Random clunk from rear/passenger side

[BrianDye]

So I'm finally installing my 4 channel amp, and doing some cleanup of my wiring, I have all the rear seats out and carpet folded up so I can hear a lot more road noise.

The clunk is twice as loud, but I can hear it from both sides. I'm almost thinking it HAS to be the sway bar. A better way to describe the clunk though would almost be like a binding/pop noise. It's definitely coming from the back though, and I hear it from both sides. It happens on the right side when I hit big bumps, and then has happened on the left side just putting it in gear and taking off in the AM or when I'm turning 180 to back up into a parking spot at work. The left side clunk/pop is way louder than the right side.

 

[BrianDye]

I should clarify better about mentioning it happened this morning when I put it in gear. It didnt do it (seemingly) as a result of putting it in gear like a driveline issue, it was just when I put it in drive, while holding the brake pedal down, you know how the suspension will kind of drop a little bit from holding the brakes while you put it in gear? It did it when that happened. That probably makes no sense at all, but thats the best I can think to describe it.

Its definitely worse when it comes from the drivers side though.

 

[BrianDye]

Im not quite sure what exactly I might have been looking at on the drivers side when I said all the links looked fine...

FINALLY dug my stands out since im changing the girlfriends dino fluid today, and decided to back up on them real quick with my X.

Passenger side:

Drivers side:

I swear I looked right at this back when I looked; but what im thinking is the bushing might have been messed up or the bolt, or both, but it was probably still there at least, leaving me to assume it was okay, and it must have finally snapped off somewhere.

 

[BrianDye]

Hopefully AutoZone/Advanced Auto has some decent parts, today or early tomorrow is pretty much my only chance to work on it for the next week or so as of right now.

Any brands to stay away from particularly? I dont mind getting some from AutoZone and then ordering the good Moog parts a few months down the road. Hopefully these arent that hard to change...time to look up some info.

Edit: Advanced has Moog, awesome. Don't care for the $22/piece price tag though. Whats the deal with this barrel nut it keeps referring to? The Advance ones mention a barrel nut for easier installation?

Any tips on removing the old ones? I just read a thread with multiple people arguing about how to do it. One said the X has to be flat on the ground the whole time, another guy said ramps are fine since both wheels have equal load on them, another guy said you have to jack up one side to remove the old ones, another guy was talking about it took him 2 hours to remove one side. Can I just get the sawzall out and cut the stock ones off, or is it not that easy? I did them on the front in my 2000 and from what I remember it was like a 20~ minute job per side.

 

[BrianDye]

Ill update this to post my results for anyone in the future searches for something like I experienced and reads this thread. (I usually find threads related to what im searching for, but never hear the fix/outcome etc lol)

I ordered the Moog replacements from Advanced Auto Parts, I had a free "Speedy Perks" coupon so that was $20 off, plus I google'd a coupon code for Advance and found another 5 or 10% off. After taxes I paid just over $20 for both rear end links.

I backed up on my ramps again, took the passenger side off with ease (Used my air gun for this, closed end wrench on the top nut), few light pushes after the nut was off and it came out no issues. Put the new one in, secured the nut on the top (Dont know if this was the right way, but thats what I read in another thread. Honestly dont think it matters)

The other side is where I ran in to troubles since the bolt and upper bushing had broken off some time ago. I drove off the ramps, jacked the drivers side up, took the wheel off. I thought cool, I can just pound it out with a hammer. Nope.

Ended up getting the sawzall out after numerous tries with wrenches and hammers, cut it about 1" from the bottom where my saw would reach, and a few light hits with the hammer and it was out. I threaded the new one on again, put my wheel back on, took it off the jacks, and followed the instructions someone posted from Moog:

"With the vehicle suspension at curb
height, tighten the barrel nut until the bolt
threads are flush with end of the hex nut
and the center hex spacer cannot be
rotated with two fingers, and then tighten
the nut two more complete turns. This will
provide approximately two to three
threads exposed above the nut."

Haven't driven it yet, as it was time for a drink and washing up since I was also working on my hot water tank at the same time. (Needed new heating elements)

I spent way too much time trying to get the broken one off, had I originally just grabbed my saw, or if you have another method of cutting it, this would be a 30~ minute job total for both sides.

Thanks for all your guys' help and suggestions. Still going to be replacing my struts very soon, as I think the rears are starting to go on me, but then again that could just be from the excess sway I was experiencing.

 

[MotorCityFats13]

to remove the old ones I first reach for my sawzal.... I dont even mess with trying to get the nuts off

 

[BrianDye]

I'm not sure why I tried, to be honest...

I know when I replace my fronts I won't even grab tools just cut those *******s right off. When they go bad, do they just basically break and become really loose causing a clunk? Wondering if it's worth replacing the front. I don't have any other clunking or anything going on.

 

[Explorer_PL]

I replaced fronts twice already. 222k miles. Sawzall is my best friend when doing that