1996 Cavalier-What could be causing this strange sound?

[Cardhouse]

Just got my first car, a 96 cavalier. It seems to run and look very good however there is one seemingly minor problem. Everytime it has been driven there is a clicking or clunking like sound coming from somewhere around the rear passenger side. According to the prior owners this sound will sometimes disappear but is normally there. They did not know what it is but said it never seemed to have an effect on the way the car drives. Its a pretty steady click, about 2-3 times per second. I really don't know a whole lot about cars and have no idea what this could be so I figured I would ask if anyone knew what this problem could be. I will list pretty much everything I know for sure about the car since I don't know what would be important here:

1996 Cavalier
2 Door(Another fast question, does this mean I have the Z24 model?)
Automatic
120,000 Miles
Fairly new brakes(I think only a few months)
Tires have around 5000 miles on them

Sorry if this isn't detailed enough, I don't really know much else. If anyone could give me an idea of what this might be I would be grateful. Thanks.

[muff34]

Originally Posted by Cardhouse

Just got my first car, a 96 cavalier. It seems to run and look very good however there is one seemingly minor problem. Everytime it has been driven there is a clicking or clunking like sound coming from somewhere around the rear passenger side. According to the prior owners this sound will sometimes disappear but is normally there. They did not know what it is but said it never seemed to have an effect on the way the car drives. Its a pretty steady click, about 2-3 times per second. I really don't know a whole lot about cars and have no idea what this could be so I figured I would ask if anyone knew what this problem could be. I will list pretty much everything I know for sure about the car since I don't know what would be important here:

1996 Cavalier
2 Door(Another fast question, does this mean I have the Z24 model?)
Automatic
120,000 Miles
Fairly new brakes(I think only a few months)
Tires have around 5000 miles on them

Sorry if this isn't detailed enough, I don't really know much else. If anyone could give me an idea of what this might be I would be grateful. Thanks.

Maybe just a stone in the tire. Jack the car up and grab the wheel top and bottom ,try to wiggle it to see if there is any play in it. Also give it a spin and listen for the noise. maybe a spring or something has let go in the brake.

[gonzales7727]

you can tell if you have a z-24 by looking under the hood and if it says 2.4, then it's a z-24, also buy looking on the door, there usally engraved on the door

[1stcavyz24]

I have the exact same problem on my 99 z24,,, and it being my first car, i have no idea either... cavLCD128 in the non-performance said it might be a loose bolt on the tires,, but i havent had the time to check yet.. anyone have another other suggestions to look for while cardhouse and myself are at it?

thanks

[ahazard]

Jack the car up, grab the wheel on either side and wiggle it. There should be a little play in it, but not much, if it feels loose you have a bad wheel bearing. You may also be having a problem with the rear ABS sensor. If the car has disk brakes there are no springs, if it's a drum and a spring came loose your entire brake would come apart when you stepped on it. Bad brakes would make a scraping noise It could also be a suspension issue. You should get it checked out by a mechanic. You won't keep control of a car that small if the wheel comes apart. If it's a brake problem...... You're new to owning a car, so take some advice from hard learned experience, fix the car now, or it will definately cost you more and possibly injure or kill you.