Steeda Front Sway Bar! It is awesome. Transforms the car into what it should be.

[21st Century Pony]

Ok, I understand a bit more. I have no slop in the bar to bushing or the bushing in the bracket. They are very tight and there is no movement in the bar whatsoever. Maybe the bar can slide a bit horizontally but I certainly cannot move it by hand and if and when it does move while driving, there is no noise. Maybe Steeda hasn't been consistent in sending out the same bushings and brackets with these bars?

...or inconsistent in low volume manufacture QA? ...as in, welding the bushing stop washers in exactly the same spot?

Quality might be hard to consistently achieve, if the entire job batch is a small run (QA samples and all that...).

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[azerik]

...or inconsistent in low volume manufacture QA? ...as in, welding the bushing stop washers in exactly the same spot?

Quality might be hard to consistently achieve, if the entire job batch is a small run (QA samples and all that...).

Which they admitted to previously, that the washers might be welded in the wrong spot (and they've had to replace bars) but that 'a little' side to side play is correct. I guess I'll open up another ticket and see if it gets anywhere. My rear does it every so often but nothing like the front.

 

[tuminatr]

They look the same to me, just the bracket is black and not gold.

Mark I think along with where the washers are welded on the the bar it's also the height of the bushing bracket. I have an obvious gap in the bushing on mine. I think that's caused by the bracket being taller than the bushing by about 1/8th of an inch. Allowing the bar to move around inside the bushing up and down. The noise I get once I installed the bar stops on the inside, is a low pitch clunk. Like the bar or bushing moving vertically. The really crappy thing is my CanAM had the exact same bushings with the exact same issue (but I had caused it by shaving the bushing down a bit as the clamp on the CanAM was actually short. I shimmed it from under the bushing in order to stop it's clanking. But that swaybar has the washers welded against the bushing. I have at least 1/4 to 3/8ths of an inch gap on the Steeda. Sadly I tossed my shim material last week during a toolbox move. When I get back into town I'll have to start going that route, or get new bushings. I've kept an eye on all contact points and nothing seems to hit anymore. The odd thing is I can get the exact same noise at 5mph as I can at 70 when hitting cracks.

Is it possible that you were accidentally shipped a 1 1/8 or 1 1/4 bushing and it's allowing the bar to move around?

 

[markboris]

Just to reiterate, all three front bars I have installed had very tight bushings around the bar and the bracket was very tight around the bushing. Absolutely no vertical movement at all.

 

[azerik]

Is it possible that you were accidentally shipped a 1 1/8 or 1 1/4 bushing and it's allowing the bar to move around?

This is quite possible. Or where the bushing had worn off the powedercoating it might be 1/8th thinner now. With the ends unbolted I can move the bar around with a pinky. There's no tension to speak of.

 

[tuminatr]

This is quite possible. Or where the bushing had worn off the powedercoating it might be 1/8th thinner now. With the ends unbolted I can move the bar around with a pinky. There's no tension to speak of.

I can see that in your photos there is a gap. Pardon the MS paint but see the arrow. I also attached a picture of my passenger side with no gap and bushing tight against the bar stop

If it were mine I would go to Orileys and buy an energy suspension 1' sway bar mount and remove the bar mounts to compare. If the installed bushings are bigger replace them. I would also see if I could push out the bushing mounts to fill the gap between the welded washer/stop and the bushing.

 

[azerik]

Yeah there's no way the bushing can come remotely close to those washers, They're over as far as i could move them. I had rubber washers slipped in there previously and it helped a little, the sway bar clamps help a ton as the bar would walk over to one side then every little thing caused a clunk.
I didn't think about the bushings being local at a normal autoparts store but I'll give them a try. if not I might get lucky at SDHQ. I'm going to shoot a mail off to Steeda with these pics and see if it gets anywhere.

 

[tuminatr]

Yeah there's no way the bushing can come remotely close to those washers, They're over as far as i could move them. I had rubber washers slipped in there previously and it helped a little, the sway bar clamps help a ton as the bar would walk over to one side then every little thing caused a clunk.
I didn't think about the bushings being local at a normal autoparts store but I'll give them a try. if not I might get lucky at SDHQ. I'm going to shoot a mail off to Steeda with these pics and see if it gets anywhere.

I did look and where I live O'Reilly's Auto parts stocks them they're also available on Amazon for like 25 bucks

Amazon Link, and double-check that these bars are 1"

Greesable
https://www.amazon.com/Energy-Suspension-9-5161G-SWAY-BUSHING/dp/B000CNB4U0/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2ZTXM7POSQ9II&keywords=energy+suspention+1"+sway+bar+bushing&qid=1686333304&sprefix=energy+suspention+1+sway+bar+bushing,aps,138&sr=8-1

non greaseable (this is what came with my rear kit)
https://www.amazon.com/Energy-Suspension-9-5110R-Stabilizer-Bushing/dp/B000CNB4A0/ref=sr_1_16?crid=HDPSN8JKCC8Y&keywords=energy+suspention+1"+sway+bar+bushing+non+greasable&qid=1686345452&sprefix=energy+suspention+1+sway+bar+bushing+non+greasable,aps,150&sr=8-16

 

[markboris]

Brian, looks like you are using the same bushing lube that I used on my bar installs....

With the ends unbolted I can move the bar around with a pinky. There's no tension to speak of.

It sure sounds like your bushings are too large for the bar.

 

[tuminatr]

Brian, looks like you are using the same bushing lube that I used on my bar installs....


It sure sounds like your bushings are too large for the bar.

Yes, I got the lube from your recommendation that stuff is slippery as heck in a good way

 

[markboris]

Yes, I got the lube from your recommendation that stuff is slippery as heck in a good way

The main reason I use it is you only have to grease it once. That stuff lasts a long time and never washes away.

 

[mkhuffman]

I have never noticed the front clunk when driving at speed, just slow maneuvering in parking lots with dips and bumps.

 

[Tbebbs]

Please email me at [email protected] with any concerns or issues you are experiencing. Please provide your name, order number, issues you are experiencing and I'll direct these to our internal team.

Thank you,

Tim

 

[markboris]

Thought I would post some photos of what a front Steeda sway bar looks like when it's installed upside down.

I was working on a member's car fixing the noise he was getting from the Koni rear shocks (adding a washer/spacer to the lower mounts fixed it) when he was telling me he sometimes would get a clunking noise in the front end. He mentioned to me that the shop that installed the Steeda front bar had to lengthen the end links 1" more than Steeda's recommendation. I thought that to be strange then after looking at the install, noticed it was upside down. He is going back to have them reverse the bar and set the end links properly.

The clean photos are his ('23 Rte One), while mine are the dirty ones ('21 GT). You can easily see how the ends of his bars are pointing down while mine are going up. You can also see where his bars have been contacting the half shaft above it. All of these photos are taken at static height.

 

[npgeorgeuw]

I’m one of those people who has been having half shaft contact as well and have had to extend my endlinks even in a confirmed and properly oriented/ installed bar. The only thing that helped my clunking was to whack the bushing clamps so that they close significantly tighter around the bar. Unfortunately I’m still dealing with worn ball joints and torn grease boots and can see there is a ride height or geometry issue still at play I’m just not sure what the cause is. Although I love the performance of the bar it has been a total and utter headache due to halfshaft contact, clunking, torn grease boots and who knows what else is to come. There’s something wrong with it I’m just not sure if it’s the design, my car (doubtful) or a bad batch of clamps or deformed bars.

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