Weird noise coming from rear-end

[sssvtcobra]

I have a weird noise coming from the rear-end of my '04. I only hear it if I'm pulling into or out of a driveway or a slight incline/decline. I hear it from both sides, but it also depends on which way I am turning on that incline/decline to which side makes the noise. It seems like the side that makes the noise is the side that the suspension extends rather than gets compressed. My car suspension wise is totally stock. I do have a bassani mid-pipe and SLP cat-back. My wheel and tires aren't stock they are 18x9. Can anybody help me out. I have been trying to find the noise ever since I bought the car new. I would like to do suspension upgrades but I feel I should wait until I find out what this noise is. So Ford doesn't blame it on the mod's.

I forgot to mention that the noise I'm hearing sounds like a slight thump or thud. Almost like something is extending all the way and then hitting a stop.

I have heard something about a 12mm bolt being used rather than a 14mm bolt somewhere in the rear but not sure where or what bolt. Has anybody else heard this or know what I'm talking about?

Thanks for any help
Jeff

[Lumpydogs]

The wrong bolt issue is regarding the IRS bushings. I don't know if it
affected the '03 & '04 cobras. Check out www.maximummotorsports.com
and look up IRS bushings. There is more info.

[sssvtcobra]

Thanks, Lumpydogs

I will have to check it out. Is there an easy way to check or to reach the bolts if I have access to a lift? It is the bolts that attach the IRS to the frame/body right? Does anybody have pictures of where these bolts are?

Thanks,
Jeff

[Lumpydogs]

Here

http://www.maximummotorsports.com/instructions/MMIRSU-1r2.pdf

[sssvtcobra]

Just what I was looking for, Thanks :thumbsup:

I wonder if I could get my dealership to replace the bolts for free under warranty if they are infact the 12mm size. Maybe at the same time I'll see if they would be willing to put the polyurethane bushings in for me. My step dad used to work for them in the body shop, until he passed last month. He was very well liked down there. I'll have to get under my car tomorrow to see if they are 12mm or 14mm.

Thanks,
Jeff

[Lumpydogs]

Just what I was looking for, Thanks :thumbsup:

I wonder if I could get my dealership to replace the bolts for free under warranty if they are infact the 12mm size. Maybe at the same time I'll see if they would be willing to put the polyurethane bushings in for me. My step dad used to work for them in the body shop, until he passed last month. He was very well liked down there. I'll have to get under my car tomorrow to see if they are 12mm or 14mm.

Thanks,
Jeff


You are welcome.

Sorry to hear about your dad.

[sssvtcobra]

Thank you for the condolences. He's doing alot better now than what he was doing. He was in alot of pain just walking and getting up from sitting or laying down.

Thanks,
Jeff

[flynfink]

:bounce: :bounce: :rotf: :rotf:

[sssvtcobra]

:bounce: :bounce: :rotf: :rotf:


My wife would say that the title is my life story :D I didn't even realize that about the title until you mentioned it Flynfink, that does sound funny and weird :rotf: :lol: :fart:

[deathrull]

It probably is the front IRS bolts. I just put the IRS prothane bushing kit in and I had the wrong size bolts in the front. I had seen the warning on the MM webpage about the 03's but figured it was fixed for the 04's so I didn't order the bolts with the bushings. I was wrong:eek: So unfortunately they are still there till this coming weekend. But now I feel it clunk/shift when I take off and slow down. annoying for sure. To get access to them you have to drop the cat-back since they go through the frame.

[sssvtcobra]

Thanks deathrull :thumbsup:

I am going to have my dealership take a look at it the next time I take it in for an oil change. Infact I just got back from there. I talked to one of the service writers that I've known for a long time and he said for me to just bring it in and they will take a look at it. He said they wil change the bolts out if they are in fact 12mm instead of the 14mm. I only hear the noise if I am pulling into or out of a slanted drive way. And depending on which way I am turning depends on what side I hear the noise. I don't hear when I speed up or slow down though.

[Venom55]

I recommend getting the bigger size bolts but maximum does offer a urethane kit that has 12mm bolt size for the front mounts and 14's for the rear...that was the kit i used when i did the swap on my '98...btw, PITA as far as chaning out those rubber bushings to urethane.

[sssvtcobra]

So all four bolts are supposed to be 14mm, right? I think I am going to see if I can check for the size of them next week when I swap out my mufflers. That way I know for sure. Has anybody tried to get their dealership or Ford to replace these bolts with 14mm before? I think I am going to try to get them to replace them if they are 12mm. I still have another 500 miles before my next oil change, and thats when I am going to drop it off for them to look at it or possibly replace them if needed.

Thanks for the replies, lots of help :thumbsup:

[deathrull]

Actually venom55 has them backwards. The front IRS subframe bolt is a 14MM and rear IRS subframe bolt is a 12MM. MM does sell the correct bolts for the front subframe but it sounds like you already have it covered through the ford dealership so that would be a lot less painful way to go. I would have done that if I knew I had the wrong bolts before I started. I did put the 14 MM bolts in yesterday and it was fairly easy but can't test them due to waiting on another install:)

[sssvtcobra]

So how are the bolts supposed to be correct from the factory?

Front=14mm
Rear=12mm

Or

Front=14mm
Rear=14mm

Which ones are supposed to be 14mm and the factory is sometimes putting in 12mm?

Sorry but know I seem confused for some reason :scratch: :confused: :doh2:

Thanks
Jeff

[Lumpydogs]

Jeff,

Did you not read the MM Article I attached ???????????????


The fronts are supposed to be 14mm but some have 12mm by mistake.
The rears are supposed to be 12mm and are 12mm.


:cool:

[deathrull]

Front=14mm
Rear=12mm

This is the correct answer:cool: By the way I got my car on the road today and no shift/clunk anymore. Mine also did it on the incline corner thing. But now all is well:rotf: I played around for a few miles then a few more and a few more and it feels rock solid. So putting in the correct size bolts definitely worked for me.

[sssvtcobra]

Thanks guys for straigtening me out. I read the article on MM's site, but for some reason after all the posts I got confused. Don't ask me how I guess I was just having a :doh2: moment