[ClemS4]

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

 

[jp467]

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.

 

[ClemS4]

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.

 

[ClemS4]

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.

 

[hammer1234]

Re: Rear end or rear suspension clunk/creak

Mine is a bit noisy in the rear passenger side over "washboard" bumps...hear it when I'm in the back seat. Guess I'll add checking this to my list for the next service.

 

[jeepin4ever]

Re: Rear end or rear suspension clunk/creak

I just had a leaky rear shock replaced that was rattling/clunking.

 

[ClemS4]

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.

 

[Troy Cruise]

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.

 

[ClemS4]

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

 

[ClemS4]

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.

 

[ClemS4]

Re: Rear end or rear suspension clunk/creak

Summary thread of Lemon Law / Buy Back instances that I started yesterday:
http://jeepgarage.org/showthread.php?t=40603

 

[Suther]

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

 

[webman72]

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

 

[jgiuliani]

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

Yes, I have the same on my 2012 Laredo X with tow package. Same scenarios as everyone else reports, kind of a hollow thumping sound at lowe speeds on uneven roads, not as noticeable at higher speeds. Had in to the dealer twice and twice was told nothing is wrong.

 

[kkreit01]

^ 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.

 

[JRNYC]

I just hear my thump when accelerating a touch more than mildly from a stop.

 

[Justal13]

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.

 

[Suther]

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.

 

[kkreit01]

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.

 

[mistadobalina]

My Laredo X with tow pkg has same noise. Just noisy shocks. How much are the non load leveling shocks? Im sure there are no aftermarket shocks out for the WK2 yet.