2002 SS "Clunk Clunk" noise...

hey all, hows everyone doing? i have somewhat of a problem... i just bought a 2002 Camaro SS, six speed, with 23,000 miles... i dont know a whole lot about the mechanical aspects of a car, so here goes....

when im in a gear, lets say second, and im going to park, such as in a shopping center, theres a clunking noise comming from the rear of the car... the car makes this noise everytime im going to park when im comming to a stop, or when i hit the clutch and give it a little gas when im pulling into a shopping center entrance(the ones with a little "hill" type entry).. also when i turn into someones yard to do a 3 point turn, i hear it clunk as im pulling into their drive way right up until the car stops and i shift into reverse.... HOWEVER, i dont hear the noise at all when im going over speed bumbs, or when the car is rolling fast either in a gear, or in neutral and i hit a bump in the road... its mostly when im turning into a house, or a parking space, but not when i turn to swith lanes or at an intersection....

at first i thought something was loose, but as i said, going over bumps doesnt make the noise...

this is also my first stick shift car, so i dont know much about manual transmissions..

have any of you had this happen before??? the car still has a month or two left on the warranty...

i would really apprecitae any help i can get... thanks

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Truth be told, this is a problem I have had with my 2001 Formula that has never been *completely* eliminated. There are 3 TSBs that indicate places to look: 1) replacing the bolts for the rear rotors (when customer complains of rattling sound in rear), 2) Replacing the rear axle assembly (if it's determining any of the bearings are defective), 3) replacing the drive shaft (when customer complains of clunking sound in rear and the rear axle is not the problem); my only guess is that maybe it wasn't mating perfectly as it could be with the differential. And lastly, if all else fails, it's worth checking all of the bushings for the rear control arms, sway bars, etc for wear, relubing and tightening. In my case the 3 TSBs were addressed in the order I listed them and sorry, I don't have the TSB numbers.

This problem is very hard to troubleshoot once you eliminate the rear suspension components, and there seem to be very few technicians out there who are willing to consider all of these possibilities (rather than stubbornly sticking to their initial assessment and/or telling you that it's "normal for firebirds to have noise in the rear."

~w~

Reply to
Weland

Truth be told, this is a problem I have had with my 2001 Formula that has never been *completely* eliminated. There are 3 TSBs that indicate places to look: 1) replacing the bolts for the rear rotors (when customer complains of rattling sound in rear), 2) Replacing the rear axle assembly (if it's determining any of the bearings are defective), 3) replacing the drive shaft (when customer complains of clunking sound in rear and the rear axle is not the problem); my only guess is that maybe it wasn't mating perfectly as it could be with the differential. And lastly, if all else fails, it's worth checking all of the bushings for the rear control arms, sway bars, etc for wear, relubing and tightening. In my case the 3 TSBs were addressed in the order I listed them and sorry, I don't have the TSB numbers.

This problem is very hard to troubleshoot once you eliminate the rear suspension components, and there seem to be very few technicians out there who are willing to consider all of these possibilities (rather than stubbornly sticking to their initial assessment and/or telling you that it's "normal for firebirds to have noise in the rear."

~w~

Reply to
Weland

Just a thought... Have you checked the tie rods, and steering linkage?

Fire-TA '84 Trans Am w/T-Tops

Reply to
Whitebird

"Just a thought... Have you checked the tie rods, and steering linkage?"

nope, sorry... im a complete idiot when it comes to the mechanics of a car... i honestly dont even know what the tie rods or "TSB's" are... i guess ill have to take it to a Chevy dealer and hope the warranty covers it

thanks for the responses though, i appreciate it...

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