1988 Camry clunking noise

Dec 09, 2003 7 Replies

The clunking sound comes from the rear of the car, possibly in the suspension or trunk. I've removed everything from the trunk (including the spare tire), checked to see if any parts are loose, but can't locate the noise. Any ideas?



loose or worn out shock? Muffler supports loose? Jack loose in trunk?

Clunking noises can come from a variety of causes. If you have ruled out the simpler ones, it is time to have your rear suspension checked for worn bushes,wheel bearing condition and suspension mount integrity (looseness etc).

Does the sound come after you have applied the brakes or h/brake? This action can force worn or loose suspension components to 'load-up' . Once you move off again, they then move back into their 'at rest' position, which cwn produce a similar noise again.

Jason

Have you checked these? That would be the first place to look. The rear anti sway bar, or stabilizer bar has a rubber bushing on each side near the end. Easy and inexpensive to replace if needed.

In that case itsprobably not major, and with the aid of an assistant you may well see or hear from which rear suspension component the noise is coming from. Get your helper to bounce the rear of the car while you have a dekko under it. Some of the other posts have mentioned some likely culprits.

Jason

Swaybar bushings in the rear, but the sound comes from everywhere. Toyota wants $130, local shops ask about $110. 2 bolts. 20 minutes.

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