Need help with current issues.

I am currently having to issues with my jeep:

1. When going over bumps I hear a clunk sound coming from the rear. I have looked everything over and everything is tight. It seems like all that is left is to start unbolt every control arm, sway bar, and the track bar and inspecting the bushings. Is there any other way of inspecting for the issue or is this it? Also is there something I should look at specifically?

2. When I first start my jeep and it is cold I hear a loud ticking sound coming from the engine bay. It is drivers side. Im not sure if it is my head or exhaust manifold. When the jeep warms up the ticking decreases in volume however it can still be heard under low rpm when the engine has a load. I haven't gotten any check engine codes for the head since its an early 12 so Im not sure if that could be the issue. I have poured sea foam into my brake booster vacuum line and there doesn't seem to be any smoke coming from near the exhaust manifold. Any ideas on this one?

Thanks for all the help in advance.

#2 I'm not going to be much help.

#1 are you certain it is coming from outside the cabin? I had a jack work loose and would thunk the inside now and then. If it is coming from outside, I would use a pry bar on all the control arms, track bar, check for a loose shock, maybe the muffler mounting. Has someone been messing around and loosened your spare tire? Just throwing possibilities out there for you. Sorry I'm not much more help.

colo dean said:

#2 I'm not going to be much help.

#1 are you certain it is coming from outside the cabin? I had a jack work loose and would thunk the inside now and then. If it is coming from outside, I would use a pry bar on all the control arms, track bar, check for a loose shock, maybe the muffler mounting. Has someone been messing around and loosened your spare tire? Just throwing possibilities out there for you. Sorry I'm not much more help.

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It is outside for sure. It can only be heard when the window is down. It sounds like maybe passenger side but it is hard to tell. I already thought a shock and changed my shock bushings and nothing changed. Muffler is mounted tight. I have a naked rear so no spare tire.

Not sure what you are hearing but I had the same thing after a long day on some severely wash-boarded roads.
I got ticked off, so with the Jeep under load sitting in the garage I got under there and loosened and then retorqued every bolt for the suspension.
Found the rear track bar upper bolt pretty loose. This solved my problem.

I highly recommend a check of all your suspension bolts every once in a while. This does several things like gets you more in touch with your Jeep and whats going on under there.
They really like their belly rubbed.
But really you will want to find something loose, something broken or whatever before you are in the middle of nowhere or in heavy traffic and some part lets go.

I am still finding stuff that was not very tight from the factory. I don't know if its little girls putting these things together or if it was a low air pressure day for the impact guns but dang sure a lot of loose stuff that missed QC.

I had a rear clunking sound in the rear of my Jeep before. Found out it was a loose bolt on the rear sway bar link. Might want to check yours as well. Tighter mine up and problem solved.

Since your is a 2012 there really isn't an exhaust manifold per say. It's built into the head. It could possibly be the notorious head issues that some '12s & 13's have. There has been an extended warranty for that. You could see if the dealer can look at it but normally they want to see the jeep show codes first...