[frank moran]

Anyone experience this popping sound?, on turns I get a popping sound, I think it's the sway bar busings???? I had the bar down to remove the pan, I hit the bushings with a shot of silicon, maybe not smart. <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/sad.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />

Any thoughts are appreciated.

<img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/smile.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />

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[flash]

could be - pretty common - they need to be snug, without gaps, and fairy firm - if they are gushy, wet, visably damaged, or have gaps, then they need to be replaced - take a look at all of them



other things you can look at for popping after that:



1. lift the car up and grab the wheel top and bottom (12 and 6) - move it in and out in a firm jiggle - look for free play - it can be either at the wheel bearing or at the strut - if it is at the strut, you will see the extended shaft move relative to the housing - if the wheel bearing is suspected, go to step 3



2. with the car still in the air, try moving the wheel up and down - vertical movement can be at the upper strut bearing or at the ball joint



3. while still up in the air, grab the wheel again (this time at 9 and 3) - movement here can be tie rods, steering rack, and control arm bushings, or wheel bearings if also present in step 1



do each of these a couple of times to be sure - do them in varying amounts to really try to nail where the movement is

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[frank moran]

[quote name='flash' date='Mar 12 2006, 08:37 PM']could be - pretty common - they need to be snug, without gaps, and fairy firm - if they are gushy, wet, visably damaged, or have gaps, then they need to be replaced - take a look at all of them



other things you can look at for popping after that:



1.  lift the car up and grab the wheel top and bottom (12 and 6) - move it in and out in a firm jiggle - look for free play - it can be either at the wheel bearing or at the strut - if it is at the strut, you will see the extended shaft move relative to the housing - if the wheel bearing is suspected, go to step 3



2.  with the car still in the air, try moving the wheel up and down - vertical movement can be at the upper strut bearing or at the ball joint



3.  while still up in the air, grab the wheel again (this time at 9 and 3) - movement here can be tie rods, steering rack, and control arm bushings, or wheel bearings if also present in step 1



do each of these a couple of times to be sure - do them in varying amounts to really try to nail where the movement is

[right][post="17261"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post][/right][/quote]

Flash, thanks, I was looking at the torque specs for the control arm portion of the sway bar bushings. It says 18 lbs. I know I did not tighten them down to that spec, I went with the old minor compression of the rubber bushing, which was quite loose. What I did may not be enough torque and the bushing is binding and un binding... thus the pop. I'll hit them tomorrow with the torques wrench...

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[flash]

rubber will do that when it goes bad, and there is no real fix besides replacement - i had a rear control arm bushing doing that - drove me nuts - sealed bearings now



as a test, you can stick some good grease in there - if the problem goes away, you've found it - the grease won't last long though on rubber, so don't be fooled by the "fix"



p.s. 18lbs is about what you would twist a #2 phillips screwdriver on a door hinge screw

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[frank moran]

[quote name='flash' date='Mar 13 2006, 10:00 AM']rubber will do that when it goes bad, and there is no real fix besides replacement - i had a rear control arm bushing doing that - drove me nuts - sealed bearings now



as a test, you can stick some good grease in there - if the problem goes away, you've found it - the grease won't last long though on rubber, so don't be fooled by the "fix"



p.s. 18lbs is about what you would twist a #2 phillips screwdriver on a door hinge screw

[right][post="17284"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post][/right][/quote]

Update, it was the center sway bar bushing on the passenger side, it was rust and rubber melded together . The bar could not rotate and when it did it would bind and then snap free, made a hell of a racket.... I road tested the car without the bar , it was the only way I could narrow it down as to where the noise was coming from, noise was significant.

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[flash]

amazing how much racket it can make, isn't it?



it moves so fast in there that it makes pops - sometimes you can bounce the car and hear squeaks, but not pops - you actually have to drive it to hear the pops



drove me nuts figuring it out on the rear bushings

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[peartree]

Just this week I started experiencing a similar (same?) issue. I get a knocking (or popping) sound from the front suspension. It seems worst at parking lot speeds and while making turns, but will also occur somewhat randomly. The sound comes from either the left or right side, but not both sides at the same time. I also noticed that it occurs at the side of the car where the suspension is un-loaded.



I recently replaced the steering rack and tie rods myself and followed all factory torque specs. Since I had the sway bar off, I opted for the racers edge center delrin bushings for the sway bar since the rubber was shot. I re-used the rubber sway bar bushings at the A-arm. After an initial test drive, my next trip was to the alignment shop and I do not remember hearing this sound (I think I would remember because it's pretty annoying).



After the technician finished the alignment he test drove the car. He actually heard the knocking sound and put the car back on the lift. As far as I know this is when it first occured. We couldn't find anything. <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/huh.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />



I wonder if the delrin bushings are binding?



I think the idea of test driving without the sway bar is good one and I'll probably give that a try to see if that identifies the sway bar as the source.

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[flash]

i have seen a delrin bushing fail on this car - friction wore the bushign obround and it was making noise



i have come up with a modification that works and prevents the problem - i have yet to write it up, but it works very well

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[frank moran]

[quote name='flash' date='Mar 14 2006, 11:53 PM']i have seen a delrin bushing fail on this car - friction wore the bushign obround and it was making noise



i have come up with a modification that works and prevents the problem - i have yet to write it up, but it works very well

[right][post="17372"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post][/right][/quote]

on the bad bushing on mine, all the rust and deteriorated rubber created a high spot in the rubber bushing where the clamp wraps around the bushing, the high spot restricted any bar movement, when it was forced to move it would then pop back when the suspension was loaded or unloaded.

I would just go back with the rubber, all the stories I have heard about noise etc. from the poly type bushings is not for me.

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[flash]

poly bushing are noisy by nature - delrin are usually quiet - this swaybar car though is not the best design, and with the delrin, it is allowed to shift back and forth left to right - this causes wear



as i said, i have a mod that works, but although the delrin will give better cornering, new rubber would also eliminate that particular problem with less cost and effort

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