rear end questions

[Guest mideerslayer]

I have a 92 pathy with 150,000 miles when i first take off from sitting at a light or stoping i fells like the rear end is loose kinda like it is floating but as i go faster it goes away. I also hear a clunking noise coming from the rear end. I have looked and everything is intact i shook every thing all is there and tight. I know i need shocks and new bushings (they look like the originals). Could it be a seperated belt in the rear tire's or just the bushing going bad?

 

thanks for the input

 

Rich

[94extreme]

yeah coulc be either one of those.. you'll have to look at you tire but since it goes away it's something related to the rear axle most likely.. you'll have to check over all the bushings again.

[88pathoffroad]

Do a shock absorber test. I bet that's the only thing making it sloppy. Bounce the rear end as hard as you can four or five times and let go. If it bounces once then stops, the shocks are OK. If it bounces two or three times, the shocks are gone and new ones would probably help a lot.

[Dave_C]

My guess would be the shocks as well...if you think about it...when you start and the rear "squats", you're putting the weight of the truck on the rear shocks. The slop you feel is the truck doing exactly what 88 said happens when the shocks are shot. The rear is bouncing a few times from the initial take off and you're feeling the effects. When I first bought my Pathy (at 149k miles) it had the original shocks on it, and it did the same thing. I put in the Ranchos and it was gone...the rear felt so much more solid and smooth, and no more wandering or slop on the roads from the rear. The reason it goes away the faster you go is because the weight is distributed evenly when you're at cruising speed, so you won't feel the slop in the rear end as badly as when you start and transfer the weight to the rear of the truck.

[Eli]

I have a 92 pathy with 150,000 miles when i first take off from sitting at a light or stoping i fells like the rear end is loose kinda like it is floating but as i go faster it goes away. I also hear a clunking noise coming from the rear end. I have looked and everything is intact i shook every thing all is there and tight. I know i need shocks and new bushings (they look like the originals). Could it be a seperated belt in the rear tire's or just the bushing going bad?

 

thanks for the input

 

Rich

Sounds like worn lower control arm bushings. Check 'em out...if they are worn, they'll quickly lead to dangerous "speed wobbles."