Sway bar troubles
10-12-05, 11:32 AM
#1
Pole Position
Thread Starter
Sway bar troubles
I could really use some help here.
My dealer is about to suggest putting the stock sway bars back on my car.
I have had the Daizen sway bars installed since June '04.
Around late spring, the underside would click on every turn.
I took it into the dealer, and they said that the front right and left rear bolts were loose, and the right rear bolts were MISSING!
They tightened everything up, and it was OK -- for about a month.
Then the click came back.
They've tightened the bolts again, but they can't elminate the click.
If they can't figure out what it is, they want to put the old sway bars back in it.
Of course, I'd rather they didn't.
The kit was installed by an independent shop, and I saw that they torqued the bolts to the right specs. I have no idea how they came loose the first time.
I've asked them to compare them to a new set to see if mine are damaged.
Oh yeah, a question.
Has anyone had a problem like mine?
Any click from underneath? Any loose bolts?
Thanks, CL members.
My dealer is about to suggest putting the stock sway bars back on my car.
I have had the Daizen sway bars installed since June '04.
Around late spring, the underside would click on every turn.
I took it into the dealer, and they said that the front right and left rear bolts were loose, and the right rear bolts were MISSING!
They tightened everything up, and it was OK -- for about a month.
Then the click came back.
They've tightened the bolts again, but they can't elminate the click.
If they can't figure out what it is, they want to put the old sway bars back in it.
Of course, I'd rather they didn't.
The kit was installed by an independent shop, and I saw that they torqued the bolts to the right specs. I have no idea how they came loose the first time.
I've asked them to compare them to a new set to see if mine are damaged.
Oh yeah, a question.
Has anyone had a problem like mine?
Any click from underneath? Any loose bolts?
Thanks, CL members.
10-12-05, 01:02 PM
#2
Lexus Test Driver
There is a little bit of outside the box work that needs to be done probably.
Try some threadlocker on the sway bar bracket mount to frame bolts; sway bar bracket bolts; sway bar end link nuts and bolts. Also in the rear the end link nuts.
If you have any clicking type noises, it can only come from these items. Of course the trick is to be sure that what I just mentioned above is done, instead of the "yeah yeah we already tried that" thing which is very prevalent.
As far as factual input, the only items that can make a clicking noise would be the brackets if they are loose (pretty unlikely), the end link nuts or bolts (which would fall off pretty quickly if they are starting to make noise so you'd know it was them (as you already mentioned), and lastly the end links themselves. These are spherical ball joints, and can develop play in them over time. It is not out of the question for these to be bad.
The sway bars themselves are not movings parts, hence they can technically never make any "noises" per se.
There are other items of course that have to be disassembled to install things, and that opens new cans of worms as to possibilities of noises, but as far as the directly sway bar related things, the above should cover it.
I can help further if you need!
Try some threadlocker on the sway bar bracket mount to frame bolts; sway bar bracket bolts; sway bar end link nuts and bolts. Also in the rear the end link nuts.
If you have any clicking type noises, it can only come from these items. Of course the trick is to be sure that what I just mentioned above is done, instead of the "yeah yeah we already tried that" thing which is very prevalent.
As far as factual input, the only items that can make a clicking noise would be the brackets if they are loose (pretty unlikely), the end link nuts or bolts (which would fall off pretty quickly if they are starting to make noise so you'd know it was them (as you already mentioned), and lastly the end links themselves. These are spherical ball joints, and can develop play in them over time. It is not out of the question for these to be bad.
The sway bars themselves are not movings parts, hence they can technically never make any "noises" per se.
There are other items of course that have to be disassembled to install things, and that opens new cans of worms as to possibilities of noises, but as far as the directly sway bar related things, the above should cover it.
I can help further if you need!
10-13-05, 04:24 PM
#4
Alec I have been so advised your SC430 is in for service to remedy the "clicking" noise. I will assure you a, a proper remedy will be found as I have commandeered both our Diagnostic Specialists to view your SC. In addition, I will contact the original installers to find any possible special circumstances that maybe relevant to this case.
I will personally be corresponding with Todd to determine the correct course of action. I will be in touch.
Darrel Diller
Sewell Lexus of Dallas
ddiller@sewell.com
I will personally be corresponding with Todd to determine the correct course of action. I will be in touch.
Darrel Diller
Sewell Lexus of Dallas
ddiller@sewell.com
10-13-05, 05:53 PM
#6
Pole Position
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Maryland
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Wow !! A dealer interested in fixing an aftermarket part issue??!!
Outstanding! I wish my dealership showed interest like this.
Maybe a move to Texas is in order!!
bt
Outstanding! I wish my dealership showed interest like this.
Maybe a move to Texas is in order!!
bt
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10-14-05, 11:42 AM
#8
Lexus Test Driver
Well, my only real help here was some advice on what to look for and how to diagnose it, I believe they have the issue close to resolved (if not resolved already). Last I spoke to Sewell Lexus today, they said that something may not have been addressed properly with the outside vendor's initial installation, so it was a pretty easy fix and everything should be completed pretty shortly.
They might want to do some testing to be sure though, so I'd contact them directly if you have any questions on the matter.
This again just goes to show how a simple sway bar install can go very wrong if inexperience with these specific parts comes into play. Unfortunately the first problem is that everyone is an "expert", and at the next level, people believe everything the experts do or say.
They might want to do some testing to be sure though, so I'd contact them directly if you have any questions on the matter.
This again just goes to show how a simple sway bar install can go very wrong if inexperience with these specific parts comes into play. Unfortunately the first problem is that everyone is an "expert", and at the next level, people believe everything the experts do or say.
10-14-05, 10:50 PM
#9
Pole Position
Thread Starter
My sway bar issue has been resolved.
More specifically, the issue connected to the sway bar has been resolved.
There are many lessons learned here, and I have many people to thank.
When I return from out of town this weekend, I will edit this post with the details.
Stay tuned.
More specifically, the issue connected to the sway bar has been resolved.
There are many lessons learned here, and I have many people to thank.
When I return from out of town this weekend, I will edit this post with the details.
Stay tuned.
10-15-05, 07:01 AM
#10
Originally Posted by antigeek
My sway bar issue has been resolved.
More specifically, the issue connected to the sway bar has been resolved.
There are many lessons learned here, and I have many people to thank.
When I return from out of town this weekend, I will edit this post with the details.
Stay tuned.
More specifically, the issue connected to the sway bar has been resolved.
There are many lessons learned here, and I have many people to thank.
When I return from out of town this weekend, I will edit this post with the details.
Stay tuned.
Lee
10-16-05, 12:47 AM
#12
Originally Posted by Pearlpower
Glad it worked out. Could someone please tell me a good place to purchase these. Carson does not list them.
Lee
Lee
todd@tmengineering.net
07-06-06, 07:36 PM
#14
Pole Position
Thread Starter
After a long hiatus, the results of my fixes:
It turns out that the left rear end link was ever-so-slightly bent. Sewell couldn't see a visible bend in the link, but (after talking to the tech a couple of weeks ago), they narrowed it down to the only places it could be, and found that it was off when compared to another link.
Sewell did not have to put the original bar back in to find this out.
They also didn't think that the bolts had come loose a second time.
(IMHO, the first (mis-)installation (by another company) caused the problem -- brackets were loose and some bolts were missing.) There was no confirmation that Loctite was used.
Thanks to Darrel and Sewell for their persistence in finding and fixing the problem, and to Todd for helping me better understand the issue.
It turns out that the left rear end link was ever-so-slightly bent. Sewell couldn't see a visible bend in the link, but (after talking to the tech a couple of weeks ago), they narrowed it down to the only places it could be, and found that it was off when compared to another link.
Sewell did not have to put the original bar back in to find this out.
They also didn't think that the bolts had come loose a second time.
(IMHO, the first (mis-)installation (by another company) caused the problem -- brackets were loose and some bolts were missing.) There was no confirmation that Loctite was used.
Thanks to Darrel and Sewell for their persistence in finding and fixing the problem, and to Todd for helping me better understand the issue.
