Sway Bar Settings - Trying to Choose
11-23-2011 | 06:48 PM
#46
Quick Update on the CLUNKING noise:
I put the Hotchkis Sway Bars in a few weeks ago and used the as-directed torque settings (40 ft/lbs). My mechanic friend who did the install with me actually said at that time that those torque setting weren't enough, but we followed the directions anyway. Within a week, the front nuts had come loose and I was experiencing the same clunking noise that so many up here have talked about.
We put it back on the lift and I let him torque things the way he saw fit. He brought the fronts to 90 ft/lbs and the rears to 80 ft/lbs. He also used blue lock-tight.
With the old torque settings, the parts became loose after 350 miles. I've now done 1,000 miles on the new torque settings and there's no clunking noise of any kind coming from under the car.
I put the Hotchkis Sway Bars in a few weeks ago and used the as-directed torque settings (40 ft/lbs). My mechanic friend who did the install with me actually said at that time that those torque setting weren't enough, but we followed the directions anyway. Within a week, the front nuts had come loose and I was experiencing the same clunking noise that so many up here have talked about.
We put it back on the lift and I let him torque things the way he saw fit. He brought the fronts to 90 ft/lbs and the rears to 80 ft/lbs. He also used blue lock-tight.
With the old torque settings, the parts became loose after 350 miles. I've now done 1,000 miles on the new torque settings and there's no clunking noise of any kind coming from under the car.
11-28-2011 | 01:16 AM
#47
I found today that the nuts on my strut brace had backed waaaay out of spec. After re-torquing and applying loctite, the clunking has reduced significantly. I'm still gonna torque my sways past 62 ft/lbs. but I thought I'd share part of the solution to my clunking.
03-27-2017 | 04:37 PM
#49
Before I super charged mine I felt that the center setting was the most neutral. But ever since I installed the super charger I've gone with the softest setting (outer most hole) for the least amount of throttle induced over steer.
03-27-2017 | 09:03 PM
#50
Does anyone have really bad clunking with their hotchkis bars? Its been a big problem for me these last few months. I tightened up my endlinks and it was fine for a while.... now it's clunking again. Tightened it yesterday again, still clunking.
03-28-2017 | 04:48 PM
#52
Mine will clunk if the bushings need to be lubed, especially if it's been raining and they are getting wet a lot. I've started lubing them about every 5K miles and haven't had an issue with clunking since.
03-29-2017 | 11:03 AM
#54
For those of you with the clunking maybe try a marine grease or the hotchkis grease or the Energy suspension grease or red n' tacky or something that just keeps the bushing greased for longer...I was surprised at how fast some all purpose grease washed out on mine and caused clunking....I wish I could grease mine every 5k, but in the winter I can't get under the car often enough and I suspect my washing the undercarriage to get rid of salt doesn't help.
03-30-2017 | 11:53 AM
#55
I got a tube of the Hotchkis silicone based lube for my lube gun when I got the sways, so I doubt it's grease washout. It seems that the Hotchkiss sway bar bushings have very shallow grease channels so no matter how much grease you pack in there not much stays in the bushing. Of course, the bushings on my Porsche and Jeep all seem to need to be relubed every 5K to 10K miles, so that seems to be pretty normal.
03-30-2017 | 03:39 PM
#56
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Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 43
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Just got mine installed today...this is a must for anyone who bought a G37 and thought it didn't handle the way it should. Middle setting seems to be where most folks are agreeing and this is how I had them installed.
03-31-2017 | 01:04 PM
#58
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Joined: Jan 2017
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03-31-2017 | 06:30 PM
#59
Four years and 25k miles later, and it's been working out fine. Once a year seems plenty of maintenance for this. And I've got lots of grease left in that little tub.
The Eibach bushings are also ribbed. Heck, they're probably the same ones.
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2GoRNot2G (04-04-2017)
04-04-2017 | 11:40 AM
#60
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Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 43
Likes: 2
I've been using an small 8oz tub of Pre-lube Grease from Energy Suspension that I bought four years ago for the Eibach swaybars. At least once at year I'm at my mechanic for some kind of mod, and I always have him take down the bushings, clean and re-grease. Easy enough with the car up on a lift. Even easier, because I'm not actually doing it, LOL.
Four years and 25k miles later, and it's been working out fine. Once a year seems plenty of maintenance for this. And I've got lots of grease left in that little tub.
The Eibach bushings are also ribbed. Heck, they're probably the same ones.
Four years and 25k miles later, and it's been working out fine. Once a year seems plenty of maintenance for this. And I've got lots of grease left in that little tub.
The Eibach bushings are also ribbed. Heck, they're probably the same ones.
The Hotchkiss bracket have a service nipple (I know there is a better name for this but don't know it off hand) so that you can grease without removal.