That's right you are the one that mounted an i-phone under the fendor and took it for a ride showing how the sway bar was moving and hitting the upper camber arm.

I am glad to hear that others like you started noticing strange noises from the back as soon as we lowered things just like mine has been behaving.

I should be able to get under mine this weekend and see if I can try and find anything. Let us know what you find.

 

Will do. I figured the 3 dot pads were going to do it for me but its only a bit better and I'm honestly not happy with the gap. Compared to the skyjacker stock look its lower but still looks OEM. After the dragon and seeing a number of others with 1 finger gaps all around, either I'm doing something wrong or more people are having contact back there than are talking about it (or they somehow fixed it / are replacing tires regular) I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to do the body notch but want to know exactly what's happening back there before doing all that. I'm not sure if I can stick a cam/phone back there any place that will give me a good view of the gap between the camber arm/ sway or where the sway contacts the body. I picked up a go pro like camera that has a bit more viewing angle but it is fat and would probably only mount in the same place I had the phone.

 

hook it to ur laptop in the passenger seat .....

 

I have a finger or less gap all the way around and I have definate rubbing. Inside the fender from the tire and I had to grind the body seam (Les modification). I have factory shocks that are probably not doing anything. Rob is sending me a set of Koni's which I am sure I will have to set to full hard for daily driving.

 

After some playing today I'm starting to think these are just squeaky. Mine did not creek like this before the install. I may just go back to the original and almost did today but ran out of time.

First I inspected everything on the ground (with full tank) while just sitting in the garage the sway/camber arm were basically touching. I'm not sure if the new bracket/bushing made the bar sit lower but there is not much room to begin with.

I then jacked the back up, took wheels off and unhooked the sway links from the bar, put tires back on and let it sit. The sway was actually resting on the camber arms at that point but it was hard to push upward. I set the konis in the back to full soft, hopped in the trunk and gave it a few good bounces (until the contact was gone) Checked back under to see where the sway was and there was about an inch gap between the two bars. I held up the stock link and it looked to be about even with the hole. From experience with the stock link I know it's too long so I kind of split the distance and set my links to 7 1/4" center of holes. (stock link is ~7 3/4)

Reading the MikeR thread 7 1/4 looks to be as long as his should go, could prob get away with a couple more twists though?

Hooked everything back up, set koni to 1 turn and did a test drive. At first I thought everything was fixed but the squeaks n creeks came back after a short test drive. It's mostly at low speed but its very constant (like every little movement) It did fix some contact between the bars though, I could see the gap between them while sitting, it's small but more than there was before. Hit a couple good dips at speed and couldn't hear any clunks or grinding.

Will update as I mess around more. I took some pics but nothing too useful, other than some measurements of mikes links. Just let me know if interested

 

Definitely interested, as I have the same ever-peresent squeeking and suspension setup, minus the konis...

Thanks for the info!

 

Did you install these bushings as well? I can't really figure it out. If I push down in the trunk while the car is sitting it is just shock noise no creeks. I get in, barely start moving and it's rediculous. I am may try loosening my shock tower bolts and re torquing. It may be the rubber at the top as it sounds like its coming from the corners but don't know why it would just start. I also thought it was the trays in the back or the jack handle rattling but again can't really tell. I may have the little sister ride back there and try to locate the sound. That or walk beside the car while I'm rolling. I didn't think anything could be more maddening than the over the shoulder tick/click.

 

Sounds like some of the girls I dated in my younger days!

 

I'm following your issues.

I continue to have these two issues as well. Keep thinking it is the sway bar mount but there are no cracks or stress. The noise goes away every time I have the rear apart and then slowly the noises come back. The creaking is different from the high pitched rapid squeaking. I just gave up and blare the front only speakers since the replacement rear subs don't work with the factory amp.......

There is also an exhuast leak.....

half empty kind of month so far

 

It's worse after the playing around!

I'm pretty sure it has to be the bracket and new bushings. It is when load is being put on the sway/links. Most noticeable when slowly moving as there is only minor movement and slight weight being shifted.

The bend radius issue we talked about. I'm wondering if it is just deforming the bushing really bad around the bracket rim as the bar moves around. Could just be squishing it so hard it's making the creeks. I should have coasted down the driveway when it was just hanging loose. That would have confirmed the noise is coming from the links / sway bracket when under load.

Regardless going to the stock brackets soon enough to be sure. What are the options with the OG? OEM replacement? Cutting up the bigger bushing to fit? Could a mold be made of the OG and then filled with poly?

 

I have not replaced them yet, my car is currently sleeping, but hopefully one of these days I can get it over to the shop and on the lift...

 

Sorry for the long delay, noticed them in the camera so finally uploaded

Random shots of the mikeR links

Taken apart


Spacer width


Stock one


Mikes at 7 1/4 (max)

 

MIke and I were talking about different end links before he passed. Here was one little blurb we had in PM.

"Thanks Mike, I'll send the end link back ASAP. The new poly sounds like a good idea but how do they wear long term vs. your QA1's?[/QUOTE]

Jesse,
Here is the tracking number for the rod end, USPS Priority 03112550000188900731. You should have it Thursday.
Dont know how the poly bushings will last. But they are replacable. The cost is equal to the QA1's."

Anyone know a part number for poly end links?

 

Bushings responsible for the low speed creek/squeak. Mine went away for a long time but just came back on the drivers side. If you press down in the bottom of the trunk it almost sounds like it is coming from right under the carpet.

Took wheel off, unhooked sway link, grabbed sway bar and push/pull/twisted and it was like nails on the chalk board. I'm going to go on the hunt for a OEM replacement bracket/bushing. May put the originals back on in the mean time.

 

As always, thank you for doing the legwork and reporting here, we really appreciate it.

Looking forward to seeing the availability + cost of the parts and if they 100% solve our problems...

 

I have creaking and rattling. I have checked everything of fear of the rattling but nothing is loose. If I grab the back of the car and move it side to side I can reproduce the ratlle. The creaking is up and down in the rear. I installed the grease in the poly sway bar bushings and most of the noise went away at the time but it is all back now.

 

I've been using these for the last several months and still completely silent. Just used some marine grease when I installed them.


Link to my DIY setup...

https://www.crossfireforum.org/forum...tml#post712854


* My 2-cents: I never did like the MikeR setup because of the moveable rod links which could possibly wear from vibration and the materials used. I.E.- stainless threads going into aluminum. Both are too soft for my liking particularly where the threading is a concern. If not properly coated, the stainless can cause galvanic fracturing against the aluminum, a common problem where dissimilar metal contact is involved. And this can be accelerated where road salts are introduced.
My setup uses forged steel rod ends threaded into DOM swedged tubes which are more than strong enough. Plus the rod ends are set into nylon which help absorb vibration.


Mike

 

If you keep em lubed up the low speed stuff will go away. I was just never to happy with the way they fit to begin with so back to stock seems like a better solution for me. You think it would be worth trying to make poly copies of the OG rubber one? They do make the brackets with a grease nipple so I guess that's an option too but still ill fitting. As far as the rattle have you ruled out anything in the foam pockets (the white handle on the jack can jiggle if not in its spot) the only other rattle I have had is the latch.

In this case the arms are not making noise but I actually looked at those last night and may order a set of the polished ones to replace the heims I'm using. As far as mikes arms go there is no aluminum used and after what I have put them through I have no fear of failure, they are quality. Being a daily driver though my main concern is just the spacers becoming part of the heims. When I had to replace one a few months ago I had a hell of a time getting them out. Looks like ~60 bucks for a set of 4 for your style and they look like they are what Rudy used on his ill fated links might actually go that route for the sway links as well.

 

[QUOTE=Airscape;748295]If you keep em lubed up the low speed stuff will go away. I was just never to happy with the way they fit to begin with so back to stock seems like a better solution for me. You think it would be worth trying to make poly copies of the OG rubber one? They do make the brackets with a grease nipple so I guess that's an option too but still ill fitting. As far as the rattle have you ruled out anything in the foam pockets (the white handle on the jack can jiggle if not in its spot) the only other rattle I have had is the latch.


I sent my old OEM set of brackets and bushings to FUBU to try and get them reproduced with some poly ones.

My latch is rattling too but only when driving over bumps, there is a TSB for that, anyone tried it? I may give it a whirl.

The side to side rattling that I can reproduce is when the car is on the ground with the tires, no jack. I am sure it is teh MikeR camber arms or sway bar links.

 

[QUOTE=JesseJamessrt6;748301]Interesting, that is one I don't have, but I have enough already so I won't complain :P if I develop it though I will let you know.

I didn't realize there was a TSB for the latch. I extended the little arms on the hatch to maximum and wrapped the latch with the fuzzy side of Velcro tape. At one point there was a plastic piece stuck down in the bottom section. It looked like it fell off of something but I couldn't figure out where to put it back so I just fished it out.