kaikai114

Hi guys,

I was wondering if anybody can help me find out what this noise is. It's a "CLUCK" coming from somewhere at the bottom of the car, whenever I go over a speed bump at an angle. the cluck noise isnt there whenever i go over the speed bumps straight on, both wheels over at the same time. just happens whenever i go in a bit side ways, kinda like how you would drive when you have a lowered car.

Just couple months ago, my car made similar noise like this, and turned out the left RSB endlink snapped. The dealers were suppose to replace both sides at the same time but they only did the left. I checked the right RSB endlink and it seemed to be fine... and I could not visually see anything else wrong with the car. Can someone please shed some light on this? Thanks tons.

KC

joerockt

Replacing the rubber bushings with polys fixed this problem for me. Take a look at your bushings...

SSN_FT1(SS/DV)

Got a recommendation: brand/part number

moda_way

First check the end links in the rear to make sure one hasn't broken. Known issue.

Otherwise:

Energy Suspension 9.5126 for the rear (for a Comptech/Progress RSB)

Summitracing has them ENS-9-5126G

If you need stock RSB Part numbers:

Front = 16.5137 (ENS-16-5137G at SummitRacing)

Rear = 16.5138 (ENS-16-5138G at SummitRacing)

kaikai114

so that whole "cluck" noise is from the RSB bushings? it's odd though, I still have the stock RSB and have never touched it. does this happen just out of the blue for no reason? plus i've driven more today and felt the car is somewhat less stable, maybe it's just psychological paranoia

KC

kaikai114

I've visually inspected the RSB endlinks and they looked fine, i'm gonna take off the wheels and check tonight and see if that's the issue.

xizor

the going over at an angle part sounds like its a RSB issue. When you go over straight on the RSB isn't doing anything since both wheels are moving up/down at the same time. When you go at an angle, then the RSB is being used since one wheel is up, while the other is down. If your endlinks are ok, make sure your bushings are tightened down

IneedaTSX

I have been having the same clunk for a few months and its driving me crazy, i put in the poly sway bushings today and so far so good.......I would advise doing the same

joerockt

What happens, at least in my case, was that the rubber busings were giving too much play. So, when going over uneven surfaces, the bushings would fail and allow the bar to move futher then it should. The polys are preventing that...

San-AnT

just ordered the poly bushings. i wonder if i over-torqued the bolts on the comptech bushings? I just used good 'ol elbow grease and didn't have a torque wrench at the time. maybe not giving the bar enough room to move? anyway, I also ordered a nice wrench off of ebay for about $30 total. seems to work well and is brand new.

kaikai114

xizor, what's the bolt torque for the bushings? I think i'm gonna buy progress rsb instead of comptechs now...

xizor

Honestly, when I was installing my RSB I was lazy and just torqued it to "tight"

ComptechTSX

teflon tape around the RSB Bolts fixed this problem for me.......it was so annoying, but haven't heard it since wrapping the teflon tape around the RSB bolts., there was a slight gap, and teflon tape, helped secure it, and fill the gap i think

kaikai114

cool, will def give that a try. my progress sway bar is arriving later this week

moda_way

Well, i have the clunk now too. I'm thinking one of my modified washers gave in and one of the poly bushings has some play. Won't know until I get home though. Just started out of the blue. Same scenario as you though as well as under initial start.

moda_way

Cleared up the "Clunk" issue. I first had thought to take my poly bushings (I modded a set of the greasable kind to fit) off and as soon as I removed 1, the sway bar went loose. I looked over at the passenger side end link and the end link nut had loosened. Tightened up all is GREAT now.

peter_bigblock

I just installed these last night, they took care of my "clunk" and it gave me an opportunity to check the end-link nuts, too. Torque on the RSB brackets is 16 lb-ft. I used a little Loctite on them since they seem to like to loosen over time.

My original Comptech RSB bushings were deformed (squished out both ends), apparently allowing some play due to increased bushing i.d.

kaikai114

cool, i'm gonna jack up my car and take a look tonight, that cluck noise is driving me nuts! by the way, can you feel a big difference now you have the new beefier bushings?

KC

moda_way

Probably can't speak to that since I only ran the Comptech Bushings for a few days. I pushed the car pretty hard today and it came right with me.

peter_bigblock

I think the poly bushings tightened the rear-end back up, I had thought it felt like it was looser than when I first installed the RSB. Generally, urethane bushings are a hot-rodder trick to firm up muscle-car suspensions, so their less-deforming-under-load properties likely contribute to the RSB's ability to hold the car flat through a curve.

kaikai114

I have just finished installing my Progress RSB, but the "cluck" noise still exists I've checked all bolts and screws to make sure they're tightly secured. Any other possibilities to the cause of this???

KC

ps. I love the RSB!!! it seriously made the car more "one-piece", feels a lot solid too

curls

Sorry to bring this back from the dead...

Would putting LocTite on both the endlink nuts and on the swaybar bracket bolts be a good idea? I already have the Progress poly bushings w/ my Comptech bar, and just recently (2 months after bar install) have been getting a lot of clunking, even just on semi-rough downtown roads. REALLY annoying.

I'm thinking (hoping) its just the D brackets that came loose, as we didn't re-torque them after I installed the bar. I'm hoping its not a broken endlink, as I already had to replace one when putting the bar on (one side was rusted so bad ithad to be cut off).

Can the swaybar endlinks be inspected visually w/ the car on the ground and wheels still on? ie: where will it break, normally? Middle of the shaft, or at the nut?

Thanks,
Eric

JTso

iTrader: (2)

Don't use loctite on the endlink studs unless you don't ever want to remove them again. I would use anti-sieze to keep it from rusting and use a nylon nut to keep it in place.

curls

OK, thanks. I'm pretty sure the endlinks already use nylon nuts...

Can you answer any of my other Q's? Thanks!!

xizor

They don't use a nylon nut, its a regular metal one that unfortunately rusts. I can't seem to remove either of them on my car as I'm getting a slight clunking.

JTso

iTrader: (2)

You shouldn't have to re-torque anything if it was done correctly the first time. Otherwise, the dealers would be very busy having to tighten nuts and bolts for all the cars sold.

You can inspect the endlinks while the car is on the ground if they are broken (pretty obvious). However, if the ball joint inside the boot is damage or worn out, you will need to remove it and check for movement inside the ball joint socket.

curls

The thing is, we didn't torque the brackets with the bar "loaded" (ie: tires on ground), so I think this might be a problem. It took a canister jack pushing up on the bar, to get the bar to sit pretty to even tighten the brackets at all.

so endlinks, if broken, break in the middle of the shaft?

Regardless, I'll be under there tonight looking around for obvious stuff.

Thanks JTso!

curls

Damn rain. Can't get under there today or the entire weekend it seems.

However, I heard a definate CREAKING noise today while going over speedbumps in a parking lot. Coming from the swaybar area. Has anyone ever heard of creaking POLY bushings (I used liberal amounts of the Formula 5 Prelube, too!).??? I might try teflon tape this weekend at a friends' garage -- suggestions?

JTso

iTrader: (2)

Sometimes small pieces of rocks stuck between the coil spring and shock body can make creaking sound when the spring compresses.

curls

I pushed on the back of the car, compressing the spring, and there was no noise. I'm certain its the sway bar.