DDK - Die Deutschen Klassiker

My '72 T has just started making a creaking noise from the left-hand rear. As the car goes over bigger bumps when that side is under load, the noise is apparent. If the car had anti-roll bars (which it doesn't), I'd say it almost sounds like a dry or worn ARB linkage or bush. Clearly, in the absence of any such thing, I am thing perhaps a noisy damper or worn top mount? Does this sound more likely than anything at the trailing arm or torsion bar end of things?

I confess to not having been under the car yet as I have been so busy and not really used it either, but I was hoping to have a slightly more focused dip into it, having asked your collective wisdom on here.

Thanks in advance chaps, as ever and stay safe.

could be :

torsion bar bushes ( 2 of them on the outer end of the torsion bar ) ?
shock bushes ?

they're the 2 obvious ones .. also the inner a-arm bush

Hi Sam

Hope all is well? Strangely my '72T has exactly the same symptom - mine is evident when going over the "sleeping policeman" style of speed bumps - ie short/sharp movement in the rear suspension taken at slow speed and almost sounds like it's coming out the B pillar.

Initially gave me a fright it sounded so terrible ( when i first had the car) ...i've also not looked in detail but the rear shocks/bushing are all good so can discount that. I have (reasonably confidently) pinned it down to the torsion bar bushings, but still need to squish my son into the back with his ear to the tub and repeatedly simulate. I'm guessing it's probably the outer surface rotating in the tube.

It's possible, my car being a hot rod, that these bushing were changed to poly bushes in the past, and this is the sort of noise i suspect they make...which is why people moan about them? Is that the case?

Good luck and keep us updated? when you dig deeper?

Cheers

All of the above suggestions, plus on our 72 Hillclimb car, the holes in the inner suspension arm supports had worn oval, giving a similar clonk to the one you describe, as the swivel bolt moved.

JW

My 73 T had the same issue and it was what James said: torsion bar bushes

Thanks Chaps,

That was predictable excellent and thorough. What a great community this is! 'Magnum' has put it better than I did and his, along with your other responses makes me convinced that the problem lies with the T/B bushes. I will book the car into my local, Tuthills to have it sorted as I don't feel confident that I will get the ride height and so on correct afterwards if I do it. The 911 is the only car I've ever owned with torsion bars and I'm still a little in awe of the whole set up.

Thanks again to you all and my best wishes.

Stay safe and enjoy your cars