WARPNOVA

iTrader: (3)

I bought this a while back to go with my new rear end and to help center my new bigger meats that I now have hanging out back. It replaced a reinforced SLP nonadjustable. I have no complaints with the quality of the bar or how solid it made the car.

However I am wondering why the rod ends themselves have developed so much end play that you can grab my cars wing and shack it back and forth and it sounds like clink, clink, clink, clink, and so on. What is even worse is when you take it on the street and you go over a bumpy patch or rough section of road it sounds like my car is falling apart. It is really embarrassing when others are in the car and hear it, they think something is broke.

The bar doesn’t even have 800 miles on it and no track time drag or auto x. When I am under the car while having someone shake it back and forth via the wing I can feel the inner ball moving inside the outer ring. And just so everyone knows I did check the jam nuts and everything is tight and the there is absolutely no binding at either rod end. I used a rod end lube that I bought locally and so everything was well maintained.

Is this normal for this bar or are the rod ends defective as there is enough play in them you can feel it with your fingers on it, while shaking back and forth. I haven’t abused them by hitting anything or taking hard turns as I have been breaking my rear in and getting the car ready to do the engine. While I admit KC doesn’t have the best roads I usually avoid pot holes and whatever else is out there.

Is this something for me to take up with UMI, replace the rod ends, or just junk it as a not so go part to have gotten? I have heard that these types of panhard bars do make some noise but this seams excessive to me especially with as little use as it has.

CranMaro99

iTrader: (10)

I hope the one I just ordered doesn't do that...

71c10AZ

I have the same problem. Everyone thinks my car is falling apart when they ride with me. I have UMI double adjustable lower control arms and panhard bar. It's annoying, and I'm sure someone will pipe-in here and tell you to "turn up the radio" so you can't hear it. I've done that for a while, and it's difficult to deal with. I'm almost thinking about going to non-adjustable polyurethane-based suspension.

WARPNOVA

iTrader: (3)

If it has two rod ends then you will be very upset with it. I might try the poly/rod end combo but even then I wonder how bad that would be. I was wondering if there were different rod ends that I could use to replace these but I wish UMI would have made it slightly more apparent on their website that this noise existed. I understood that there would be more road noise but not this loud knocking noise. I guess I will have to try and sell it but how do I tell someone why I am getting ride of it without making the bar sound like junk. I honestly don't feel UMI stuff is bad as I have lots of their stuff on my car but this just can’t stay.

sroach20

iTrader: (31)

ive got the double adj. poly/rod and no noise.

CranMaro99

iTrader: (10)

Mine is poly/rod. Let's hope for the best.

Black02SLPSS

iTrader: (5)

Mine will be rod rod once it gets here

MeentSS02

iTrader: (11)

Sadly, that has been my experience with any type of rod end. Now, they usually take a little longer than 800 miles to start rattling, but that is going to depend on the road conditions.

IMO, this has everything to do with the fact that you chose rod-ended components. Some people don't believe me when I tell them that they will rattle. Not everyone has the same sensitivity to the noise either...

UMI Performance

iTrader: (77)

A few things to check out that may help...

Double check the bolts first. When you installed the new rear end did you use the factory bolts? If you change bolt sizes and drop to a smaller diameter bolt (which a lot of people do) this will cause movement and slop. The factory bolt is a 14mm shank that drops to a 12mm thread... many people replace this with a 1/2" bolt and cause issues like this. Also on aftermarket rear ends we have seen the panhard bar and lower control arm holes way to large, this will also cause movement. Make sure the bolts are tight, 90 ft lbs with the suspension loaded.

Silver99Z28

iTrader: (1)

Hello Ryan,

one question: I do have your poly/rod-combo LCA's and PHB on my car. When I was installing them, there was a professional mechanic who told me, it would not be necessary to torque it down with the car's weight on the suspension, so I did it with the car on the lift and rear hanging.

A few months later, the car developed this clunking noise from the rear an when I inspected it, I found out, that there was a continious lateral (sidways) load on the lca's rod ends.
I think this is because the rear was not exactly centered when it was hanging down.

Is it possible that this mistake could ruin the rod-ends and poly-bushings?

MY second set of rod ends, mounted with the car's weight on the suspension are still working...

Thank you, Holger

cjb

Maybe you are on to something there. A senior tech adviser at Volkswagen told me that (always check manuals) all suspension parts with bushings should be tighten with the car resting on it´s wheels. He mention that if not, you could build up tension and stress in parts with abnormal wear as result. He also told me that it could have negative effect on handling and when dialing in the alignment of the car.

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

I use a DA PHB from Ryan on my car, and it's what I include in most of my handling packages because they have the least deflection. Mine doesn't make any kind of racket. The fact is the rod-ends are bearings that are basically metal on metal with a small liner in between. Doesn't take much play (a few thousandths) to make a little noise. But it doesn't always happen, and I take issue with anyone intimating that anyone with a double adjust PHB will hate it.

Frankly if you are super worried about noise then you should be running a single adjust poly/rod type so the bushing mounts to the body and isolates any potential rod end noise. I tell all my customers that, and if they want, they can substitute different PHB's in my packages--they just need to let me know.

WARPNOVA

iTrader: (3)

Thank you for chiming in sir. I have triple checked all bolts as I have made it a regular routine giving that I have a Mosier rear end that uses the four bolts to attach the torque arm which I was told have a tendency to come loose unless check occasionally. All bolts are tight and torqued to the spec’s that came with the instructions sheet which I believe was the 90 you mentioned. Stock mounting bolts were used as I noticed the size factor. The rear ends bolt holes were almost a little too tight but after removing the paint in the holes all bolts fit perfectly tight. And all of my suspension components were tightened with the car under its own load. The play itself can actually be felt by your fingers in the eye and loop part of the rod end while shacking the car back and forth. My car has P305/35/R18 Nitto 555R II extremes on it which is why I needed an adjustable bar to keep them from rubbing. I do live in KC where the roads aren’t the greatest but I only have 800 to a max of a 1000 miles on this bar and rear end. No hard driving either track or street as it took 500 miles to break in the rear end and then I took it on a highway trip down to the Ozarks to visit some of the wife’s family. On the highway where the road it smoother with just an occasional big bump it doesn’t bother me but in town where you get rough patches and what not it rattles bad. I guess what surprises me is how quickly they started rattling this bad giving how little millage and easy use they have gotten. If I was feeling better I would go down with my camera and record the sound and movement but I have this dam flu. I will try to this weekend if I can so maybe you can tell me if mine looks and sound normal.

WARPNOVA

iTrader: (3)

Because you use this very bar is the reason I have it Sam, not that this matters but I believe I bought the bar from you, but please don’t quote me on that as I could of gotten it from UMI themselves, I can’t find my invoice. I have gotten almost all of my cars suspension from you including my UMI C5 brake kit, which your lovely mom helped me get customized. I got my Koni shocks and setup info from you and I hope real soon to get my new sway bars from you. I have had all my buddies buy their parts including my friend who you called just this week to tell hem he got the last pair of koni’s. So I respect your input and help greatly sir I am not trying to bad mouth UMI one bit or you. So please don’t take anything that I am saying personal. I don’t hate this bar and don’t necessarily think others will either but I feel people will be slightly upset with the noise if it is anywhere near as bad as mine, given I haven’t even abused mine and I am also running a SLP loudmouth exhaust with long tubes and it can still be heard over it. The amount of play is hard to say but it is enough that it can be felt with just you fingers on both rod ends. I am just wanting some input and help figuring out what I can do to improve this even if it means getting a different UMI panhard bar with a poly\rod end combo or if there is something that I can do differently with the one I have. I only want some help even if that means you having to sell me a new panhard bar while I move this one down the road to someone who it won’t bother.

Detoxx03

iTrader: (14)

I had the same problem but all it took was to tighten it up and no noise

Fast_94_Z

iTrader: (12)

havent had a noise issue yet but if your worried then the poly rod end combo is ideal.

WARPNOVA

iTrader: (3)

I wish mine was this way but everything is completely tight under mine.

I will most likely end up selling my bar and getting a UMI adjustable poly\rod combo bar to try.

cpd004

iTrader: (13)

I read this somewhere else and have been tossing around which to get. I can't remember which site, but there was definitely mention of rod ends wearing out quickly. I don't plan on autocrossing, but if mine was making noise after only 800 miles, I'd be p!ssed! Is it possible UMI got a bad batch of ends? Are they maybe from a different source and possibly inferior? I'd be willing to pay a little extra for a HIGH quality end so as not to have to deal with the problem. We need more people in here with UMI to chime in and say wether they had good or bad experiences.

UMI Performance

iTrader: (77)

We use only and have only ever used QA1 Endura series rod ends, they are one of the highest quality rod ends available in the market.

Anytime you replace a rubber mount or bushing with a solid bushing such as a rod end road noise and harshness can increase. Some peoples opinion on road noise is different then others so it makes to tough to determine what is acceptable and what is not. But for supplying customers 300+ rod ends every month for the past few years the complaints have been very very minimal. I run rod ended components and it does not bother me.. but thats me, others may be different. We make a few different combinations of set-ups for more street type cars with poly bushings.

I hope that helps,
Ryan

SOMbitch

iTrader: (8)

UMI double rod here 3500 miles no complaints!