick in there to see if I could wiggle something around - no luck.



I'm going to shove the vacuum hose in there and see what it gets tonight! Free set of worn out Hoosier R6s to whoever can figure this out!!! <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/biggrin.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />

[/quote]



I would check in the boot... maybe Jimmy Savile is hiding in there.



Andy

[quote name='benspeeder' timestamp='1310674529' post='112547']

Ever since I've had my 968 there's been a very funky clunk noise coming from the passenger side of the car. RS Barn has looked for it, PowerTech has looked for it - nobody can find it. It's definitely not the suspension - all is nut and bolted and when I aggresively rock the car, bounce the suspension - no noise.



It's almost as if there is somethink like a big rock down inside the sheet metal where the rear speaker used to be. That cavern is big. I drove the car on the street last night getting ready for Watkins Glen and without the helmet on it's loud!



When I nail the gas or slow down hard I get the noise. Run over cracks or bumps, loud clunking noise. Bounce the car in the garage - no noise.



Reached my arm into that speaker hole and nearly got it stuck! Shoved a stick in there to see if I could wiggle something around - no luck.



I'm going to shove the vacuum hose in there and see what it gets tonight! Free set of worn out Hoosier R6s to whoever can figure this out!!! <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/biggrin.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />

[/quote]



I would check in the boot... maybe Jimmy Savile is hiding in there.



Andy
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#19

Who's Jimmy? A mobster from Jersey I might know??? <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/ohmy.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />
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#20

My 944S had a clunk that sounded like a golf ball rolling against a metal wall somewhere in back. It all started with some folks test driving my car to see if they wanted to buy it. It happened when you came off the gas or got on the gas or from forward to reverse. I could never locate it and funny thing is it went away. [Image: blink.gif] I thought it could be a





bad transaxle mount or a bushing, but like I said it stopped after 6 months.



Weird...
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