rear control bushings bad or what? Please help diagnose

Post Mon May 01, 2006 1:55 am

Clunking sound in left rear wheel area with right hand turns and bumps at the left rear wheel. When I was jumping up and down on bumper, my bro felt pretty severe play or clunking in the left rear wheel. With the wheel of the ground there is no play or wobbling. With the car on the ground and emergency brake on you feel and hear it. Witht the brake off, it is gone. His belief is that it is control arm bushing and when the brake is on the wheel cant give and you get the clunk. With the brake off, the wheel can move and absorbs the movement. What do you think. I already had the subframe bushing replaced about 5 months ago. Thanks

Post Mon May 01, 2006 10:26 am

Check the damper top mount.

Post Mon May 01, 2006 10:29 am

Do you have rear disc's ?

Post Mon May 01, 2006 9:00 pm

yeah, sounds like a top mount problem. go for the E46 M3 Convertable ones as a replacement.

i just done mine. 20 minute job mate

other than that, it could possibly be a collapsed handbrake shoe arrangement???

Post Tue May 02, 2006 1:12 pm

I checked the top mount, it seems ok. I replaced that also about 2 thousand miles ago, with the convertible ones. What am i looking for with the top mount? It looks fine, but is there something specific or tricky about this? It doesnt seem broken or ripped. thanks

Post Thu May 04, 2006 1:24 pm

Can someone tell me more about the parking brake assembly possiblilty or how to further investigate the trailing arm bushings. Thanks

Post Thu May 04, 2006 7:48 pm

If the trainling arm bushes were gone, you'd be able to feel the play in the. to investigate the parking brake take the disc off & have a look, particularly at the quadrant (at the bottom) which may be seized.

Post Tue Jul 04, 2006 10:54 pm

I would like to give an update. The clunking with right hand turns was a loose subframe mount. But i have not solved the clunking in the left rear wheel. My parking brake works perfectly. Would it not work correctly if this clunk was possibly from the parking brake? The problem is that if the parking brake is on and I jump up and down on the rear bumper there is a serious clunking. If i release the brake and jump again, it is gone. Thanks