bora

About two weeks after the C32 bars were installed, I have a clunk noise coming from the front end of my C240.

I am presuming that something got loose progressively in two weeks time.

It is easy to reproduce. Open hood, lean on left front shock tower and push in, and "clunk-clunk".

Any comments?

Harris

JUST by reading that.....I dont think the noise is coming from the sway bars. The sway bar should be strong enough that you cant make any noise just by pushing it. I think it has to do with your shocks and/or springs.

tommy

I had a similar clunk, and it was that we hadn't tightened the bolts enough. Now tighter, now no clunking.

Since that's the most recent thing, I'd start there before checking on others.

KWiK

You need to tighten the bolt attaching the sway bar to the end link

antonio

i know when i get out of my car i hear a clunk everytime. others have said that its the e-brake engagement "feature". not sure if this is what you're looking for, but possibly a suggestion. from what i hear, its normal.

young

i lifted the car and checked all the bolts and they're as tight as they can get.

but, i will continue monitoring all the bolts for a while just to make sure.

the "open hood/press down/listen for clunk" test is much safer than lifting the car - thanks for letting me know.

bora

You are right, that was what it was, however one thing the mechanic told me has worried me. Apparently they had to drill a larger hole in the sway bar mounting bracket to accommodate the C32 end-links during the install and it looks like they over-drilled one of the holes (at least).

He told me that the rattle should not come back, but from my prior experience I know that if the hole is much larger than the bolt, the bolt will work loose again.

We shall see.

I am thinking about welding a steel washer of the correct size to the mounting bracket to ensure that the fitment is correct, any more ideas?

KWiK

I'm not clear on where the hole was drilled. Was it the end of the sway bar or the end-link mounting hole in the strut?

bora

End-link mounting hole in the strut, most unfortunately I might add.

KWiK

This would be a good excuse to upgrade struts

Someone on this board is selling some. Then the hole would be the correct size.

steve s

that would be where one of the stress points the sway bar puts down...

bora

Hi Steve

Can you please expand on this?

Bora

TNblkc230wz

There should be a rubber bushing on both sides of the hole. As long as the bushings can't pull through, it should be ok

bora

Thanks

While I get the race car prepared for my next race this weekend, I am going to pull the wheels off and take a look myself.

I should have done the job myself, just got lazy.

Worse comes to worse I may use double nuts to prevent the nuts from loosening with the vibration together with Loctite. The car is very quiet when the end links are tightened down nicely.

20FHK02

Excuse me: where is the end-link mounting hole in the strut??
When I installed the front sways there was only a hole on each end of the sway bar...

KWiK

If all you changed was the front sway, then that's the only end-link you should have touched, but the other end of that end-link is attached to the strut

20FHK02

Now I got it! It's the other end of the connecting rod to the strut. Thanks KWiK!!

steve s

the sway bar connects on side of the suspension to the other usually with some sway bar endl links. on a macpherson strut (in the volvo at least), the link is a tiny little bar that connects the strut housing to the bar. not sure about the new w203 macpherson strut. there should be something that holds the bar in place on either the suspension subframe or the chassis itself. but anyway...say when ur left suspension compresses on a right hand turn...this pushes down on the sway bar...at the connection...the bar is twisted, and acts on the extended right suspension, keeping that extended motion in check. these forces are applied at where the sways and the struts and the end links are connected...needless to say, if one of these items becomes loose, the benefits of the anti-sway bar are not totally realized...that's what i meant...hope that was useful...

here's something that may be interesting to u...previous q about anti-sway bars

bora

Thanks

I was fully aware of this, but it is a good description. I am now wishing that I had stayed with the much thinner C240 end-links vs the C32 AMG end-links which are thicker and beefier. The reason why I wanted to change is that eventually the stronger swaybar will break the weaker end-links. Of course I was not expecting the dealership mechanic to over-drill the hole.

Oh well, I will dig in and take a look at it this weekend.

bora

I think using the much thinner end-link from the non-C32 cars is asking for trouble. It will eventually snap due to the thicker sway bar.

trench

In the initial AMG sway bar/swap post there was mention of this part (which later people said wasn't necessary to change):

203-323-21-89 - Rod - $47.18 (2)

I assume that these are the linkages from the swaybar to the rest of the suspension. Do you guys think that this part you think should be changed as well? Also some people mention that things need to be drilled and others have done it with no drilling. Is it the end-link/rod connection to the strut where drilling is necessary?

- BT

PS: Does anyone know the torque values for all of these connections (to prevent putting the things on too loose)?

bora

Don't know the torque values but similar BMW suspensions are torqued between 20-30 ft*lbs.

I would upgrade the end-links with the sway bars. My car was an early 2001 model (10/2000 build date) so I am thinking the later cars may not have this problem. If you drill it, make sure you come at a straight angle which may require removal of the wheel and possibly the rotor. If you have a right angle drill that should come in handy.

As I said, I think this is an easy job, I just got lazy and asked the dealer to do it, big mistake.

At least I now have a reason to upgrade the H&R coilovers.

trench

OK, I'm sold on the rod/end-link.

Now, by problem, do you mean the need to drill? Also, I'm not exactly clear what needs drilling. Please refer to the crappy diagram below: is it the the #1 hole that needed drilling out (and in the end-link or on the strut)? Or something completely different?

Thanks, BT

PS: If you don't mind me asking, which Bay Area dealer did you have this done at?

bora

Attached to the strut body, we have a sway bar mounting bracket. that bracket has a hole for the bolt attached to the end link, apparently on my car, that hole was not large enough to
accommodate the AMG end links and hence the problem.

If you are careful enough, you should not have any problems.

avlis