thumping sound in rear 1994 Taurus

I just bought my sisters 1994 Taurus. There is a rythmic rumbling noise coming from the rear. It sounds like a flat tire but isn't. It coincides with the tire rotation. I can't 'feel' anything but it REALLY sounds like a bad tire. Both rear tires are in good condition, etc. My sister said the noise has been going on for more than a year and may have started after she had the rotors replaced. Any ideas?

I would look over the rear brakes first, maybe you have some drag. Also look at the wheel bearings.

Sounds like a bad tire to me also. Also, have the alignment checked at a reputable shop that wont sell you suspension parts you dont need. Bad alignment will cause a tire to wear bad ( sometimes not real noticeable visually) and get really loud.

OK - I had a friend listen to the 'thumping noise' and he said he can feel the vibration on the passenger side - said it was more like a cyclical humming vibration - conincides with the rotation of the whell/tire - definitely more noticable when the car is just floating. He said it could be something with the drive shaft - I don't think he knows anything more than I do. What do you think??

A Taurus has the drive shafts connected to the front wheels. 86TATpi told you straight. Jack that corner up and rotate the wheel to see what you hear.

I had a 94Gl with the same sound. Mine was the wheel bearing.
Mike


:smokin:

As it turns out, the rear struts were replaced just before I bought the car. They old ones must have been really bad resulting in 'flat spots' on inside of both rear tires creating the odd thumping/slapping sounds and slight wobble. Had new tires put on and the wheels aligned - I'll pick it up today and let you know the results.

Had similar noises from the rear of my "02. Also tire related, and was due to improper rotation, or worn out rear struts. Good Luck.

97 sable, same thing. Rotated the tire to the front, sound moved to the front. Put it back to the rear, sound now in rear. My call is a flat spot on the tire. Lots of tread left so I'll live with the noise until I have the $$ for 2 new skins.