Ride Tech heim joints noisy with four link

[brownz]

When I say shutter I guess I'm trying to say that the ball will not move freely and is very stuff. It is not loose in the socket but will not rotate freely and when you try to move it will feel as if it has detents on it. The noise is not a clunk sound like its loose but more of a creak noise.

[72BBSwinger]

I vote for checking for bind, the thing needs to move freely unfortunately you need to undo the coilovers and cycle it bump to bump to check it.

[brownz]

I get the noise off the slightest movement of the rear. I don't think binding is the issue. I ran it through complete travel when I replaced the uppers. I wish ride tech was close I would just take the car to them... You can simply pull up on the rear quarter and hear the noise. If the lower links move at all you hear the creaking

[Bryce]

Can you take a video to capture the sound.

[brownz]

I might give that a shot

[GeoffP]

Brandon, my car makes no noise at all if I compress the suspension by hand. I would have to say that it really sounds like to me that at least one link has either positive or negative preload (over extension or over compression). Loosen the adjusting nuts on each link - you can check preload by screwing the links in and out. You will feel resistance as the link gets loaded under extension and compression. Then try to get the link centered between the two - just be careful not to move your pinion angle or axle center if you already have them set. I'm going to shut up now and read along as this is pretty much all I have to offer as I'm no suspension expert.

[brownz]

I have a video of the noise just need to upload it. I also found out that ride tech used a different manufacture for the left hand thread Heinz up until a month ago. Still not sure if this is the issue but I will be taking my car apart in the next couple days so we can get to the bottom if this.

Brit and Darren have been great with helping me with this and the communication. I'm sure we will figure out the issue. I will get the video up tonight. It defiantly show the noise talking about

[brownz]

http://s224.photobucket.com/user/bro...9a272.mp4.html


I took this video of the noise. this is with slight suspension movement. Imagine it when driving it on the road

[GeoffP]

Mine doesn't do that - I drove it last night. I do get a little noise that sounds similar but only going down the road and not nearly as pronounced. I'm going to guess that one of the links has preload in it causing that link or multiple links to bind.

[GeoffP]

Any new news on this Brandon?

BTW, I just found a post on Lat-g that said the new slug cross shafts aren't retrofittable because the Strong Arms for F-body's are being redesigned. I don't know if the 2nd gen arms are being redesigned too but I suspect they will eventually. I'm disappointed because I wanted slug cross shafts but thought there was significant enough caster in the fixed cross shafts to get that ever elusive +5 or greater caster setting (ridetech's spec suggests 4-7 positive). My car just barely got 4 positive and there's a huge stack of shims on the rear mount on each side (one more than the other). I think I would've waited on the uppers had I known they were completely revising them because I do not like rubber bushings for a performance application like what I intended for my car. I'm not saying this to say my car didn't have a dramatic improvement because it did. I just feel like I missed out on that "just a little more" that I wanted by buying a full matched kit. Sorry for the short hijack - I'll shut up now!

[72BBSwinger]

That is metal to metal man. That aint no squeak or creak, something is either loose or kissing something else.

[Bryce]

sounds like slop in the bolts or rod ends.

[brownz]

That is metal to metal man. That aint no squeak or creak, something is either loose or kissing something else.

If I spray the joints with dry lube they stop making the noise. I have looked at everything nothing is rubbing,

I have new links that ride tech sent me and I hop to have them in soon. I have been crazy busy with other project ( house, side jobs ) to get to it. But I will update this thread when I do. Plus I will be in contact with ride tech.

[Red67Mustang]

IMHO; The noise is coming from the slightest movement of the ball overcoming the stiction (the frictional force to be overcome to set one object in motion when it is in contact with another) with the race. This comes from joints with excessive preload on the ball by the race. It has nothing to do with your rods and how they are built. The noise is amplified if the offending rod end(s) are mounted on the chassis side versus the axle side. You could try bench testing for excessive stiction and then use the best joints you have on the chassis connection points. That should help the noise but not eliminate the issue. I've not yet found a great long term solution, but in my case I'm considering greasing the races by removing the offending joints, rotating the ball to where I can apply some bearing grease directly to the race w/ my finger then reinstall. Always open to better ideas how to lube a rod end.

I'll do this once I have nothing else to do...