I installed hotchkis sway bars and I'm getting the same 'clunking' noise from the front driver-side area when hitting bumps at slow speeds, particularly when pulling into raised, uneven driveways. This started immediately after the install.

The sway bar setting is only 15% stiffer than stock, my 06 sedan came with beefier endlinks (?), the endlink alignment looks perpendicular to the sway bar, the bolts are torqued to spec (~40 ft. lb.), and I was very liberal with lube on the bushings.

I'm going to loosen and re-torque the bolts again to make sure everything is snug and even. Does anyone have any ideas on what else may be causing this?

 

One of the bolts/nuts broke off of my spl endlinks when I was making a u-turn. It may be because the bolt that connects the endlink to the lower arm is too short and the nut doesn't screw in enough to catch enough of the threads. SPL is sending me replacement parts for free.

I had clunking issues before but after i retightened the endlinks and replaced a smashed up ring spacer for the endlink, it went away.

 

I got the PowerGrids with Hotchkis at full stiffness. In combo w/ coils on max stiff and full drop, and several chassis rigidity mods the car is on rails. I am actually afraid to push it further on curves, because I'm already doing 70-75 on on and off ramps, where my stock suspension would only be able to handle 55 tops.

Upgraded end-links are great though. More sense of security and an absolute must for corner balancing and maintaining less stress if your car is slammed. Where my car height is now, the OEM end links wouldn't even fit.. it would be a crazy angle/fit of some sort that I can't even imagine when I tried to compare them during the install.

Definitely recommend the after market end links for a proper suspension setup and tune.

 

The Powergrid End Links will work with the OEM front sway correct? I lowered my car a couple months ago and have a clunking noise now. I had my mechanic take a look and he saw that my front left end link was bent...most likely from the drop. So I want to replace my end links but with nicer ones. Do I have to purchase bushings as well or does that come with the Power Grid End Links? Sorry if this is an ignorant questions...still learning...

 

Bump to my question and the $160 is for both front end links right?

 

yes you are correct.

Another quick ? i installed my power grids about 2 weeks ago and i still get a slight clunk going into or out of my driveway, but never on the road...its not that steep of a driveway at all just wondering what the hell it could possibly be. i have my stillens set to hard/hard

 

Yes to getting the right and left end links but do I also have to get bushings?

 

retighten those bolts. Those things tend to get loose for some reason. On my car i have to tighten those bolts every month or so. Solution is to get better bolt and nut and replace them with the ones that urs came with.

 

I had this issue and solved it by getting OEM end links. I am thinking about upgrading to some Power Grids so that I can feel comfortable running the suspension on a higher setting. I don't understand a few things about the end links.

1. Is the vast amount of improvement in the fact that the length is adjustable? It looks like the bolt that connects the two pivot point is not any stronger than the stock end link but I have no idea what type of metal it is.

2. My problem was that the pivot point broke but I have heard others had the link actually snap in the middle. Is this likely to happen with the Power Grid end links?

3. If I tighten up my suspension and run the stock end links until they fail is it a problem to drive the car for a week while I wait for Power Grid end links? Is it still okay to drive if the end link actually snaps?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

you serious? they are threaded lock nuts and the only way they will losen is with an allen key and a wrench. it happened literally right after i did it, its very minor, almost sounds like the bar is tapping something when coming out of the drive way...its only the damn driveway lol, not even when i drive down my GF's street which is like a rally course of bumps in the pavement due to tree roots.

 

^well i had the same exact problem and every time i lift the car up at a shop the sway bar endlink is loose. When i tighten everything up the noise goes away for a while.

 

+1, same thing happens to me.

 

damn, alright, i guess ill put her up tomorrow and see whats up...this stuff is never ending. i think ill put some loctite on that son bish

 

I just installed my PG endlinks with my Hotchkis sways. I have the same issue as you do going over speed bumps or out of driveway at slow speeds but not on the road. Did you adjust the endlinks correctly to neutralize the preload on the sway bars? I did, and the instructions tell you to give it 1/4 turn with your fingers, meaning there's no static load on them. I think that slight noise is simply the endlink "engaging" with the sway bar too suddenly. Meaning, there is a very small amount of play to create a neutral car at rest. While on the road, this "play" is engaged gradually during a turn. When you go off the driveway, it's very quickly. I just figured it was the endlink grabbing the sways really suddenly = not a problem. But that's just me!

 

i just made them 1/4 inch longer than stock all around, i didnt want to make them too long or too short since its damn near impossible for me to fit under my car to adjust them to find when they are completely not under any load. ill checkem out tomorrow, i was going to today but i was too busy