sbmellen

I'm getting an icky "thump" (no White Stripes pun intended) from what sounds and feels like the drivetrain underneath and to the rear of the car when I:

* Push the clutch fast all the way in when the car is in 1st;
* Releasing the clutch when shifting from 1st to 2nd;
* Releasing the clutch when shifting from 2nd to 3rd;
* When the car "lurches" under partial throttle in 1st or throttle changes (modulation) when driving at slow speeds in either 1st or 2nd.

I'm afraid it's getting worse. What could be the problem? Driveline slack? Broken universal joint(s)? Rear differential going bad?

Thanks for the advice, guys. BTW, it's a 1998.5 2.8 QMS with 128,000 miles.

Im@wesome~ out!

my money is on mounts.. either trans/driveline/snub

ModifiedA4

engine / tranny mounts.

egustaps

after that many miles, normal wear & tear causes accumulated freeplay (backlash) from transmission (mine is automatic), rear diff, center diff, snub mount and fluid filled engine mounts (at least that was his diagnose on my car). All but the mounts are very expensive and probably not recommended to do anything about. Mounts are not expensive to fix, and can apparently be done yourself (we'll see...). There is also something called a Drivetrain Stabilizer Bar that could help, ~$250 bolt on part.

TwentyValveB5+S4

broken mounts! My 90 did the same thing when its mounts were toast.

2.0GT35

the rear diff thumping the frame. This is some thing we all get and can be fixed by adding a Stern Power Ring from Purems to the rear diff mount.