Ok so a few weeks ago I decided to stiffen up the rear swaybar. BAD idea! It clunked and popped the whole drive home, and I had to wait until the next weekend to try and fix it. Well, that didn't work but it did help. It's still giving me issues, so today I put it back where it was in hopes that might help. No dice, still clunking/popping. The question is how do I get it back to being quiet like before? I've made sure the endlinks can rotate freely, no issue there. I've tightened down both bolts holding the bar on. I really don't know what it's hitting, but if it's bad enough I can feel it release in the floor board. Basically it only does it when the car rocks around on uneven pavement. So going over a speed bump is normal, thus I don't think my struts are gone. Any idea on what I can do? It's really getting annoying to hear it pop all the time when I enter driveways and stuff. Maybe it's something else?
Some swaybars will hit your lateral links if their on full hard. Check this it's worth a shot. Also try greasing your bushings. tighten the crap out of the endlinks and check that the swaybar mounting brackets are tight. Goodluck
I put them in about 2 years ago. Strange they would suddenly require grease after just changing the stiffness a few weeks ago. Perhaps I should disconnect the bar and see how easy it rotates in the bushings? I have made sure all connections to it are tight. I do wonder about the lateral link. It seems to make the most noise on the passenger side, and the bar does a sort of dip there. I noticed some markings on the link, but can't be sure if it's the bar thats making them or if they were put there by someone.
if your endlinks are not hitting anything you may want to check out some new diff bushings, kind of a package deal when modding your suspension. And grease doesn't last forever by the way
To help you determine if it is the swaybar or something else, un-hook your endlinks and drive around the block...if the noise is still there then it is not the swaybar or endlinks.
Did you adjust the swaybars while the car was on the ground or did you jack it up? I've did it both ways and found that when I adjusted the bars as the car sits, it eliminated any noise(s). Just a thought.
Sway bars are supposed to be installed with load on them, I.e. On the ground ALWAYS. I roll the cars I'm working on up on ramps and swap/install/adjust sway bars.
Also, are you sure you put the end links on correctly? I have seen them put on backwards or even upside down.
you can install them on a lifted car, as long as the endlinks have pivot joints. all you're doing is tightning a bolt through the bar, as long as it gets on there it doesn't matter if the car is sitting on the ground or not.
Very true but from my personal experience, it is much easier if there is a load on the bar. I think the service manual and most companies tell you to install it with a load.
Well you guys were right :bowdown: It's definitely the grease in the bushings. I unhooked them from the endlinks(yes I am very sure I put them on correctly, would have made some crazy noises for the past 2 years if I put them on wrong) and then moved the bar. Very gritty and quite rough when moving. Plus when I knocked it against the lateral link it makes the noise I'm hearing. Also I can see why it only makes it on the passenger side as that side is much closer to the link than the drivers. Not sure why I didn't think of that before, was too obvious I guess. So I am due to change my oil in a couple hundred miles and when I do so I will pick up some lithium grease at the store and do it all a once. I'm assuming any auto parts store carries it. Also I'm aware that its best under load, thus I put it up on ramps. But I've had plenty of experience crawling under that car with it on the ground to mess with those endlinks. :wiggle: