Guys,

Someday someone maybe can use this one someday. For a while now I've been trying to track down a noise one can hear with roof up radio off - every time I hit a bump or uneven road surface at like 20mph (a lot of speed limits are 25mph around here in residential areas) I heard a clunk. It wasn't terrible but it was just noticeable and it just shouldn't be there.

I was sure it was a loose exhaust pipe I checked that = solid and stable. Spent time securing everything in spare tire well. I couldn't figure this one ou -t until yesterday when I crawled under the car to loosen the ebrake cable. Before I loosened it I gave it a tug and watched / listened = Clunk! it was the exact same noise. It doesn't need much slack to make noise when it moves.

I just had to shake my head and laugh. The ebrake worked just fine, who knew a bit of slack wouldn't be evident in operation, but sure enough it made some noise. When I put the rear wheel back together, I tightened it more - removed slack, ensured no drag on wheel. Problem solved.

So, here's another one to add to our list of "what makes that dam noise?".

John

 

Any photos of where to adjust this? I've been having a clunk in the rear end at varying speeds, and cannot seem to locate it, this seems like the easiest thing to check first.

 

Bcary3,

Don't think I have photos but should be easy to describe. The adjustment is beneath car, on bottom, dead center near the rear end.

1) Loosen lug nuts on one rear wheel, let's say driver side.

2) Jack the car up high. Put it on safety stands.

3) Remove wheel (this is for easy access. I've never tried it with wheel/tire on car.)

4) Grab a 14, 15, 16 mm wrench (sorry mate can't remember exactly which one, but one of them) with deep socket.

5) I found access is easiest comming in from just behind the rear wheel on back hands above head. Crawl underneath to locate the adjustment. It is aluminium, roughly a delta or triangle shape, and manages the ebrake cable connection from the passenger compartment (attaches at one end in front) to the rear ebrake cables. It allows the ebrake from one rear wheel to the other to loop through the rear end of this adjuster. Imagine in your minds eye a triangle with the largest bottom side bent upwards to create a lip - the rear cables slip into this lip and are then mechanically tied to the movement of the e brake lever in the cockpit.

FYI, I described it as thought there is only 1 cable connecting both rear wheels together. Actually, there is a connector that connects the left rear and right rear ebrakes cables together about 4 inches away from this adjuster towards passenger side. You only worry about that when you want to disconnect one of the hub/hub carriers. From our discussion's point of view, it is like one cable from one rear wheel to the other.

These cables look like the cable on your 10 speed bike, or on your lawn tractor on steroids (hoping this helps you spot them).

If position is not immediately obvious let's use dead reckoning:

Note the cable coming out the bottom rear of the hub carrier (some might call it the wheel but you get the idea) There's a big black rubber grommet where this cable comes out. follow the cable. It runs across by the shock absorber, then through one of the 3 inch thick steel supports welded to chassis that runs left right. On the other side of this support it runs towards the cars center and loops into the adjuster.

If you like, flick the adjuster and listen - is this what you hear? You now just tighten the nut on the adjuster so it doesn't flap around, but not so much as to activate the e brakes inside your rear wheels.

Frankly, the hardest part of this is getting the car high enough to get under it. Other than that super simple.

Hope this helps.

John

 

Great write up! I'll tackle this project this week when I install the new strut mounts