I installed and ATR sway bay with Hotchkiss lowers and....

[Sweet6]

When turning over curbs I hear a big clunk. The rear suspension parts are tight. I was thinking it might be the exhaust banging, but I have not found anything to prove it yet. Has anybody else had this happen or have any suggestions?

TIA

 

[Boston GN]

Steve,
How tight did the bar fit? Sounds like it may be binding with the LCAs and pushing them out.
Common problem with the ATR bar. Might have to grind it down a little.
Good luck

 

[Sweet6]

I will check on that. The only thing is that it sounds like it is coming from the middle to front of the car. But it is hard to say. I need to spend some time on it.

How is everything with the car coming along?

 

[V6UnderPressure]

Would the ATR bar be off really that much? Even if it is binding a little bit, wouldnt the poly bushings in the control arm give a little? Just a thought as I too am going with the same setup, have the atr bar, have yet to install it.

Scott

 

[Sweet6]

I do not think it is. You might need to grind a little. I think my problem is something else that is lose. I am guessing I have an exhaust issue. I would not fret installing that bar.

 

[BoostKillsStres]

Its probably just the ATR bar shifting slightly on the LCA's. I've got my ATR bolts at tight as I'd want to get them with a little red locktite on the end of the threads to prevent backing off and the bar will still make a clunk sound when I pull into the driveway which is up hill and off angle from the street and it tries to twist the car. I figure the bar is just shifting on its bolts as they dont fill the holes in the bar.

 

[DCVING 6]

Originally posted by Sweet6
I will check on that. The only thing is that it sounds like it is coming from the middle to front of the car. But it is hard to say. I need to spend some time on it.

How is everything with the car coming along?

I get the same thing in my dad's 1997 Crown Victoria. It's only when I cut the wheel all the way in one direction. Been driving me nuts.

 

[arista5]

well i had the same noise a while back, this is what fixed it....

when you put the sway bar on i am guessing you did it off the ground, that was my mistake, it needs a load on it, if you have ramps back it on then tighten the swaybar, it needs to be tightend with the load on rather than off.

 

[WakkoSS]

Reference the '97 Crown Vic....there's a metal stop on the control arms. When you've got the steering turned at the lock and the suspension moves at all, it'll make that horrible clunk. People always stare when I make a hard U Turn in my '99 and it makes that noise. They think the engine's gonna fall out.

 

[49-blues]

it culd be your transmission mount now that the rear is tighter and maybe be loose.also when you tighten down the lower control arm mounts -it has to be on a loaded condition.in other words back the car up on a set of floor rams and break loose the bolts and then torque them while the car has a load on it. not on jack stands.

 

[NJTurbo]

Originally posted by WakkoSS
Reference the '97 Crown Vic....there's a metal stop on the control arms. When you've got the steering turned at the lock and the suspension moves at all, it'll make that horrible clunk. People always stare when I make a hard U Turn in my '99 and it makes that noise. They think the engine's gonna fall out.

Bingo. Lube the stoppers and that noise will go away on the CVIC. We see them all day at my Ford dealership.

 

[Sweet6]

Originally posted by arista5
well i had the same noise a while back, this is what fixed it....

when you put the sway bar on i am guessing you did it off the ground, that was my mistake, it needs a load on it, if you have ramps back it on then tighten the swaybar, it needs to be tightend with the load on rather than off.

I will try this. I had a shop install the uppers, lowers, and sway bar. I am positive they tightened the bolts while it was in the air.

Thanks for the help

 

[GNVAIR]

Best thing to do when installing an ATR rear sway bar is to throw away the stainless steel bolts as they are way too soft.
Get yourself some Grade 8 or Grade 10 steel bolts. This will allow you to make them tighter. I learned the hard way with my ATR rear bar when it sheared some of the bolts right under the nuts.

 

[Sweet6]

I ended up fixing this problem. Took about 5 minutes. All I did was tighten the bolts while the car was on the gound. One of the bolts was pretty loose. The others were pretty tight. I maybe tuned them an additional quarter turn.

Thanks for the help guys

 

[d0n_3d]

you know what's funny...i just installed my atr bar and hrpartsnstuff lowers and i did it all while the car was up in the air on jack stands...tightened the hell out of all bolts...even retightned the sway bar when i put it back on the ground to double check...i don't get a noise when making hard turns...

 

[GNVAIR]

The Stainless bolts seem loose because they will stretch and then snap. You will most likely have the same problem again if you dont change the bolts.

 

[Sweet6]

The shop that installed mine used steel bolts. The problem was the shop tightened the bolts while the car was in the air and not while it was on the ground. I will keep an ear open though.


Thanks for the help

 

[CHARGED]

Having the same problem as most of you with the ATR bar and H&R control arms, but I thought I grinded enough off to stop it from happening. Sounds like something popped out of a socket. I tightend mine while it was up on the lift also, so I will try the tighten it on the ground.

 

[GNVAIR]

Your best bet is to jack up the car and set some large blocks under the back wheels. Lower the car. Loosen the sway bar bolts and then bounce the suspension to get it to settle. Then tighten the bolts. You should also leave the bolts on the control arms loose when installing new rear bushings until the suspension is settled and then tighten them when the suspension is loaded. This is so that the control arms are locked in to the proper spot. The polyurethane bushings shouldnt be as critical since they dont usually have the serrations on the inner steel sleeve that the rubber bushings have.