popping after Hotchkis sways
06-02-2013, 05:02 PM
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popping after Hotchkis sways Put on a set of Hotchkis sways a few weeks back and now I get a popping when going over bumps at slow speed sometimes the front sometimes the back. Checked all the end links for freedom of movement and they have about 30K on them. Does anyone have quiet sways ? Or is this the nature of the beast ?
06-02-2013, 07:34 PM
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06-03-2013, 05:02 PM
#10
front bar could be hitting the shock on one side if it's not centered, assuming the hots bars don't have stops.. links might just need tightening- check top and bottom. be sure to put the Allen wrench in there while you tighten too. they can feel tight but still have enough play to pop
06-03-2013, 05:42 PM
#11
06-04-2013, 05:28 PM
#14
as a long shot, check the top nuts on your shocks. I think they're 15 mm and the torqu spec is only 18ftlbs so don't overtighten. With the car on the ground you should be able to tighten them if loose, but take care not to let the shock rod spin and do not overtighten---you can snap them off. Since you are on stock suspension and presumably don't touch these often, there's a chance they are barely loose and the new sways are exposing this...but I still think it's the links. Stock links usually don't fail and the stories of them snapping are generally from being way too low and still running them, not from abuse.
MN_V-
you will notice them for sure...I can remember the first time I ran upgraded sways with fe2 stock suspension. I got a set of eibachs used from a forum member and got new bushings. I believe Eibachs are the least stiff of the aftermarket options, and they still made the car handle noticeably flatter. Very fun upgrade- you'll find the rear end drifting out somewhat on your normal spirited corners, so you need to take it easy first and relearn the characteristics of the car. The Eibachs also came with ES bushings, which made them even stiffer than I expected. It's definitely an 'improvement', but that is a subjective term...after a while I found myself longing to upgrade the rest of the suspension to match the newly stiffer sways...I could just tell that the suspension was not in perfect harmony like stock.. The car would sort of teeter-totter back and forth on those weak springs and until it took a set in the corner... the set comes much more abruptly whereas with the stock suspension, transition was very smooth and seamless. Kind of feels like driving on a very rigid platform but resting on the soft springs...like the road surface had been raised a bit...if that makes sense. Don't get me wrong, it's a nice upgrade, but they go much better with a bit stiffer springs and shocks.
I eventually added the 500/550 gc kit and fg2s, which made the whole package much more 'rounded', or 'matched'.. later I added 600/650 and qa1s, then rebuilt the qa1s because they sucked, then rebuilt them again into rock hard double adjustable shocks. that was a mistake- I was bouncing around like a 1992 toyota truck without suspension.
several iterations and combinations later I've regressed back to gc 500/550, stock sways, and fg2s...the roads were just beating me up. It's a nice balance and much more friendly, but not nearly as fun in the bends.
I was rambling a bit there but in summary, get them and have fun, if you don't like them there's a good market for used sways because they don't really wear out (sans bushings)...even the base cts guys will buy them so it's not an end all purchase...but be ready to go down that rabbit hole of stiffer suspension because it's addictive!!
edit:I would probably get the gc kit with 500 bucks before sways especially if you already have fairly low mile fg2s. you have fe2, looking back I'd drop the money on something like the kws and add sways second. you'll end up in the 1500-2k range very quick once you add shocks to "match" your gc kit.
MN_V-
you will notice them for sure...I can remember the first time I ran upgraded sways with fe2 stock suspension. I got a set of eibachs used from a forum member and got new bushings. I believe Eibachs are the least stiff of the aftermarket options, and they still made the car handle noticeably flatter. Very fun upgrade- you'll find the rear end drifting out somewhat on your normal spirited corners, so you need to take it easy first and relearn the characteristics of the car. The Eibachs also came with ES bushings, which made them even stiffer than I expected. It's definitely an 'improvement', but that is a subjective term...after a while I found myself longing to upgrade the rest of the suspension to match the newly stiffer sways...I could just tell that the suspension was not in perfect harmony like stock.. The car would sort of teeter-totter back and forth on those weak springs and until it took a set in the corner... the set comes much more abruptly whereas with the stock suspension, transition was very smooth and seamless. Kind of feels like driving on a very rigid platform but resting on the soft springs...like the road surface had been raised a bit...if that makes sense. Don't get me wrong, it's a nice upgrade, but they go much better with a bit stiffer springs and shocks.
I eventually added the 500/550 gc kit and fg2s, which made the whole package much more 'rounded', or 'matched'.. later I added 600/650 and qa1s, then rebuilt the qa1s because they sucked, then rebuilt them again into rock hard double adjustable shocks. that was a mistake- I was bouncing around like a 1992 toyota truck without suspension.
several iterations and combinations later I've regressed back to gc 500/550, stock sways, and fg2s...the roads were just beating me up. It's a nice balance and much more friendly, but not nearly as fun in the bends.
I was rambling a bit there but in summary, get them and have fun, if you don't like them there's a good market for used sways because they don't really wear out (sans bushings)...even the base cts guys will buy them so it's not an end all purchase...but be ready to go down that rabbit hole of stiffer suspension because it's addictive!!
edit:I would probably get the gc kit with 500 bucks before sways especially if you already have fairly low mile fg2s. you have fe2, looking back I'd drop the money on something like the kws and add sways second. you'll end up in the 1500-2k range very quick once you add shocks to "match" your gc kit.
Last edited by Cadzilla; 06-04-2013 at 07:03 PM.
06-04-2013, 06:54 PM
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Got under the car today. The sway bar has washers welded on each inside end keeping it centered. I pulled the endlinks and they still felt fine but I swapped them left to right. I will check the strut bolts after I take it for a drive.
Thanks
Thanks
06-04-2013, 07:06 PM
#17
did you tighten the sh*t out of them?
06-05-2013, 11:20 AM
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Sound appears to be gone. Must have been some in the end links. Possibly just bad orientation or I just have not been in a position yet to exercise the other side. Maybe I need to turn left out of my driveway instead of right.