FYI - noise from rear sway bar bushing
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w203cl
FYI - noise from rear sway bar bushing
I found my loud suspension noise from the rear. Both sway bar bushings with rust inside made terrible noise. I removed the rust, painted the bar and greased them with special silicon grease Energy Suspension Formula 5.
Last edited by 112233; Jul 25, 2024 at 03:31 AM.
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2003 C230K Coupe Orion Blue
I think your sway bar is actually about to break. The range of motion seems really high compared to the other side of the bushing. Did you verify thickness for the part inside the bushing?
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w203cl
Sorry, wasn't precise enough. I had a loud terrible noise driving over speed bumps, no idea where it came from, but noticed rust around the sway bar bushing. To test it, I disconnected the sway bar from the connection rods and moved the bar with my hand, that is what you see in the video.
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w203cl
I found the reason for the damaged bushing and I'm not amused. The metal bracket of the bar which is fixed with one of the 4 bolts to hold the subframe is twisted, therefore the sway bar is squeezed inside of the bushing.
I had the brake line replaced in a local repair shop 2019, they took out the subframe didn't use new bolts and made this error. During the corona panic year the workshop got broke and is gone now.
I'm not sure if I should lose the bolt, correct the bracket angle and tightening the bolt again, or go with the direction of he WIS, remove the bolt clean the threads and use a new bolt. And it seems to be not easy to remove the bolt with hand tools. Cleaning the threads with the subframe in place can be challenging too.
Does someone has an advice? Thanks!
I had the brake line replaced in a local repair shop 2019, they took out the subframe didn't use new bolts and made this error. During the corona panic year the workshop got broke and is gone now.
I'm not sure if I should lose the bolt, correct the bracket angle and tightening the bolt again, or go with the direction of he WIS, remove the bolt clean the threads and use a new bolt. And it seems to be not easy to remove the bolt with hand tools. Cleaning the threads with the subframe in place can be challenging too.
Does someone has an advice? Thanks!
Last edited by 112233; Aug 26, 2024 at 02:33 PM.
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90 VW Corrado g60, 07 New Beetle Vert triple white & 09 Escalade ESV Plat LOL!
Bummer about the disrespect for the service on the car. Swaybars are usually tightened down to two, but obviously that shop overtightened it to three ugguh duggahs.
Probably want to verify with the stealership if the bolts are torque to yield (TTY). Either way, when you go replace them have plan B in place if the bolts seize and make the car undrivable.
Probably want to verify with the stealership if the bolts are torque to yield (TTY). Either way, when you go replace them have plan B in place if the bolts seize and make the car undrivable.
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w203cl
I bought a new bolt today, it's a M12 10.9 with glue and the torque spec is 40 Nm + 90 deg. So, the resulting torque will be 170 or 200 Nm? Don't know if the bolt stretches and the guy at the counter didn't know either.
Right now I'm leaning to leave it like that and replace the bushing from time to time. The subframe is rusting anyway, it will be replaced sooner or later.
I had this soo many times with local non-manufacturer bond workshops, over torque, under torque, old bolts drowning in glue. One workshop used high strength glue on the front brake caliper bracket bolts, I had to cut them off and buy a new bracket. That was fun.
Right now I'm leaning to leave it like that and replace the bushing from time to time. The subframe is rusting anyway, it will be replaced sooner or later.
I had this soo many times with local non-manufacturer bond workshops, over torque, under torque, old bolts drowning in glue. One workshop used high strength glue on the front brake caliper bracket bolts, I had to cut them off and buy a new bracket. That was fun.
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From: SoCal
90 VW Corrado g60, 07 New Beetle Vert triple white & 09 Escalade ESV Plat LOL!
German cars are engineered for engineers or those that love a good engineering challenge.
Hello, my name is Michael and I have a problem and keep buying German cars. I thought I was getting better when buying an 09 Escalade Platinum but later found out the LED headlamps I loved on it were designed and manufactured by Hella.
The Platinum only interior was designed and built to spec by
Dräxlmaier GmbH. Oh God, I’m in deep without hope.
Hello, my name is Michael and I have a problem and keep buying German cars. I thought I was getting better when buying an 09 Escalade Platinum but later found out the LED headlamps I loved on it were designed and manufactured by Hella.
The Platinum only interior was designed and built to spec by
Dräxlmaier GmbH. Oh God, I’m in deep without hope.
