creaking (like the sounds your grandmother's hips make) not popping
 

what are the possible reasons for a creaking noise in the back of the car?

I can't remember if it's worn bushings, spring not seated in perch properly or what...(i ask this as I'm not going out to investigate @ 10 pm)


didn't start until about 2 months after I put my new springs/dampers on...

if you have any poly bushings, you've got your culprit
Grease em.
If not, it could be a multitude of things from a couple spring coils rubbing on eachother, to a busted bushing to the shock going bad (unlikely if they're new and not crap).

I'm figuring it's a bushing....if it went bad would it show? as in cracked straight through from one side to the other?

Depends how far along it is. it'll look like little cracks at first, they'll continue to get worse as it wears out. It shouldn't make noise until it breaks though, then you'll be hearing the rubbing of the 2 sides of the hole on each other.
Check the 2 swaybar bushings. They may be dry or have dirt in them.

appreciate the input as usual....

update. i was able to get the car on the lift at work and i looked at the sway bars. (the rear sway bar is soooo friggin tiny)the rear bushings have this crease like thing in the same spot on both of them but it doesn't look like what a crack would look like almost looks like it is an intentional type thing....i dunno. anyways what is the part that holds the ends of the sway bar that is a round shape & has those 4 notches on it? w/e the boot type thing that is on the top of that looks compressed on one side.....I dunno.....

It's the trailing arm bushings, I've got the same problem on our civic.

I'm looking into replacing them all soon.

trailing arm, is that what holds the sway bar at both ends?

I believe so. Theres two bushings for each side.

Chek this out:
http://www.artsautomotive.com/CivicR...leBushings.htm

lube rear sway bushing

by "lube rear sway bushing" what do you mean exactly? do I just wd-40 spray it or is there a way to get some lubrication into it?

beats me. dealer did it a while back and the noise went away

***UPDATE*** all my bushings are fine......this crap is driving me nuts.....I'm taking it in this thursday I can't stand it.....

is the rear end creaking over bumps and stuff, or just all the time? i got a tie bar and poof, no more creaks.

some bumps but not all of them....thats what is irking me.

My bushings looked "fine" but I replaced them anyways, and after the replacement the creaking is gone!

Replace the bushings!