Allright gang, I’m hypothesizing this is a blown shock, but any ideas are appreciated.
2003 Civic, 105K miles on it. Still original shocks and springs. Every time I go out of a steeply sloped driveway or up a steeply sloped driveway into a shopping center, etc, I hear a BANG coming from my passenger side rear wheel.
I tend to associate it with the shock compressing, but I suppose it can happen when the shock is releasing. I sometiems associate it with a creak, but I believe that to be a separate thing.
What would you say this is?
Assuming that the onset of the problem was recent and sudden, a blown shock/strut is a reasonable hypotheis, but an inspection of the rear suspension should end the mystery. Do it a.s.a.p. in case something has broken that could send you off into the bushes- or oncoming traffic.
If you define sudden as one day happening when the day before it didn’t, then yes. If I baby the car over the slopes so my suspension isn’t compressing as much then the sound doesn’t happen. However, I may be noticing that I have to baby it more and more to avoid loud noises from the peanut gallery. Then again, it could be the placebo effect. The last time i was in for an alignment the guys inspected everything and could find nothing immediately visibly wrong, and this is when the noise was VERY intermittent - like once every 1-2 weeks. Then again, they know I do my own work so they didn’t have much of an incentive to…
I recently did my timing belt / water pump / etc. I’ll order suspension parts after the new year when my paycheck clears… yay.
Check your exhaust hangers first.
Don’t overlook the possibility of a broken shockmount or anti-swaybar bracket. This could occur suddenly as well. These can be hard to see when covered with undercoating, dirt, etc. Also, it’s my guess that the noise is most pronounced when your car enters the upramp at an angle from a level pavement. This would cause the car structure to rack, causing a broken weld to make a “bang” as it is forced to slide across the break. My grandaughter’s car did the same thing for several weeks before I discovered a broken weld at the rear anti-swaybar bracket.
Good luck in finding the cause.
Get the car up on a lift or jack stands and look at the suspension. It’s a great excuse to rotate the tires, since removing the wheels will make the inspection easier. While the car is up, look at the exhaust to make sure that it is well secured. Remember that this should be done with a cold exhaust or wearing thick leather or cotton gloves.
While I’m on the subject of safety, USE JACK STANDS if you do the check in your driveway. Pardon the shout, but there is nothing more important than your safety.
You may be onto something - it definitely happens more when I am making a sharp left or right turn into a sloping driveway / mall entrance and the car is going up or down a hill at like 45 degree angle. My car is an LX, and it doesn’t have a rear sway bar (Though methinks I may be adding one along with an upgraded front sway and some eibach sport springs and upgraded shocks 
I doubt it is the exhaust hangers - I was just under the car doing my timing belt and looking at the hangers they were looking OK. If it is a busted shock mount, the only way I will easily see it is to take the shock out as the mount tower is recessed under carpet in the trunk. Maybe one of these days I’ll pull the carpet out and check the mount bolt torque - could be a loose bolt in the shock tower I suppose.