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I had a local performance shop install my Monster Clutch kit and I told them while they were down there to install a pair of C5 ZO6 sway bars that a friend gave me. The shop installed them and also purchased new end links for me. The car rode just fine but I always seem to get a strange knock from the front of the car and sometimes from the rear. I only hear the knock when I make a sharp turn and especially when going up and uneven surface with the wheel turned. I finally got under it myself to take a look and took some pictures to see if you guys can tell me anything. The first pic shows the rear swaybar end link. I'm no expert but that doesn't look right. Looks like too much of a bind.
rear swaybar endlink in nasty bind.
The last two pictures show the front swaybar. I can't seem to see anything wrong here but the bar sure runs close to the control arm.
Rear is either on backwards or it is bent. Either way, it's not right and you also need to check that the link is not damaged with that much angle on it.
As for the front knocking, double check how tight the links are. If one is a little loose it will slip under pressure and make a decent pop when it does.
This one is correct.. both of the end links should be on the rear/back side of the tab they are bolting through....
I'm surprised it hasn't broke the end links....
On yours the LINK is on the wrong side of the metal tab on the lower arm... the link should be on the back/or towards the rear of the car side of that tab it's bolted through...
Last edited by 73Corvette; May 12, 2015 at 10:50 PM.
Rear is either on backwards or it is bent. Either way, it's not right and you also need to check that the link is not damaged with that much angle on it.
As for the front knocking, double check how tight the links are. If one is a little loose it will slip under pressure and make a decent pop when it does.
Another pic of how the end link should be mounted... Would make me worry about what kind of a job they did installing the clutch... it will be about 100 times more complicated than mounting sway bars.
Last edited by 73Corvette; May 12, 2015 at 11:10 PM.
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I agree with the others. They look to be installed wrong.
By "local performance shop" I hope you weren't referring to G Force Performance down there near you in Pearland. That place is a dump. I wouldn't take a tricycle there.
Thanks everyone for all the feedback. Especially you guys that took the time to take pictures for me. My plan now is to go back to the shop and get a full refund on the installation charges and cost of the endlinks. I'll finish the job myself.
Thanks everyone for all the feedback. Especially you guys that took the time to take pictures for me. My plan now is to go back to the shop and get a full refund on the installation charges and cost of the endlinks. I'll finish the job myself.
No clutch issues?
Please repost when you get your sways installed with some pics of how they go and a review on how you like them... or don't.
Thanks
Last edited by 73Corvette; May 13, 2015 at 07:18 PM.
Ok forum friends,
I took the car back to the shop because they said they wanted to make everything right. They said that the rear swaybar was in fact installed incorrectly and they turned it around. The hump in the center of the swaybar that stretches from frame mount to frame mount should roll downward and not upward. I have attached pictures of the correct installation. The front sway bar they claimed looked to be installed correctly but they couldn't understand why I was getting a knocking sound. They then removed the swaybar to inspect it and the endlinks. They said that the carriage bolts (or maybe it was cradle bolts) needed a little tightening and that the body flexing could cause the knocking as well. They think it was possible that it was not tightened up 100% during the clutch installation job. I took it for a spin afterwards and all knocks have gone away. I want to thank everyone for all the advice because it paid off going into the shop with the knowledge picked up from everyone here. Another problem successfully solved by forum members.
Rear swaybar showing proper installation.
Good view of rear endlink.
Good view of how the rear swaybar rolls downward at the center. If it rolls upward then it is installed incorrectly.
You should have never HAD to go back in the first place. Installing anti-roll bars is basic wrench-turning 101. I would never go back.
I won't be going back. I would have just done the swaybars myself but since I was already taking the car in for the new clutch I figured I'd just let them do it. Boy did that backfire on me. If I had done the job myself I would have been very careful to install the new bar just the way the old one came out. It's not rocket science.
Need C5 sway bar advice.
yep...bad links will do it
