I've had this strange popping noise coming from the vicinity of my left rear tire area for a few months.

When I leave in the morning and hit the brakes to stop while backing up, I hear this "pop" sound. It also happens when I go over a bump. This sound only happens at low speeds.

My mechanic can't seem to find out what the problem is and neither can I. I was thinking maybe the coil spring is possibly loose or my aftermarket LCA is too, but everytime I go under the car to inspect, everything seems tight and in place.

Has anyone here ever had this problem?

 

I've recently started experiencing this on the right rear. It sounds like someone is hitting the rear quarter panel with the palm of their hand.
I'm going to check it out this weekend.

-Chris

 

Just a suggestion, but have you tried jacking up the rear of the car and pulling/pushing on your tire and rim. Maybe the wheel bearings.

Also, have you done a rear shock install recently?

And lastely, do you have rod ends on your LCA's or Pan hard bar.

That's all I can think of.

 

If it is in fact the wheel bearings, how can you tell if that's definitely what it is?

Since I've had the car, it's never had a shock installation. Do you think a shock is going bad?

How can I tell if I have rods ends on either of those?

 

Jack the rear of the car up, and grab the entire wheel assembly with your hands. Push/pull or try to move the wheel in/out, up or down. If the rim is bolted to the hub, it should not have any play. If there is any "wiggling" in the rim then perhaps you need to take this into a shop and have a mechanic look at it.

As for the rod ends. go to this website to view what to look for.

http://www.byunspeed.com/product_inf...df707c71074abe

 

As for a bad shock, there are a couple ways to check them. One, you can push on the rear (or front) bumper and see how many times it bounces. When you push down it should return to its original height with out any further movement. If it continues to bounce, then you should replace the shocks. Another way is to physically check the shock housing for damage or signs of fluid leaking.