Click-click rear suspension.

[pfg49]

My 2001 Carrera 2 Tiptronic has developed a loud clicking noise from the rear end. When pulling away you hear what appears to be a spring, (springs) compressing, then a loud click. Continue on, and there is no noise, but brake medium hard there is a click, coast and no click. Firm press of the throttle results in a click again. Tonight outside the house I tried to go from drive to reverse. Again the same thing, except when going backwards there is a double click.
I've had the car to my friend at the local garage on his ramp, and nothing is obvious, even with the use of large levers, but you only need to go about 6" forwards or backwards and you can here the click plainly. We took the undertray off to check the gearbox mount, but that seems ok. None of the bushes seems shot and things like brake calipers, discs etc are all tight. At one stage we had about 120 years of professional experience looking at the car.....but no answers. Any ideas please?

 

[esendia]

Sounds like a top mount to me. When they fail your suspension strut isn't supported horizontally at the top and the strut pushes forward and back as you describe when you accelerate and brake but hard to replicate with the car still. Fronts are easy to check, just the plastics in the front and then the caps. Rears are harder to access to have a look at but my experience is fronts go a lot more often than rears having had to replace both of my old 986 and had to replace both again on my C4S which had only 30k since last replacement by the previous owner with OEM according to the receipts, rears were original and looked barely worn. I since opted for the 997 mounts and they fit perfectly, they have a different (assuming improved) mould for the rubber part of the mount, can't hurt I figured if OEM 996 ones barely lasted 30k.

 

[JohnB]

Not sure about top mounts, mine does this as well, i also have a 2003 tip c2. My indy has drawn a blank, suspension has been recently changed to complete new set of MO30, springs, dampers, top mounts front and rear, bump stops, arb and bushes frnt and rear, along with drop links front and rear. Coffin arms ok and have been poly bushed along with tuning forks. The noise was present before and after replacement of the previous suspension which was on the car when purchased. This being std dampers and lowered h&r springs front and back. I would be interested in a solution, I've contacted centre of gravity but await a reply from them.

 

[bakerboy4s]

Possibly engine mounts, rocking slightly?
Just a thought

 

[GMG]

...try tightening the 2 brace bars underneath ( 2 bolts each bar) ...they should be really tight...share the results...

 

[JohnB]

Engine mounts are new and the brace bars have been refurbed and checked theres no movement in them.

 

[pfg49]

Thank you all for that, I will look into your suggestions and report back.