Clunking Sounds from Suspension Mods

[ugaexploder]

Hey guys, I installed some suspension mods this past Friday and I am hearing clunking noises when driving around 10-15 mph.

Installed:
-Whiteline 22mm sway bar set on least aggressive setting with end links
-Whiteline Rear Toe Arms
-Whiteline Lowering Springs
-SPC Rear Camber Plates
-Whiteline Front LCA
-Whiteline Anti Lift Kit
-Whiteline Adj. Ball Joints

After putting on all parts I dropped the car and it was toe’d way out so I made toe adjustments. It feels good, and I’m waiting for the springs to settle before getting an alignment…but man, the clunking noise is worrying me. I checked under the car today and everything seems fine. Thoughts?

 

[Kotaas]

Definitely go back and re torque/tighten everything I had issues with my front suspension but went away after I tighten everything again

 

[ugaexploder]

Definitely go back and re torque/tighten everything I had issues with my front suspension but went away after I tighten everything again

Thanks man, I will definitely go back and hit everything with a torque wrench and see if it helps. Also read ab the rubber nipples on the rear springs…I noticed earlier today one on each side is halfway protruding. I’m going to try to wedge it out fully with a screwdriver.

 

[GBD]

Not sure if you need to trim bump stops with white line springs but my sportlines sounded awful to me until I trimmed them as eibach suggested.

 

[Manatee Bob]

On the Whiteline 22mm sway bar and end links, the company's generic literature fails to mention that putting a dab of Blue Loctite on the bolts connecting the end links to the sway bar will prevent one or both bolts that go through the sway bar from the end links from loosening up. Even a 1/4 of a turn of the nuts that the end links use can reportedly cause "clunking" as the sway bar has a lot of tortional moments placed on it. Whiteline also makes an anti-roll link it (KLL122) for $32 that prevents the sway bar from shifting laterally and possibly causing binding according to Whiteline. Hope that helps. It would be your easiest and quickest way to see if your sway bar/end links are causing the clunking that others have reported.

 

[ugaexploder]

Not sure if you need to trim bump stops with white line springs but my sportlines sounded awful to me until I trimmed them as eibach suggested.

I believe for the Whiteline springs ut is not necessary to trim the bump stops. Thank you though as this was something I noticed in many install vids. ???

 

[ugaexploder]

On the Whiteline 22mm sway bar and end links, the company's generic literature fails to mention that putting a dab of Blue Loctite on the bolts connecting the end links to the sway bar will prevent one or both bolts that go through the sway bar from the end links from loosening up. Even a 1/4 of a turn of the nuts that the end links use can reportedly cause "clunking" as the sway bar has a lot of tortional moments placed on it. Whiteline also makes an anti-roll link it (KLL122) for $32 that prevents the sway bar from shifting laterally and possibly causing binding according to Whiteline. Hope that helps. It would be your easiest and quickest way to see if your sway bar/end links are causing the clunking that others have reported.

You are a godsend as I think this is EXACTLY what is happening. I will look into the anti-roll link kit as well. Man, this would be great if it fixed the issue bc the car IS riding a but better than before with the new parts….

Thank you!

 

[Manatee Bob]

You are a godsend as I think this is EXACTLY what is happening. I will look into the anti-roll link kit as well. Man, this would be great if it fixed the issue bc the car IS riding a but better than before with the new parts….

Thank you!

You can just back off the nuts that fasten the end links to the sway bar and put a drop or two of blue Loctite on the threads closest to the nut and sway bar and then really cinch down the nut that holds on the end link. As Loctite recommends, wait 48 hours to let the blue locker fully cure with everything cinched up and that may end your clunking. You can also take some kind of a pry bar and center the Whiteline sway bar in the two bushings that hold it to the frame of your car. That way, when you go to cinch down your end link nuts that hold them to the swaybar, there will be no angular deflection as both end links will essentially be positioned straight down from your sway bar. These suggestions were all made by the techs at Whiteline. I am not a mechanic and/or automotive engineer so YMMV.

 

[ugaexploder]

You can just back off the nuts that fasten the end links to the sway bar and put a drop or two of blue Loctite on the threads closest to the nut and sway bar and then really cinch down the nut that holds on the end link. As Loctite recommends, wait 48 hours to let the blue locker fully cure with everything cinched up and that may end your clunking. You can also take some kind of a pry bar and center the Whiteline sway bar in the two bushings that hold it to the frame of your car. That way, when you go to cinch down your end link nuts that hold them to the swaybar, there will be no angular deflection as both end links will essentially be positioned straight down from your sway bar. These suggestions were all made by the techs at Whiteline. I am not a mechanic and/or automotive engineer so YMMV.

One thing I was on the fence about during initial install was greasing the bushings of the sway bar. I lifted the car and out the supplied grease in the bushings and it helped a ton.

I also went back and torqued everything down to spec (front and rear) which was kind if a pita ???.

I also ordered the universal sway bar lateral lock to see if it would help. It should be coming in tomorrow along with front sway links. I will throw those on the car as well. The clunking has went down quite a bit with the grease application on the bushings but I will also follow your advice on the loctite. Thanks a lot!!

 

[ugaexploder]

You can just back off the nuts that fasten the end links to the sway bar and put a drop or two of blue Loctite on the threads closest to the nut and sway bar and then really cinch down the nut that holds on the end link. As Loctite recommends, wait 48 hours to let the blue locker fully cure with everything cinched up and that may end your clunking. You can also take some kind of a pry bar and center the Whiteline sway bar in the two bushings that hold it to the frame of your car. That way, when you go to cinch down your end link nuts that hold them to the swaybar, there will be no angular deflection as both end links will essentially be positioned straight down from your sway bar. These suggestions were all made by the techs at Whiteline. I am not a mechanic and/or automotive engineer so YMMV.

I tried everything and still clunking…but I was thinking. Maybe it’s because I tightened everything while the car was on the lift. Would this create the clunking issues?

 

[andy_wen1]

I had the same issue with my whitline rsb too. Tried the lateral locks, retorquing, and pretty much anything I can find on this forum and it still clunks. So I just went back to OEM bar and it's gone. ?‍

 

[Manatee Bob]

UGAEXPOLDER, I think that instructions suggested that everything be tightened down with the car resting on the suspension. I suspect that might make a significant difference because the tortional aspects of every part are different when the car is not resting on its actual suspension. The challenge you have is that you have multiple variables to deal with (numerous parts changed out) rather than just the sway bar and so the source of the issue(s) may be difficult to track down.

 

[ugaexploder]

I had the same issue with my whitline rsb too. Tried the lateral locks, retorquing, and pretty much anything I can find on this forum and it still clunks. So I just went back to OEM bar and it's gone. ?‍

But did you try loosening everything tightening everything down with car resting on the ground?

UGAEXPOLDER, I think that instructions suggested that everything be tightened down with the car resting on the suspension. I suspect that might make a significant difference because the tortional aspects of every part are different when the car is not resting on its actual suspension. The challenge you have is that you have multiple variables to deal with (numerous parts changed out) rather than just the sway bar and so the source of the issue(s) may be difficult to track down.

That’s what I’m thinking…because I put lateral locks on and nothing. Big problem is that its difficult to reach those spots with the car on the ground.

Maybe out some tall jack stands while car is on the lift and lower it on to jacks on the LCA and torque down that way? I’m willing to try just about anything shy if taking it to the shop ???

 

[hobby-man]

But did you try loosening everything tightening everything down with car resting on the ground?

That’s what I’m thinking…because I put lateral locks on and nothing. Big problem is that its difficult to reach those spots with the car on the ground.

Maybe out some tall jack stands while car is on the lift and lower it on to jacks on the LCA and torque down that way? I’m willing to try just about anything shy if taking it to the shop ???

I used race ramps to install my RSB. Backed it up onto them. So the suspension is loaded but you can still get underneath it. RSB, accord endlinks. A bit of blue loctite and factory nuts. Never heard a sound from the rear end.

 

[ugaexploder]

I used race ramps to install my RSB. Backed it up onto them. So the suspension is loaded but you can still get underneath it. RSB, accord endlinks. A bit of blue loctite and factory nuts. Never heard a sound from the rear end.

so you tightened the nuts a little bit, preloded by backing up on to ramps and torqued them down that way?

Sponsored