I installed the megan racing coilovers a few weeks ago and now I'm getting a popping/clunk noise from the front when going over small bumps. I've tightened the hell out of all the collers on the coilovers. The nuts on the top of the strut bodies are tight. I'm out of ideas but I think the noise is coming from the swaybar or the endlinks? Anybody ever had a similar issue and know what to do to fix it?
Don't tigthen the hell out of everything. There are torque specs for every suspension component on your car regardless of the upgrade. Check the sticky in the DIY thread regarding the service manual. Most likely, your sway bar is binding because you over tightened it. You endlink is having to use extra force to rotate the ball joint. I would get a torque wrench and tighten things to what the service manual suggests.
My giant strano bar binds all the time.... I'd also lube up your bushings when you re-torque your bolts!
Just to clarify, what is it exactly that binds? Also, which bolt is it that causes such binding? My FSB makes similar noise but it did it even when the bolts to the endlinks were actually loose, not tight.
There is a ball joint in the bolt that connects the endlinks to swaybar and control arm. If there is additional force than normal, it prevents the bolt from swiveling inside the ball joint. Another thing maybe that the bushing is really tight around the bar, meaning its a big bar (strano) or the mount could be too tight. Lubrication helps with the bushing part. The endlink can only be fixed with proper torque, even then if the bar is big enough it may not fix it.
When I installed my bar, I did not have the bushings that came with the bar, as I got is used and the seller had sold the bushing separately. Also I did not have the grease that whiteline provides with their swaybars. The bushing I drilled out seem to fit close to perfect, but I had to substitute a thicker grease, but I figure any grease is better than no grease. I can move the sway bar up/down and side to side with my own strength, so I figured that would be lubed enough. If I can move it, certainly my overweight wagon's heft can move it, right?
Right, so then it is most likely the endlink or something that has nothing to do with the swaybar. Torque down everything again to spec.