wallmike

Hit black ice and slid off the road and had to be pulled out with tow strap tied to the rear. The All-weather tires were of no use. Anyway, now I am hearing clunking noise from the rear if I happen to hit a bump at any speed, fast or slow. Otherwise, it runs normal. Any ideas what could be the problem? Suspension? Something else? Thanks.

wallmike

Found the problem. It is a thin rod that seems disconnected from some purple colored thing. Perhaps the tow rope was connected to that. The rod itself doesn't seem damaged. What is this thing? I couldn't pull it out of where it is. Perhaps needs to be replaced.

wallmike

Here is the picture from the other wheel where it seems connected and just fine.

jjrphs

Sway bar end link...and yes, you need to get it replaced.

wallmike

Thanks! I will have it replaced. Part itself seems inexpensive.

https://tinyurl.com/yc4y7u4t

I wonder what the dealer would charge for labor. Shouldn't take too long to replace this I would guess.

jcross1231

You may have some recourse with the towing company. If they tied onto this to pull it, they're idiots.

charlie65

There isn't a suitable place anywhere at the back of my 17 rdx to hook to.
I haul my car south and back in an enclosed car hauler every year. I couldn't find rear tie down points that looked strong enough, so I installed the heaviest hitch I could find. I hook my tie downs to it.
I don't know where a tow truck would hook onto otherwise..... the tow truck driver more than likely had no choice for a hook point... still, no excuse.

jcross1231

I got under my '16, and you're right. It doesn't look like there's anything substantial to grab onto back there that isn't some sort of stamped piece of metal structure. That rod isn't even the diameter of a pencil. I don't know why someone would hook onto that thinking it would handle the weight of the vehicle. They've got to have something significant to attach to while transporting, though, so there's got to be a way to do it.

charlie65

I wonder if this is a question that should be posed to Acura?
When I was searching for a tie down point on our RDX, I asked the service manager at the dealership for some advice. He said the only way to tie it down was to place straps over the rear wheels and hook to those straps.
That wouldn't work for me, so I came up with the idea of a trailer hitch.
I'm not certain I'd want a tow truck hooking onto it though, as the rating isn't very high and the attachment points to the lightweight frame wouldn't take a lot of abuse.
Here's the stats for my 2" hitch: Towing Capacity: 400 Pound Tongue Weight, 4000 Pound Towing

I just re-read the original posters post.... he said a tow strap was used to pull his vehicle out.... I'm thinking it wasn't a tow truck but rather a friend or kind stranger that pulled him out of the ditch.
A tow truck driver would know not to hook to a pencil sized rod......

wallmike

It was a passerby who stopped when he saw me trying to shovel the snow away from the wheels. Obviously he shouldn't have put the tow strap there. But I don't care. It was kind of him and I appreciate the gesture. I was about to call AAA to help me before he offered to help pull it out. I am getting this replaced on Friday.

jcross1231

Should be a simple fix. Let us know what it costs.

Chaidell

get the torque specs and do it yourself. Dealer will charge you like an hour for this simple fix

wallmike

Torque specs? What is that? I am useless when it comes to any DIY. All I had ever done is replacing engine filter and cabin filter.
I am willing to try. the part is less than $20.
I don't have any wrenches either. Will consider buying them too.

It seems this part helps when making turns. How dangerous is it to drive while in this condition? I see no issues so far. And how much can these help in turning considering the rear tire isn't like the front tire when turning?
Thanks.

Chaidell

Torque specs refer to the amount of force used to tighten the bolts that secure the endlinks. typically you can borrow a torque wrench from a friend and just set the amount (for example 25 lbs/ft) and you'll hear a click when you're there. This prevents over tightening. All endlinks are pretty similar so you can look on youtube and search Acura swaybar endlinks install, and should find some references.

Good luck

jjrphs

My opinion...go ahead and take it to the dealership or trusted mechanic and let them replace it. In my experience, installation is not the problem with end link replacement...it's getting the old links off. As you can see, the link nuts get rusted up and become very problematic to remove...most shops just cut them out to replace. Installation is the easy part.

Sway bars do just that...control sway or body roll. With one link detached, you've lost that control on the rear of your vehicle. As you've stated a couple times...the part is cheap, go ahead and get it replaced before that link becomes dislodged and gets into something else and causes further damage to your vehicle.