Weird Panhard Bar Noise..
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 878
Likes: 0
From: Lincoln, Nebraska
Weird Panhard Bar Noise.. Alright, so the sound in the rear of my car i have kind of finally figured out, but can't figure out why it does it.
Awhile back, with my stock panhard bar, i noticed kind of a tapping noise from the rear while going over any sort of bump that would get the *** end of the car going up and down. Well i thought it was the panhard bar hitting the brace above it, so i bought a new ADJ Umi one and the sound (i thought) went away. All of a sudden, that same damn sound is back. It's like a tapping clunk clunk sound. really hard to explain.
So i get under the car, and just messing around trying to locate the sound, i have one of my buddies apply pressure on the bar towards the front of the car. Sound stops, while pulling the car side to side by the spoiler. Then i have him apply the pressure towards the rear of the car, the sound i'm hearing gets 3x as bad while swaying the car back and forth than with any pressure at all. This is the weirdest stuff ever..anyone have a clue?
Awhile back, with my stock panhard bar, i noticed kind of a tapping noise from the rear while going over any sort of bump that would get the *** end of the car going up and down. Well i thought it was the panhard bar hitting the brace above it, so i bought a new ADJ Umi one and the sound (i thought) went away. All of a sudden, that same damn sound is back. It's like a tapping clunk clunk sound. really hard to explain.
So i get under the car, and just messing around trying to locate the sound, i have one of my buddies apply pressure on the bar towards the front of the car. Sound stops, while pulling the car side to side by the spoiler. Then i have him apply the pressure towards the rear of the car, the sound i'm hearing gets 3x as bad while swaying the car back and forth than with any pressure at all. This is the weirdest stuff ever..anyone have a clue?
Those metel loops can sometimes get bent or moved to a different position and end up hitting things when you go over speed bumps or anything which will cause the rear axle to travel. I had the same exact problem and it was driving me nuts, I had just changed my rear axle fluid and moved the loops around in the process and figured that to be the cause. One of the loops was lightly grazing one of the panhard "mounts" or whatever you call it everytime the rear suspension was compressed.
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 878
Likes: 0
From: Lincoln, Nebraska
Those metel loops can sometimes get bent or moved to a different position and end up hitting things when you go over speed bumps or anything which will cause the rear axle to travel. I had the same exact problem and it was driving me nuts, I had just changed my rear axle fluid and moved the loops around in the process and figured that to be the cause. One of the loops was lightly grazing one of the panhard "mounts" or whatever you call it everytime the rear suspension was compressed.
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 878
Likes: 0
From: Lincoln, Nebraska
it sounds like it's coming from somewhere by the spring on the right side, but if you touch the panhard bar you can feel the vibration every time it makes the sound. i took the whole bar out and put it back on tightened it as tight as i could possibly go and no sound change at ALL.
and i see the metal loops, they aren't touching anything
and i see the metal loops, they aren't touching anything
Teching In
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 17
Likes: 0
From: Central (Decatur) Illinois
Similar noise Mine kind of rattles when coasting around not so sharp left curve around 30mph.
I've thought about wheel bearings?, but it also sounds like a "gear" type sound. What about a bad shock?
I've thought about wheel bearings?, but it also sounds like a "gear" type sound. What about a bad shock?
Trending Topics
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 878
Likes: 0
From: Lincoln, Nebraska
Maybe this will narrow it down. I got under neath again and you can feel the vibration of the sound while shaking left and right on the car, especially when you touch the panhard bar, but as well as the brace above it. All of the bushings look good, i'm going to take that top bar out now and see if the sound is still there, and make sure i tighten it good. it seems like it makes the sound evenly across the width of the car, on both sides.
check out this video, mine sounds just like this when i shake the car back and forth like he is, only...not quite as loud..
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v2...t=MVI_0002.flv
here is another thing i found, i got under the car again and now the worst sound is no doubt coming from the wheels on BOTH sides. i then put the car in neutral with the e-brake on, and i have to shake the car 3x as hard to get it to make the sound. i'm getting a little further here, anyone have a clue?
the worst of the sound NOW, is from the wheels, no question. there is still a little sound coming from the bar but the sound in the wheels souns like the video above. earlier, before i moved my car i didn't hear anything from the wheels.
check out this video, mine sounds just like this when i shake the car back and forth like he is, only...not quite as loud..
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v2...t=MVI_0002.flv
here is another thing i found, i got under the car again and now the worst sound is no doubt coming from the wheels on BOTH sides. i then put the car in neutral with the e-brake on, and i have to shake the car 3x as hard to get it to make the sound. i'm getting a little further here, anyone have a clue?
the worst of the sound NOW, is from the wheels, no question. there is still a little sound coming from the bar but the sound in the wheels souns like the video above. earlier, before i moved my car i didn't hear anything from the wheels.
Last edited by slikrider20; Aug 18, 2008 at 07:51 PM.
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
Gas Monkey Built a 6-Wheel Ferrari Testarossa With a Corvette LT4 Engine
Verdad Gallardo
7 Most Reliable High-Performance Engines GM Has Ever Built
Verdad Gallardo
Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin
Verdad Gallardo
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo
well when i changed my rear swaybar bushings and got a umi dbl adj phb the clunking went away. but i still have some squeeking. ****'ll drive ya crazy man. i think it might be my springs. ive been livin in a hotel since april, so i cant really work on my car. well let us know when you find out what it is. good luck bro
Do you have a aftermarket rear too? The video, (I know it is not your car) sounds like it might be loose backing plates or something is loose in that area??? WHat are your aftermarket parts?
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 878
Likes: 0
From: Lincoln, Nebraska
It went away when i took the bar completely out. I think there is 2 seperate sounds, one from the wheels and one from the bar itself. It's frustrating me, i'm kind of confused about the whole deal.
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 878
Likes: 0
From: Lincoln, Nebraska
how exactly do you do that? do you have to have someone push on the side of the car or something? cause theres only one setting it's going to be on to get the bolt to fit in the hole right now.
Staging Lane
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 65
Likes: 0
From: Anchorage, AK
Well I wouldn't suggest anything that would bend brackets, its just that when I removed the hardware on my stock one, it just fell out. I then installed a Hotchkis adjustable extended about 1"-2" longer than stock and then noises went away. Im just saying that if you can get it tighter without braking anything then do it. Lifting the rear axle may give you more room to play with.
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 5,798
Likes: 16
From: St.Charles MO
Back to the noise, it doesn't sound bushing related to be, more like metal on metal or plastic.
Sounds almost like exhaust or something that is dangling down.
Brace things like the exhaust, LCA's, torque arm and swaybar while someone pushes the car back and forth to see if you can feel anything or quiet the noise. I would be tempted to take things off one by one too see if there is any difference.
Launching!
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 282
Likes: 0
From: va beach
I JUST FOUND MY NOISES LAST WEEK AFTER installing new lca's and phb from bmr trying to decrease bumps and rattles they got worse. kept shaking everything and looking to no avail. last week we got it on a lift that kept the suspension loaded and started shaking suspension parts the crush sleeves for the bushings in the lca's and phb are allowing 1/16 to 1/8 inch movement. so i call bmr they say you need to torque it down to 100 ft lbs because they supply american sleeve sizes for metric bolts. don't know if this is your problem or not but I am puuting on my new sleeves and getting them torqued down tonight. I will keep yopu informed.