front swaybar rattle

[Christien]

I installed a swaybar last summer (through the body type). Everything went fine and the car drives fine (much better, actually) but it rattles going over any kind of bump, particular one wheel at a time (like pulling in the driveway). I've just lived with it for now, but today changing brake pads I had a closer look at it. It's got a tiny, tiny bit of lateral play - if I pull on it I can slide it in and out, maybe 1/2 a mm. (car is elevated to change the pads - I wouldn't be able to do this with it on the ground I doubt).

Anyway, is this anything I should be concerned about? If so, how can I fix it? Looking at it I can see how it could be fixed. It's a weltmeister 22mm. To be clear, there's no squeaking or anything like that - it's for sure a rattle, and I'm 99% sure it's due to this small bit of lateral play.

If it's fine and not putting any undue stress on the bar, I can live with the rattle - it's annoying, but not the end of the world.

Thanks.

[al lkosmal]

I have the same issue with my newly installed 19mm through the body sway. Not bad, but a bit annoying. I suspect that the drop links and/or the through body bushing/plate are preloaded at rest and become momentarily unloaded, then loaded again, while hitting bumps. If there is any play, I expect that this will be the cause of the rattle(s). I am going to put mine up on jacks today and check it out.

Regards,
al

[kfosburg]

Have had the same problem on my 71 for a year or so. I tightened up the drop link bolts once and it helped temporarily, but I think the spherical rod ends need totally replaced. That's my suspicion.

Karl

[Christien]

Mine rattled from brand new, so if it's fixable, it would be an installation issue, not a wear issue.

[stownsen914]

Check to see if there is any side to side play where the sway bar goes through the chassis. Lateral play here can cause noise when you go over bumps, etc. You should be able to tighten it up by loosening one of the radius arms, taking up any lateral slack, and retightening the radius arm.

Scott

[Christien]

That's exactly what the problem is, but if memory serves, the ends of the bars are shaped and stopped so that the radial arms can only go so far. I've have a closer look, though.

[stownsen914]

Ahh, I did not read the original post carefully. See if you can get some spacers to take up the slack somehow. Aside from making the annoying noise, that lateral movement can create slack in your suspension just as a loose drop link or other loose part would. i.e. when the car leans, the first response will be for the sway bar to shift to take up the slack due to the lateral movement, and only then begin to really act like a sway bar.

[Rich Lambert]

I just fixed this in my car last night. It looks like the constantly moving bar had hogged out the passenger side bushing just enough to allow a small bit of movement, but when I hit a bump in the road it sounded like something was seriously broken. I just put some different bushings in.

If your problem is side to side movement, can't you just loosen one of the pinch bolts and slide the arm in a little?