re:Spider thumping

["Robert W. Murphy" <rmurphy@domain.elided>]

Kim,
My 90 Spider had the same problem, except I described the noise as a loose 
bowling ball rolling around underneath the driver's seat.  I knew there was no 
room for a golfball under there, much less a bowling ball.  Turned out to be 
the u-joints.  They were binding and on acceleration made this horrible noise. 
 Had them replaced and and all has been quite (well, as quite as a SPider can 
be) since.

Rob Murphy
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I know this has been covered before, but spring is coming and I am thinking
about (drooling actually) getting my 1979 spider out of winter slumber (it
really is nice having a heated, dry garage attached to the house but it is
also torture knowing that my baby is under the blue cover.)  Bill will soon
get a list of parts I can't source in Canada, but there is a problem that I
haven't been able to cure.  On fast take-offs I get a thumping sound from
the drive train.  It almost sounds and feels like wheel hop and sometimes it
feels like the transmission or driveshaft is hitting the body of car.  I
thought that replacing a kinked exhaust system and new suspension would cure
the problem, but it didn't.  I put a new Stebro exhaust system on the car
and replaced the suspension with Shankle supper sport springs, koni shocks
(yellow) and sway bars.  While under the car my mechanic and I looked at the
usual culprits - transmission mounts, flexible drive-shaft coupling
(whatever that rubber thing is that replace a universal joint) and hanger
bearing (again, whatever it is called) but everything looked and felt good.
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