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Rearend or rear suspension clunk/creak

128K views 404 replies 76 participants last post by  Mongo53 
#1 ·
Hi everyone, new owner here. Bought my wife a '11 JGC Overland on 7/30 and we are experiencing a clunk/creak coming from the rear end. When driving the vehicle we can hear a distinct creaking/clunk over uneven roads or bumps. I know it's definitely coming from the rear since I had my wife drive while I sat in the back cargo area. I even went so far as to pop the back glass during one of the drives when back there and it was that much more apparent when I hung my head out the back. It seems more like a clunk when driving but a little more like a creak when backing out of the driveway. I believe it's a suspension related issue since it happens when there is some type of articulation of the suspension. It could be something loose but I got under the back end tonight and could not find a visible culprit. The only other thing I can think of is something with the e-brake since we do use it daily as our driveway is on a medium grade hill. I make sure when she parks it that she puts it in Neutral with her foot on the brake, put the e-brake on then let it take up the slack, then put it in park (that way not letting the transmission do the work). Those are my thoughts, any others?

Here are two possible TSBs but our build date was 05 - 2011 so I don't know if these apply...
http://www.wk2jeeps.com/tsb/tsb_wk2_1700211.pdf
http://wk2jeeps.com/tsb/tsb_wk2_1700310.pdf

Thanks
 
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#2 ·
Re: Rear end or rear suspension clunk/creak

I don't believe there are any tsb's for this problem on a may 11 build. I have a march build overland and I do not have any clunk from the rear. It sounds like something is just loose. Did you open the spare tire compartment to make sure everthing is tight in there? Other than that it might just be a trip to the dealer to check all the bolts in the rear suspension.
 
#3 ·
Re: Rear end or rear suspension clunk/creak

I don't believe there are any tsb's for this problem on a may 11 build. I have a march build overland and I do not have any clunk from the rear. It sounds like something is just loose. Did you open the spare tire compartment to make sure everthing is tight in there? Other than that it might just be a trip to the dealer to check all the bolts in the rear suspension.
I forgot to mention that, yes I pulled everything out of that compartment, including the spare tire. Probably call the dealer this morning.
 
#4 ·
Re: Rear end or rear suspension clunk/creak

Come to find out, as I thought, it was something that was loose in the suspension. One of the suspension linkages bolts on the passenger side rear was, according to the dealer, "only hand tight". They torqued to the appropriate level and everything is all set. Glad it was an easy fix.
 
#7 ·
Re: Rear end or rear suspension clunk/creak

It happened anytime there was any suspenions articulation at that corner, usually at low speeds like backing down our driveway. Well, now some months later the same noise is back. I'm going to pick it back up from the dealer right now. According to them, they are replacing the shock and mounting bracket at that corner. It's currently backordered but they assured me it's not a safety issue. None the less, sooo annoying on a brand new vehicle to have to go back and deal with this multiple times.
 
#8 ·
Re: Rear end or rear suspension clunk/creak

I've noticed this on mine as well but I've been more concerned with my drivetrain shudder to mention it Chrylser. I did have front end components replaced because they wouldn't stay tight. Maybe it's the same scenario? Bolts working themselves loose. This is really a dangerous condition IMO.
 
#9 · (Edited)
Re: Rear end or rear suspension clunk/creak

I've noticed this on mine as well but I've been more concerned with my drivetrain shudder to mention it Chrylser. I did have front end components replaced because they wouldn't stay tight. Maybe it's the same scenario? Bolts working themselves loose. This is really a dangerous condition IMO.
Hi Troy,
I would totally agree, it does sound dangerous. I'm on the verge of submitting this thing to the state under the "lemon law". I wonder if it could be the same scenario. Where do you currently stand with the issues you have been having? I'll post you a link to the new post I'll be making about this shortly.
-Seth
 
#10 ·
Re: Rear end or rear suspension clunk/creak

Ok, so this is where things stand currently. The Jeep went back to the dealer about 2 weeks ago once the new shock and mount came in. Those components were installed and I picked it up later that day. I get it all the way home and am pulling in the driveway and I hear the same noise again. Obviously the shock/mount assembly was not the issue. A few days later my wife drops it off again at the dealer in the morning and then I get a call around 5pm saying they could not replicate the noise so nothing was done. My wife went to go pick up the Jeep and spoke to the service mgr just before closing and he offered to go out on a test ride with her and they only heard it very faintly. At this point the wife is fuming because she hears it every day. As she is pulling in to the gas station a few miles from the house, the noise is heard clear as day. We recorded the sound via video and emailed it to the dealer. I brought it back up there on Monday and went for a ride with the Quality Mgr and made sure it was a route he would hear the noise on. In fact, the wife and I ventured over the way of the dealership on Easter Sunday and planned out a good route for the test ride the following morning. So the QM did hear the noise VERY distinctly and he agreed that would be incredibly annoying to hear regularly. The QM heads up the techs and is a master mechanic so he assured me he personally along with another tech would take a look at the issue, they know at this point they've got one last shot to get this right. Just got a call back from him personally and they had hooked up the "chassis ears" again and got a better pin point of what they believe the issue to be. They believe it's the rear ball joint so that has now been ordered and hopefully when it comes in this will fix the issue. If it does not fix it, I will be going through the state DOT to have the vehicle replaced via the state lemon law statutes. All and all, by the time the Jeep goes back for the ball joint fix and taking into account the trips up for diagnosis and then a follow up fix, it will have been 7 trips to the dealer for ONE issue. I'm in hopes based on that, if we do have to go the route of the lemon law, it will be a quick replacement.
 
#12 ·
Hey all,

Got the rear end clunking/creaking noise as well in my V6 Ltd with 3500mi on. I have the Tow Package as well.

You can hear it on bumpy roads at speeds up to 45 mph, if you are faster than the road noise kind a blocks it.

Looking at the Aussie Jeep Forum it could be a problem with the self leveling shocks. They state there is no solution in sight as the noise is a normal operation of the valve in the shocks stated by Jeep.
One guy recognizes that driving in rain diminishes the noise and an other put some noise-deadening material to the rear fender which was kind of successful.

Anyone else with self leveling shocks recognizing this noise?

Alex
 
#13 ·
Re: Rear end or rear suspension clunk/creak

ALCON,

Sounds very similar to problem I'm having. 5600 miles on 2012 JGC V6 Laredo w/towing package. Getting a "clunk" sound from rear of truck when going over any sort of uneven road surface. Speed doesn't seem to matter. As others have stated, the sound is overcome by road noise after 50mph. Took spare tire and jack out of the storage area, same sound. Seems to be suspension related. Bad mounts?

-Mike
 
#15 ·
^ Me too. I thought maybe something was rattling in my storage compartment, but I have everything wrapped well. I was going to take everything out, but after reading this, it doesn't pay.
 
#17 · (Edited)
Having same issue on 2012 Laredo X with Tow Pkg (self-leveling shocks). The spare was lose, and I tightened it. Still made the noise.

Removed everything from rear (spare, bins, cargo shade, etc). Still makes the noise.

Even makes the noise with the rear hatch open and driven at low speed.

It is a very low pitch - rumbling - thumping/basketballs in a closed 55-gallon drum sound (for lack of better description). It makes the noise at all speeds around town - seems to go away on the freeway. You don't need to be on a "rough" road. It make the noise equally well at 20 mph on a relative smooth road, the suspension just has to move to make the noise. The noise is more consistent or noticeable right after I fill the tank or when I have passengers in the rear seats (more load = more noise).

I am going to visit the dealer and ask if the 2011 TSB's apply, since mine was a very early (9-7-2011) build. None of the TSB's apply to the self-leveling shocks, however.
 
#18 ·
Mine is at the dealer currently. The Service Manager heard the clunking as well and assumed something not properly tightened. I did some research and found that there is an extensive thread in one of the Australian Jeep Forums about it. Apparently it has something todo with the Self Leveling Shocks from the Tow Package, because the dealers changed them back to standard as advised by Jeep and the noise went away. There was some back and forth between Jeep, Dealer and customers on fixing this, but bottom line was that Jeep claims the clunking is a normal sound of the self leveling shocks, no fix necessary. They state it is caused by the valve within the shock, regulating the level.

Understandable, the Australian customers aren't happy and got in contact with Sachs, the manufacturer of the shocks, which stated that a clunking noise isn't a normal operating sound of their product. That's the latest news I have.

Listed up;
1) Clunking only with self leveling shocks (Tow Package)
2) Noise is at any speed, but road noise masks it over 50 mph
3) sounds like Baseballs or an empty plastic box in the trunk
4) No TSB so far, however, could the problem description of the TSB 08-014-12 be the same? (When the terrain switch is in the 'Auto/Snow' position the ADS system is in soft mode, the noise is the result of the cradle moving through full travel on the mounts and returning to the body stops. This occurs over single large events at low speeds, such as sharp speed bumps. The software update made available with this bulletin places the shocks into a firmer mode for rebound and eliminates this condition.)
5) Jeep Australia states that this is normal operation sound

Potential solutions:
A) fix so far (in Australia) replace self leveling shocks with standard ones
B) somebody in the AussieForum stated that it vanishes when driving in wet conditions
C) someone put some anti drone mats on the internal side of the rear fenders which reduced the clunking

I keep you updated.
 
#19 ·
As long as it's not a "real" problem, I can live with the noise. I'd rather not have the "std shocks" since I paid for these. However, a resolution would be nice.
 
#21 ·
Agree, however who is telling us it's not a "real" problem? Sachs tells that the shocks shouldn't make any noise.
I assume everybody with LL shocks will experience that clunking sooner or later and Jeep will only look in this when enough customer complain.

Let's go visit the dealer ;-)
Then you will be sure it's not something loose and Jeep will know that there is one more GC with clunking.
 
#22 ·
Just got he message from the dealer, clunking noises from the rear are normal operation noises of the self-leveling shocks according to a Chrysler technician who had a look on my car. The dealer technician couldn't find anything wrong so the called the expert in. So no further action necessary no fix available.
So it's not a bug but a feature, if it clunks you know its working:D.

Not happy with it in a $36k vehicle, so any good ideas to get it fixed or at least damped?
 
#23 ·
Hi. I have a 2011 overland 4x4 quadra drive II and the air shocks and am experiencing the same noise. Mine is coming from the back left. Haven't taken it to the dealer yet, but I'm printing out this thread and heading there soon. I agree with the OP 100% perfect description of my noise, better than I can give it. I guessed a ball joint actually. I notice its been a few months, did you ever get this issue resolved?
 
#24 ·
Had a very nice discussion with my dealer, who is very helpful. They had a Chrysler technician who looked at it and stated that this is a well known noise from the self- eveling shocks. Nothing to do about it, but they are working on a fix. They call it the 'marble in a box' issue.

Told the dealer that this is nothing new, as Chrysler made the same statement to several other owners http://www.jeepgarage.org/showthread.php?t=37484&highlight=thud&page=2

I think that's all the service manager could do and went to Jeep Customer care. Got a case number and let's see what comes out of it. I am happy with car, but the marbles just annoy me. As it isn't a severe issue (I hope) I have patience to wait for a fix, but some more information from Jeep would be great
 
#25 ·
Just bought a 2012 GC Limited with the 5.7L Hemi and the towing package. Same clunk after only about 1000 miles. I assumed it always made the noise from day 1 and we just didn't notice it. Talked with a service writer at the dealership and he tells me it is the shocks. They had replaced a pair on a Durango only to have the noise return a week later. What would be wrong with just taking it somewhere and having the shocks replaced with some Monroe's or other brand?
 
#26 ·
I have a 2012 GC Laredo with 5k miles. I had the same problem that kept getting worse. I thought it was normal because of the great roads in michigan:eek:, I took it to the dealership and they put new rear struts on and problem solved. They said it was a faulty rubber bushing and told me it was a silent recall.
 
#29 · (Edited)
There are several forum threads on this problem. Here is a repost of my trip to the dealer a few weeks ago. Don't let them replace your shock or bushings with the "old" design. There is a redesign load-leveling shock and mounting kit coming sometime in the next few months. The current parts are out of stock, supposedly because of the faulty original design. Most who have had the mounts (2011 issue) and/or shocks (2011 and 2012 issue) replaced, have had the noise return within 500-2000 miles. But do get it into your dealer to document you have the problem, and tell them to add some urgency to getting the redesigned parts and a TSB out there sooner than later. This issue is for the 2011 and 2012 GC any model with the towing package load-leveling shocks. There are already TSB's for the 2011 top shock mount (all models - all shocks) and the 2012 SRT-8:

http://wk2jeeps.com/tsb/tsb_wk2_1700210a.pdf
http://wk2jeeps.com/tsb/tsb_wk2_1700111.pdf
http://wk2jeeps.com/tsb/tsb_wk2_1700211.pdf
http://wk2jeeps.com/tsb/tsb_wk2_1700112a.pdf

Here is the information from the repair summary from my dealer:

Item 1: C/S check engine light was on for a couple of days and went off yesterday. Check found DTC PO441 Evap System Performance stored. TSB 18-050-11 addresses concern. Flashed PCM and cleared DTC's. Road Test. OK at this time. 18-19-06-P3 LOP. Warranty.

Item 2: C/S vehicle has low pitched clunking noise in rear very noticeable at low speed. Sounds like softballs in a plastic bucket. Test drove with customer. Heard slight clunk noise from rear over small bumps. Removed rear sway bar. Road test. Noise still present. Used chassis ears diagnostic tool. Isolated noise to both rear shocks. Reinstalled sway bar. Road test. Noise quieter but still present. Ordered shocks. On national backorder. Contact customer for appointment when parts arrive. PN 68069680-AB Absorber 17023001. Qty 2. Warranty.

The customer service advisor told me on pickup that the regional Chrysler parts warehouse told him the shocks are on "Galactic Backorder", and that there is a rumor that is because a new shock is being designed and a TSB will be released in the "near future" - best guess 1-2 months.

The dealer did a decent job, and even washed and dried it.
 
#30 · (Edited)
Ordered shocks. On national backorder. Contact customer for appointment when parts arrive. PN 68069680-AB Absorber 17023001. Qty 2. Warranty.

The customer service advisor told me on pickup that the regional Chrysler parts warehouse told him the shocks are on "Galactic Backorder", and that there is a rumor that is because a new shock is being designed and a TSB will be released in the "near future" - best guess 1-2 months.

The dealer did a decent job, and even washed and dried it.
Mmmh, the part number is one from 2010/11, definitly not the newest version, sorry. Apparently the newest version for the US is 68069843AF. However, I am not a dealer and therefore don't know how the ordering process works. Also your part# refers to an export and that might be different story anyway.

See also here; http://www.jeepgarage.org/f107/wk2-rear-knocking-noise-aussie-gc-laredo-37484-8.html#post682326

I got the message that my struts have arrived, but haven't seen the part number yet. Only heated the statement that they have the "new" part number (as you can see in the post I referred to that the amount of part numbers will confuse everybody) but they don't know if that is the final fix. They do it as a costumer satisfaction action and will apply the fix if Chrysler has figured it out.

Your dealer did a really good job looking at the error description. While I can't complain about mine it was more a team job with him and myself:D

I get my struts in on Friday and get you updated.
 
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