I recently bought a 72 Super Beetle. There is a clunking sound when I go over bumps that's coming from the rear passenger side. I'm wondering if it could be a CV joint. I looked under the car and the upper CV joint on the rear passenger side near the tranny is wet. I think it's transmission fluid. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think that could befrom something other than the CV joint. Maybe a seal right behind the cv joint? Could all the fluid that leaked have caused the CV to go bad? I'm looking for some ideas.

 

check for broken motor mounts back there, rattling could be CV joint, but doesn't seem like it. Sounds more like a strut, or shock or something loose back there. As far as the joint being wet, prolly steering fluid. I don't know alot about the beetle, but these are just my suggestions......hope it helps.

 

dont see trany fluid leaking on the cv joints very much it might be the grease breaking down
clunk might be shocks or the trailing arm bolt might be missing fallow the arm up to where it mounts to the wishbone see if you can see the bolt its a 17 mm allen bolt
i see them fall out sometimes and people dont even know it is missing

 

Thanks for the input. I checked the 17MM bolt you were talking about and it is present and accounted for. I took the strut off and it seemed fine. I drove it with the strut off and it still made the clunking sound. For a second I thought it was my battery because I discovered it was not secured to the floor. I bolted it down and I am still hearing the sound. I know it's coming from the rear right but I just can't pinpoint it! Any other suggestions?

 

check the one body bolt on that side
it it where the rear shock tower goes down to the springplate there is a 13mm bolt that pulls the body down to the tower
thats the best that i can describe it as
i wil try to get a pic at work if i get any air coold in