[brad81987]

I just had a set of Monroe Sensatracs installed at Sears today. Makes such a difference in the way the D handles overall.

However, whenever i go over a short bump or a pot hole, i hear a clanking sound in the back. i thought it might have been that they didnt tighted the spare completely but thats fine. If i go under the back though and push up on the spare with my elbos and lift the rear a little i hear it. It sounds like its comming from around the axel area but i cant really tell and its to dark to mess around tonight.

Is this normal? the car adjusting to the shocks? or should i take it back and have them look at it?

 

[MadMike05]

well if u push the spare and thats the noise ur hearing when u drive AND push the spare, id get it tightend

 

[brad81987]

the spare is tight, it wasnt moving at all when i pushed on it. i was just pushing on it as it was the best leverage point i had laying under the back end. im quite sure the sound is comming from farther up than that, closer to the axel

 

[brad81987]

ok. so this morning i went out and poked around under the backend some more. i kinda tapped and twisted the shocks a little bit and the noise im getting doing that is almost the same "type" of sound as i hear when im driving. i also jumped up and down on the back and i very distinctly heard one "click" as the back went down and another as it came back up. This leads me to beleive the sound im hearing is comming from the shocks or something directly related to them. Are some shocks just inherantly noisy or should i get this checked out?

 

[Unnamed]

Are the shocks moving much? Meaning, if you try to shake the shocks with your hand. If so, there's probably a fitment problem. If not, try to have someone jump on the back of the D and rock it while you observe the shock's movement. Perhaps they screwed up and put a wrong size shock in the back? Just ideas.

 

[brad81987]

Thanks Don. I did try to twists the shocks last time i was under there and they pretty much didnt move- maybe a mm or so, not much at all. The shocks seem tight. When i was underneath and push the back up, it seemed like it was comming from inside the schock itself. I called Sears and ended up talking to one of the guys that did the install and he said everything was good when they were done with it but to bring it in if it continues so ill probably do that when i go home for Thanksgiving. I can't do too much about it right now since im at school- plus we've got freezing temps, 40 mph winds and blowing snow all week here so the last thing i want to do is go lay out underneath the D.

Even though the sound bugs me, the shocks seem to be performing just fine. I dont think my timing on getting them could have been better either. Given the time of year, we were pretty much playing "Dodge the Deer" on the way back up to Houghton last Sunday. The D seemed to handle much better and was much more stable during abrupt manuevers. I also like that it doesnt try to dig a hole with the front bumper when i brake anymore. I let my buddy drive the last 100 miles because i was dead tired and i was pretty much out in the passenger seat when i was jolted back to reality by heavy braking and looked up and saw 3 deer in the headlights. Between braking and swerving i think we missed the last one by about 5 feet. i dont know if that would have been the case if i still had the old shocks on there........I played spotter the rest of the way. The D's more important than sleep

 

[Unnamed]

Christ! Houghton up by Portage?? Or over by Houghton Lake near Higgin's Lake?

You U-pers I swear!

 

[canyonD]

say ya to da UP eh!

:thatfunny

Love that one.

Seriously though, you may have a leaf spring issue. If the plastic pads have fallen out, you can get more noise from teh leaf spring pack. Also, check to see fi the metal bands that hold the leafs together are intact on both spring packs.

Keep up posted.

 

[brad81987]

Ya Don, Houghton as in da UP eh.

Actually im not a yooper at all, im from NE Wisconsin. Im just up here going to school at Michigan Tech, the place where canyon so kindly reminded me in another thread :

Hmm Michigan Tech,

Where the football team runs out on the field with calculators in hand.
Where you walk to school most the year thru snow tunnels.
Where the men are men.... and so are the women.

Anyways
canyonD- im not really familiar with what your referring to as i havent really looked at the springs. Im sure the metal bands will be obvious when i go look, but what about the plastic pads? Are they sandwiched between the leaves?

Like i said though, i wont get a chance to check it for a while as the weathers in the shits here.
Thanks for the help so far guys! I think this is one of the most friendly and helpful boards ive been on in a while.