Fixed the annoying swaybar squeek!!

[bit]

Hi Guys.

You may recall that I upgraded my brakes and suspension this year (here's a refresher 2005 Winter projects done - Suspension and Brakes w/ Results (long)) .

Everything is great, but the car immediately developed a squeek in from the front swaybar. I first thot I could tolerate it, but nope, it was like a root canal after a while, completly noticable on both sides of the car at speeds less that 50km, all the time.

So firstly I though I could just take the swaybar apart and lube everything with rubber grease. Don't even bother guys, this only fixed the problem for a whole 24hrs. The next morning the squeek was back with a vengence (tho the noise did go away for a day).

So my pal Stu finally gave me better droplinks that no longer use rubber droplink bushings, but the eyeball joints. These were well worn so my dad took them to his machine shop at work and found me some new eyeball joints an made some spacers so that they would exactly fit the torque arm and U-tab widths.

I'm glad to say that the problems are now completely gone, plus the car feeels a bit stiffer since there is no more play in the rubber! Awesome!

Here's some pics of the old and new droplinks;

Take care,

.Steven
1980 911SC

Old droplinks





New better droplinks

[bigchillcar]

good show! if you start to hear squeaks again..this time i'd have to vote 'mouse'..
ryan

[911pcars]

Your father might want to consider manufacturing these. WM also sells a similar setup at around $90 a pair. You might do them better by providing higher quality rod ends (aka Heim joint; eyeball joint, your term).

BTW, I've got the same H&H front sway bar setup (from your visible SB arms). I have their optional "eyeball-ended" drop links (same as yours except male threaded stud and female rod ends).

Regards,
Sherwood

[fastpat]

I've this symptom and it's true, it won't go away with lube. I used silicone spray lube, it lasted about four days, now the noise is the same. My front sway-bar is stock as are the four bushings. I can't believe the car made this much noise when new, so will new bushings be the cure?

[bit]

Hi guys,

Fastpat, I believe that your only solution is to get different droplinks that don't use those four crappy rubber bushings that squeek to no end. If they are anything like my original ones shown above, this is the only option. The squeeks will never go away otherwise. You may want to find the Weltmiester version of the droplinks that 911pcars was suggesting

911pcars, what is an H&H front sway bar? First I've heard it called this. I was told that the 22mm swaybar, torque arm and original droplinks where all removed from an old 914, and I could never figure out what brand they are, or if they are an old factory setup. I bolted and welded the WM traingle plates and WM Utabs for this setup and everything seems to fit nicely. More like I have a bastardo setup of a front swaybar if you ask me. Works good tho. Total cost for the entire setup was about $500 Cdn ($375 USD). Good price?

Cheers,

.Steven
1980 911SC

[911pcars]

".... and I could never figure out what brand they are, or if they are an old factory setup."

Steven,
Well, I might have jumped to that conclusion based on the sway bar arms you have (H&H Specialties). No longer produced, but the arms clamp around the stock square-ended factory and other aftermarket bars with no problem.

H&H used SAE-sized-sized sway bars. Mine are approx. 13/16" (.8125"/approx. 20.6 mm). Their "22mm" bar is actually 7/8" (.875"). If you can measure them, that'll reveal if they're factory or not.

The drop links you removed look like H&H which are similar to the factory drop links. I have an original H&H product catalog ('92) that provides equiv. sway bar rates when using the different attachments holes. If you want a copy, contact me.

Sherwood