Rear End Clunk

[Steve F]

I recently had my angle gear replaced and now my '01 has AWD for the first time since I've owned it. I've noticed when I back out of a parking spot on pavement that there's a clunk or two from the rear when I have the steering to the hard right. It jolts the car as if I had bumped something. My only other experience with 4x4 to this point has been with pickup trucks and their old school systems. I guess it could be compared to u-joints binding when turning hard on pavement with the truck locked in 4x4, except the binding is in the rear instead of the front like the trucks have always done. That clunk wasn't there before the angle gear was replaced. Is this normal for the car? If not, any place you can recommend I hunt for a problem?

[Steve F]

Update: I'm actually experiencing this clunk when backing in either direction, nothing going forward

[billr99]

Since the clunk wasn't there before the work was done, the simplest answer is to check all the bolts that were undone to do the job for proper tightness. Unless the gears were set with the wrong backlash more than likely you have something not torqued properly.

Good Luck,

Bill

[bugeye]

Clunk in the back may also be the parking brake delaminating. If the parking brake shoes are original, just order new ones and replace. You don't want to lock a wheel at speed and distroy more expensive stuff.