I have a good one.

[r71]

So I have this weird problem. It's a sound coming from passenger side rear. Rotation related. But here are the parameters.

1. Sound description - Very low thump, thump, thump, thump. Imagine if you put some sort or nail made out of rubber on the tire. Imagine it making noise when the car moves.

2. When does it make the sound - Ok, this is the hard part. I can only hear it on low speed because at high speed I assume the frequency increases(rotation related). It does not make sound when coasting in NEUTRAL. Only makes sound on LOAD, but only at low speed.

3. Additional description - Doesn't sound like metal to metal. Frequency increases with speed but appear to go away at high speed. It sounds just like a tire with a flat spot. But only shows during load, at low speed.


WEIRD!!!! Anyone?

 

[osolokes213]

my friend had a problem similar to this, sounds about the same symptoms, but the thump did sound like metal on metal. He doenst have a NSX, but if its the same problem, then it can happen to any car. His problem was the nut that holds the valve stem from the inside of the tire had gotten loose and fallen off. so it was just "floating" around inside and hear it when his tire rotated. at higher speeds i would imagine you wouldn't hear it because it would just hold against the tire wall when in high rotation (insert physics terminology here)

edit: it probably doesnt do it at low speed because it doesn't create enough speed to bring the nut up the tire and fall back down to make the noise, same problem my friend had

 

[nsxtasy]

As a first step in diagnosing it, I would try swapping your tires to see if the sound goes away or moves around. (If you have an extra rear tire, swap that for the right rear; if not, then swap the two rear tires for each other.) If the sound goes away (extra tire) or switches sides (swapped tires), then it's something with the right rear wheel or tire (possibly what osolokes mentions); if the sound is still coming from the right rear, then it's something with the car, probably the suspension/hub/etc.

 

[nsx24]

I have had a bad axle give very similar symptom, have you looked to see if you have a ripped boot, or grease flung around from the axle.

 

[r71]

The reason I don't think it's wheel/tire related is the following.

Only does it under load in gear. If I'm coasting in neutral, it doesn't make a sound. I hope it's not internal.....

 

[r71]

Ok, more investigating, the noise ia only appears when the clutch is engaged. As soon as I press the clutch pedal, the noise goes away.

 

[tof]

I'm confused. You said it only does it under load. Then you said it goes away when the clutch is engaged as if this was a new discovery. Just to clarify, what happens at slow speed when you are decelerating with the clutch engaged (engine braking)?

 

[twisted]

As a guess I would think CV joints on their way out.

 

[r71]

Load meaning when Im on the gas, then I was trying to listen while coasting. The sound goes away during coasting/engine breaking if I push the clutch/disengage the clutch.


But last night...... I'm starting to notice intermittenly, all this is not true. I noticed once in a while, the noise was present without the clutch engaged.