CLUNKING NOISE

[Guest]

Help! My mechanic can't figure out my clunking noise at the rear of my 89. All four struts and bushings have been replaced. Has anyone else had this problem? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Reatta Man]

Bottom sway bar bushings or top bushings where the strut mounts to the car? <P>If you only did the top bushings, but reused the lower ones, there's a good chance they cracked or disintegrated and you now have metal-on-metal contact where the rear sway bar mounts to the strut. If so, it would definitely make a clunking noise when you hit a bump. <P>Other possibilities are a loose muffler or tailpipe, loose gas tank strap, or loose emergency brake cable. <P>Good luck!<P>Joe

[Barney Eaton]

Another Reatta owner called me about a clunk in the rear. After taking it to the Buick garage several times without solving the problem, he ask the service writer to order all the rear bushing and replace everything.<P>When they finished the repair, they gave him a bag of parts they didn't use because they said the others were fine. They charge him for all the bushing, even the ones they didn't install. He sent me the parts list with the parts they used highlighted. What we found interesting was they claimed to replace the upper (rear suspension to body)bushing but didn't the lower. There were several suspicious claims.<P>He took it to another shop ... they found the rear suspension cross member, totally rusted out at the mounting points on the passangers side. How did the Buick garage replace the bushings and not notice the rust?<P>In this case, the clunk was fixed with a replacement rear cross member. <P>I would check those mounts to the body especially if you live in the salt belt. <P>------------------<BR>Barney Eaton Reatta technical advisor for BCA and keeper of the Reatta database.