Thumping sound from rear of vehicle.

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dullard

dullard

Elite Member
May 21, 2001
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My wife's 2000 Ford Taurus makes a thumping sound when driving. In idle, there is no noise, but when driving slow, there is a very pronounced thump thump thump. As the car goes faster, the thumping frequency increases with the velocity. But, at freeway speeds, you can barely even hear the thump since the volume drops with speed. The car drives just fine, but the noise makes my wife nervous.

We asked her family's mechanic off-hand what it could be. He said, it is probably the bearings and that it isn't anything to worry about until the problem gets much worse. Although, I don't really think this mechanic is any good. He fixes problems, but usually his first two repairs are always a waste of time and money.

We jacked the car up to check. The driver rear tire spins freely with no problem. The passenger rear tire had a periodic "whoosh" sound when spinning it which could be the same thump that we hear when driving. We took off the tire and the break drum, put the tire back on, and spun it again. It no longer made any sound. So, that means the bearing isn't the cause of the whooshing sound.

The tires are very old and worn, but do not appear to be out of round. We had a tire shop inspect them and they said the tires looked okay, but worn.

Is it most likely bad break pads, a bad drum, or some drive train problem? Is this something to worry about?
 
JulesMaximus

JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
74,544
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Maybe the guy in your trunk isn't really dead?

mobhit.jpg
 
AMCRambler

AMCRambler

Diamond Member
Jan 23, 2001
7,714
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dullard said:
My wife's 2000 Ford Taurus makes a thumping sound when driving. In idle, there is no noise, but when driving slow, there is a very pronounced thump thump thump. As the car goes faster, the thumping frequency increases with the velocity. But, at freeway speeds, you can barely even hear the thump since the volume drops with speed. The car drives just fine, but the noise makes my wife nervous.

We asked her family's mechanic off-hand what it could be. He said, it is probably the bearings and that it isn't anything to worry about until the problem gets much worse. Although, I don't really think this mechanic is any good. He fixes problems, but usually his first two repairs are always a waste of time and money.

We jacked the car up to check. The driver rear tire spins freely with no problem. The passenger rear tire had a periodic "whoosh" sound when spinning it which could be the same thump that we hear when driving. We took off the tire and the break drum, put the tire back on, and spun it again. It no longer made any sound. So, that means the bearing isn't the cause of the whooshing sound.

The tires are very old and worn, but do not appear to be out of round. We had a tire shop inspect them and they said the tires looked okay, but worn.

Is it most likely bad break pads, a bad drum, or some drive train problem? Is this something to worry about?
Click to expand...

If it doesn't happen when you spin the wheel while the car is jacked up, then it's only when there's load on the tire. It could be bearings or suspension related. If it is bearings, it should get louder/quieter when you're turning in one direction or the other. Take the car to a parking lot and do some low speed turns at say 15 or 20 mph. A turn where the wheel making the noise is the outer tire will put more weight on that wheel and should make the bearing noise louder. The opposite direction should make it quieter.

You can also check for play in the bearings when you have the wheel jacked up. Grab the tire on the left and right and push with one hand and pull with the other, alternating. If the tire rocks a lot, say more than a quarter inch in either direction the bearings are shot. It's a 10 year old car so it could very well be.

The other thing I would look for is loose suspension parts. If the car has a rear stabilizer bar, the end link could have snapped and it would be rattling loose. Also while the car is on the ground, push down on the fender a couple of times and see if you get any thumping.
 
NutBucket

NutBucket

Lifer
Aug 30, 2000
27,118
613
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You can visually inspect for worn out bushings...but looks can be deceiving. Most of the time experience is the best tool for the job. If your mechanic can't diagnose it, I'd suggest finding a mechanic that is more familiar with the car...perhaps even going as far to suggest heading to the dealer.

You can also see if there are TSBs out there for the car.
 
radioouman

radioouman

Diamond Member
Nov 4, 2002
8,632
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I'm going with cupped tires.... but maybe you wouldn't hear them at very low speeds. Put the rear tires on the front and see if you get a vibration through the steering wheel and no noise in the rear.
 
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