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TR6 tr6 rear noise

TexasKnucklehead

Jedi Knight
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Saturday was a perfect day in Houston for a TR6 and I did drive mine, but…

My 74 TR6 is making a louder than usual noise, seemingly from the rear end of the car. I know TR6s are notorious for differential mounting failures, and I’m hoping that is not the cause of my noise. If something is broken, I can’t find it from under the car probing with my fingers. I’m used to the usual “da-thum, da-thum, da-thum” heard when rolling over expansion joints on the freeway, but this noise is louder. I can hear it when I roll back over the 1” drop at the end of my driveway. –With either rear wheel. It sounds like the spare tire in the trunk is banging its rim against the trunk. Since I’ve completely emptied the trunk (no tools, spare, jack, handle, fire extinguisher…) I know it has to be something else. The exhaust system hangers were updated about a year ago when a u-joint failed on the main driveshaft. The exhaust has a little movement (from the rubber hangers) but not enough to allow it to hit anything. The springs are new and so are the blocks they sit in. I installed adjustable trailing arm brackets and nylatron rear bushings a few years back (<5,000 miles). With the rear of the car on jack stands, I can feel some slop or play in the differential when rotating the wheel, but it seems about normal, and no noise is involved. Everything seems tight. The noise is not apparent during hard accelerating or cornering –unless there is a 1” or larger bump. Even when I go over a spot in the road where a new section of pavement is higher than the old section, I hear the noise “da-thu-bang”.

I don’t know where to look or how to find the noise. At first I thought it was my imagination, and I know that a little evidence makes a noise louder, but I’m now sure it’s not normal. Any hints or clues would be most appreciated.

Jerry
 
If you have the original lever shocks you might check to see if the bolts are loose, I have read some post in the past that said if the bolts loosen up the make some kind of noise
 
Jerry-

Doesn't sound like the diff mounts. I had that problem on my last 6, and I would hear the problem when I started to let out the clutch and torque started going to the rear wheels - didn't even have to move. Yours sounds more gravity related, so (fingers crossed), I'd check muffler mounts first, then go to the shock mounts - thats where I had a similar problem on my 4. But I'd say it was more "clunk" than "da-thu-bang"...

Randy
 
hondo402000 said:
If you have the original lever shocks you might check to see if the bolts are loose, I have read some post in the past that said if the bolts loosen up the make some kind of noise
That's where I'd be checking first.
My 6 had loose bolts on the lever shocks and it would make quite a thump going over bumps till I figured it out.
 
I'm with the above. I would also check the muffler clearences between the frame rails,(side to side) also the rear tail pipes at the "T" shirt junction.
Can you replicate the sound by bouncing the car up and down? That may tell you if shock mounts are loose. Hopefully not a frame cross member break. :cry: Good luck
 
One of my shocks was dangerously loose when i bought the car. i could "bounce" on the rear end with the car parked and hear the thud. While I was in teh area, I pulled both rear shocks, cleaned them and refilled them with Harley Davidson fork oil (low bubbling). Just a thought.

There was a link posted here a year or so ago detailing shock cleaning and refilling.
 
This morning, I went into the garage to make sure I couldn't shake the car enough to make the noise. (I couldn't.) Then I picked up a 5/8" wrench and looked at the lever shock bolts. The road grime on the ends of the bolts was contiguous to the shock, so I felt this was a waste of time. -Plus what kind of idiot can't see that some bolts are loose? Apparently, this kind. When I put the wrench onto the bolt head and turned it, I thought I must have the wrong size wrench because all I'm doing is knocking off the grime. Actually, both bolts on both shocks were not very tight. After, perhaps more than a full turn on each, I put the wheels back on and went for a test drive. Then I filled the trunk with the usual crap and went for another test drive. It is soo much more quiet. Even the "da-thum, da-thum, da-thum" is toned down.

Thanks for the hints. I am very relieved that I don't have a diiff-mount issue to deal with and the noise is gone.

Jer
 
Great news, that's the best type of fix!
The one that doesn't cost you a penny!
 
Your welcome Jer, now change the oil in the tranny, when I finally checked mine it only had 1/2 a quart in it, now it doesnt jump out of third gear. Just so you have something to do this weekend :smile:

Hondo
 
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