Rear end clunk

[Brian Barkley 0]

My 1990 205 GTI 1.9l has developed an occasional clunk from the rear. It is not the exhaust and I have put new shocks on. There is no rust, noise happens at odd times on flat surfaces, not when cornering. Is it likely the axle needs a rebuild, the car has travelled 120,000 miles or could the noise be a little bit easier to fix? Any thoughts/advice will be appreciated and I thank you in advance

[dcc 855]

A few things to check

 

Make sure pad retaining clips are in place

Make sure 13mm ARB end plate bolts are tight

Make sure dampers are still working (remove, check under compression and extension)

Check wheel bearing for play

 

If all above is ok, the likelihood is the axle has to come apart,

 

Check for play in the splines/trailing arm

Check shaft and bearings

 

If it's never been apart it's worth full stripping and rebuilding it, assuming the tub isn't scrap due to wear

[dcc 855]

Oh and make sure the mounting nuts are all tight

[jord294 87]

Sandwich mounts broke apart?

[Anthony 1,000]

It probably is beam related as mentioned above, especially if there's no history of it having been rebuilt, but in terms of easy things to rule out, check the spare wheel cradle is tight at that the rubber buffer stops for the tailgate are adjusted properly - both of these can cause difficult to identify knocking noises at the rear of the car.

[Motorsport Artist 0]

Not sure if you've sorted this. I had a similar  issue following a complete rebuild. Turned out a couple of the 4  bolts  were slightly lose on the plate that attaches  to the trailing arm behind the disc. Couldn't believe something so small could make so much noise! 

[Brian Barkley 0]

Many thanks for your comment. I've purchased the parts for a rebuild but have put them in the too hard basket for now. I'll certainly check these bolts before i pull anything apart.