Hello: Just noticed a light, metal to metal noise when accelerate from a stop and when I come to a stop. Not the brakes as far as I can tell, but just a light "clunk" upon take off and at stopping. I'm guessing that this is a bushing of some kind, my preliminary and completely naive thought is the "panhard" thing I've seen pictures of but have no idea what it is. Anyone have any ideas as to what this new cluking noise is upon take-off and stop? At first, I thought it was something loose in the rear of the wagon, but now it's pretty predictable.

Thanks to all who respond and have been there before.

Sincerely,

JBeechcraft

There are six suspension bushings in the rear end.

The first to fail will be the lower trailing arm bushings that attach the trailing arm to the bottom of the axle.

Next will come the torqe rod bushings (both ends) that keep the axle from twisting on acceleration.

Then the bushings at the front of the trailing arms that attach them to the frame.

The last to go will be the bushings on either end of the diagonal brace bar that keeps the axle from moving sideways.

Your rear shocks will have failed some time along there as well.

None of this is complicated or expensive if you buy the parts on line.

You can buy a tool to press out those large lower control arm bushings, BUT, if you have a hack saw and a drill and a bench grinder, (better yet a lathe), you can make the tool and save yourself about $100, assuming that your Saturday morning isn't worth anything to you. There are great pictures posted on this site that show you exactly how to do it. Just search through the archive and you will find them.

I believe that you will need a spring compressor as well, but they cost less than $15 and will come in handy when your front struts fail in a few years.

The smaller bushings are best removed and pressed out using a press, but you can make your own tools to press them out as well. The tools are just smaller versions of the lower control arm bushing tool.

LEARN from my mistakes!

DON'T grease the outsides of the bushings to make them press in easier. They'll come back out after a few weeks.

DON'T retighten the bushing bolts until the weight of the car is back down on the tires. If you tighen them with the axle dangling, lowering the car twists the bushing and shortens its life. It does make the rear of the car look higher, (for a while) because you are using the rubber in the bushings as helper springs.

If you make a tool, buy only grade 5 or grade 8 bolts to squeeze it, and buy extras because you will trash more than one bolt before the job is done.

On my 1991 wagon work car, I made a day of it and replaced all the rear bushings at once. On my kid's 1990 sedan, I am doing the bushings two at a time as they fail.

Sounds more like the rear trailing arm bushing.