Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting suspension noise when I start to back up.

Please help me out if you can - tell me what to take a look at for this problem:

After the car has sat for a time - say a day or two, and I get in - I get a fairly loud popping noise from both sides in the rear only. It maybe is more of a clunk than a pop, but it just happens once when the tires start to roll back.

Thanks,

Chuck

cgram, what's up, well, if it makes a "clunk" like parts hitting or a part broken just get back there and under the car and have someone get in the car and move around, and look or try to pin point the area that the noise is coming from and post if it's a suspension thing or the wheels.

But, it just might be your rear brakes if you use your e-brake when you park. If you leave your car outside or inside (very noticeable after water has settled on your discs after a good rain or washing the car) and you go to move it, it could just be your rear brakes letting go from their "locked" position from when the car is parked. If you have discs in the back just move your car back a few inches next time you move it after it sits (preferably after washing it or a good rain, just something to get the discs wet) and put the car and park, get out and check your discs, if you see the outline of where your pad was locked on, then most likely that was it. And if that's not it, then someone else would gladly explain what it may be. I experienced the same thing on my car after i wash it and it sits, but, it may be different, so, check it out next time it sits and you move it.

Hey- that makes alot of sense - I did leave it out on the driveway this week and we had a lot of snow. I'll start with that - thanks alot !

I had a very noticable "squawk" from the rear brakes when backing out of the driveway on many mornings. It seemed to be worse if the rotors had a slight coat of rust from high humidity or rain. The noise went away when I changed the rear pads. Many others have posted about this phenomenom. The factory pads were much more inclined to make the noise. I installed Raybestos PG semi metalic rear pads. One disadvantage to the Raybestos pads is that they did not hold the park brake as well. When I would start the car in the morning, the car would begin to slip backward as soon as the clutch was depressed. This seemed to go away as the brakes wore in, but it took several thousand miles. I will try something different next time I need rear brakes, but that could be a long time. I don't go through brakes very fast.