DennisG01

I put a new end link on as I was getting that familiar "knocking" sound over bumps. I'm still getting the noise, though? Best I can tell (by hand) everything seems tight under there. There's really not much else under there, either, given the air suspension. What else could make that light knocking sound? Am I missing something? I guess I could have gotten a bad end link. Maybe I should swap left for right.

prktkljokr

Just read a thread before that said they solved a front end knock with some new swaybar bushes

DennisG01

Thanks - I'll look for that thread. Was it in the X164 forum?

I would never have guessed that a bushing would give that same knocking sound. Interesting. Did they say it was a similar sound to an end link?

prktkljokr

Cant remember what thread it was in, sway bar bushes are hard to diagnose though with tension on the sway bar

Max Blast

Sway bar end links. Easily diagnosed by disconnecting them on the bar side and driving slowly over a few bumps. If the bar has a croak or grind when you move it manually the bushings could be suspect, but 9/10 the end link ball joints are the culprit.

Replace both at the same time with an OEM brand - otherwise the clunk will be back in short order.

Max Blast

Gotta do both at the same time, and OEM brand - otherwise the wear isnt' evenly distributed due to different clearances and the clunk will come back quickly.

DennisG01

Well that makes sense - probably best to disconnect both end links as that eliminates the end link and the sway bar from the equation, helping to narrow down the possibilities. I'll just make sure to stay away from the "twisties" when driving!

I've heard that before - about replacing both. But I wonder if this is more "theory" or something that would only be seen in lab-type situations? I mean, the "wear" we're talking about is measured in the thousandths of inches - and there's just too many other places for that miniscule amount to be taken up/lost from right to left. Just wondering outloud on that...

dhurley

You want to replace them in pairs of the same brand because not all links are of the same internal ball/socket construction or strength. The stronger link will wear the weaker link out at an accelerated pace.

eric_in_sd

I'm gonna call BS on that one. That doesn't make any sense, short of the new link putting some sort of pre-load stress on the old one. The lesson then would be you need to loosen the side you don't replace, effectively reinstalling it.

It's a mystery to me why these things have such an insufferably short lifetime. I'm guessing it has to do with installing them with the suspension deflected, so they are pre-loaded or pre-stressed when you lower the front end back down. Something like that.

eric_in_sd

Yeah, somebody's got to get to the bottom of this. There's no good reason for these links to fail as fast as they do. I must be making some mistake in the installation.

DennisG01

I don't understand why they go so fast, either. Larger vehicles than this don't have the failure rate these do. Maybe the front end is just tightened down so much - for better handling - that they just can't survive. It does handle quite while for it's size. But, then, couldn't the end links be built "tougher"?

I'm not convinced on the "need" to be replaced in pairs, either? Plenty of info out there to support both thoughts, though. But these aren't a highly engineered product where they are that sensitive - in my opinion, anyways.

But, I just checked and I got 27K miles on the port side (where the knocking is coming from) and the starboard side is at 25K miles. If I determine that the problem is definitely a new/defective end link , I'll probably just go ahead replace the other side, too. Can't put the old one back on - had to rip the boot to hold the stud with pliers to get the nut off.

eric_in_sd

Ack! the stud didn't have a hex or torx on the end? Or flats on the shaft?!? Nothing to hold it still?

eric_in_sd

One clue there may be something going on with the physical installation: I noticed mine have considerable play in the holes the studs go through. That don't seem right.

Max Blast

i think he’s talking about internal ball and socket wear - which is also my point. Unless these joints wear evenly, the side with the largest clearances will wear at a faster pace than the side with tighter clearances. That is assuming that loads are evenly distributed.

wrt to life span of brands, I’ve had cheap chinesium parts last a week. Not doing that again.

DennisG01

It had a hole in the end of the stud for an allen wrench. Which would be fine if the nut wasn't so dang hard to remove. But the allen hole was starting to strip out.

eric_in_sd

Yeah, I guess. Maybe I'm slow, but still - I don't see why a worn socket will wear faster than a tight one. In fact, I'd think it would be the other way around.

I put in Febest. Got like a month out of one side. OEM, I got 20k miles. The ones I currently have on the shelf are Lemforder. I'm living with clunkety clunk because I can't bring myself to install something and wait for it to start clunking again.

dhurley

I think you're having an isolated issue if you're having to replace them that often. Could also simply be the roads you drive.

​Any chance the wrong length links were installed? There are long ones and short ones.

dhurley

The sway links and bar are to be considered a single mechanism in how it is designed to work. Of which, it depends on ALL components having a similar strength because wear from stress will take the path of least resistance. Its the same reasoning behind replacing springs or shocks on both sides when one side fails.

DennisG01

No luck. Disconnected the driver's side sway bar and the same sound was still there while driving around. Anti-sway bar bushings look very good - couldn't get any sound out of them by hand or by using a pry bar. HOWEVER, while I was putting it back on, and had the front end in the air, I stated pushing/pulling/racking the wheels. I found that the driver's side wheel, when grasping the wheel horizontally and pushing/pulling (basically trying to quickly "steer" the wheel back and forth) there was a very similar sound. Looking closer, the sound is coming from inside the steering rack - where the steering tie rod connects to the rack. There's also a small power steering fluid leak/seep.

eric_in_sd

Roads are normal.

I'd like to think I would have noticed a length difference! But I can be pretty retarded sometimes. I'll have to put in the Lemforders to see how they hold up. I'm inclined to install them with everything straight and level in the front end. That's about the only thing I can think I did "wrong".

eric_in_sd

I've heard of the racks making problems. Be a pal and post back with what you figure out &/or fix.

DennisG01

Will do! Might not be right away - but I will update.

Max Blast

do you now or have you ever had the ever present power steering reservoir fluid leak?

that one usually eats pumps but might have been severe or prolonged enough to cause steering rack damage. Just thinking out of the box here...that $3.50 o-ring hardens up and fluid leaks out, owner keeps pouring in more and the steering system components decay over time.

DennisG01

If the leak was there for a long time, I didn't notice it. This is the first I noticed leaking around the top of the rack. It's not like I under there every day, though, of course

dhurley

Mine was leaking from where the high pressure hoses attach to the rack but it looked like it was leaking from the drivers side tie rod boot. Replaced two green o-rings and it went away.