Sway Bar End Link Clatter Solved?
01-15-2014, 02:15 AM
#1
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
Sway Bar End Link Clatter Solved?
I purchased some GM C6-Z51 Sway Bars, rubber bushings and Metal End Links and installed them in June 2009. At first this seemed like a great upgrade with a noticeable difference in handling. After about 6 months I started noticing a sort of "Clattering" sound coming from all 4 corners of the car, not so much while driving, but most noticeable when driving at slow speed with the wheels turned in parking lots.
It was suggested that either my "bushings" had worn out OR that my End-Link retainer nuts had become loose after my initial torquing to the specified 53 Ft-Lbs. I dismissed both of those suggestions because I was so careful when I installed everything. The bushings were only 6 months old, and the chance of all four end link nuts backing off was really slim.
I then started to see so other sporadic posts from others complaining about what sounded like the same clattering. It was really embarrassing she driving through parking lots and really getting on my nerves. It was really bad when backing into my garage at night at an angle - the rear end would "pop" whenever one back tire would enter the garage in advance of the other.
Recently I saw that GM had "supposedly" redesigned the metal end links for 2013 and were no longer selling the 1997-2004 version. I have seen GM vendor claims that these were redesigned specifically to reduce noise and that GM now only sells the 2013 Version for the C5 & C6 models. I have not been able to find any "specific" information about what they did to "improve" the 2013 part number???
Anyway, since I could takes no more of this incessant clattering, I purchased a set of the new 2013 Metal End Links and installed them yesterday. I did not touch the rubber bushings or bushing retainers initially as I wanted to see if the end-links were indeed the sole source of the problem (if at all). I did double-check and ALL the old end-link retainer nuts were as tight as four years ago (so it was not the torquing of the nuts that had backed off).
As soon as I drove the car out of the garage there was an immediate difference! I put the car through the paces yesterday and today on the worst offending parking lots I frequent as well as backing into my garage - everything is now dead silent!
Now the question is, will these NEW links maintain this performance for more than 6 months!
I did go back and remove/retape/regrease all the Bushings tonight as well since I was on a roll.
I went ahead and dissected one of the OLD Metal Endlinks by removing the rubber boot, but I could not get it to act up? They all felt good in my hands so it must be only when they are under a lot of pressure that they act up?
It was suggested that either my "bushings" had worn out OR that my End-Link retainer nuts had become loose after my initial torquing to the specified 53 Ft-Lbs. I dismissed both of those suggestions because I was so careful when I installed everything. The bushings were only 6 months old, and the chance of all four end link nuts backing off was really slim.
I then started to see so other sporadic posts from others complaining about what sounded like the same clattering. It was really embarrassing she driving through parking lots and really getting on my nerves. It was really bad when backing into my garage at night at an angle - the rear end would "pop" whenever one back tire would enter the garage in advance of the other.
Recently I saw that GM had "supposedly" redesigned the metal end links for 2013 and were no longer selling the 1997-2004 version. I have seen GM vendor claims that these were redesigned specifically to reduce noise and that GM now only sells the 2013 Version for the C5 & C6 models. I have not been able to find any "specific" information about what they did to "improve" the 2013 part number???
Anyway, since I could takes no more of this incessant clattering, I purchased a set of the new 2013 Metal End Links and installed them yesterday. I did not touch the rubber bushings or bushing retainers initially as I wanted to see if the end-links were indeed the sole source of the problem (if at all). I did double-check and ALL the old end-link retainer nuts were as tight as four years ago (so it was not the torquing of the nuts that had backed off).
As soon as I drove the car out of the garage there was an immediate difference! I put the car through the paces yesterday and today on the worst offending parking lots I frequent as well as backing into my garage - everything is now dead silent!
Now the question is, will these NEW links maintain this performance for more than 6 months!
I did go back and remove/retape/regrease all the Bushings tonight as well since I was on a roll.
I went ahead and dissected one of the OLD Metal Endlinks by removing the rubber boot, but I could not get it to act up? They all felt good in my hands so it must be only when they are under a lot of pressure that they act up?
01-15-2014, 06:48 AM
#2
I had the same experience as you. I replaced my endlinks with new ones and still had the clanking noise. I finally realized that the nuts were not tight enough. I just needed to torque them to about 10 ft/lbs over the specified torque and problem was solved.
End link nuts need to be very tight and a don't think that the specified OEM torque values are sufficient in some cases. This is especially true when you upgrade to larger sway bars.
End link nuts need to be very tight and a don't think that the specified OEM torque values are sufficient in some cases. This is especially true when you upgrade to larger sway bars.