View Full Version : noisy ass endlinks!!!
vegeta4ss
10-09-2005, 08:33 AM
I had a clunky noise in my suspension for months now....I finally diagnosed what it was...the upper joint in the front left stock endlink was shot.
So i replaced all the endlinks with a set of "hotchkis" ones i got from a guy in charlotte (even though hotchkis is printed nowwhere on the links themselves). It got rid of the front noise a little...now all my endlinks are making a little noise.
am i preloading the swaybar? is that this noise?
btw...i dont know how i feel bout these endlinks, they should twist seperate directions on each end...and they didn't...so in essence you just made it taller or shorter but not really any real length adjustment. Seeing as this is how they were when i was putting them on..i just set them to stock length.
if anyone can help me please let me know what i can do.
DopeCelicaGT
10-09-2005, 02:21 PM
Can you take pics of your endlinks?? I have Hotchkis endlinks and every pair I have ever had did have ball joints or whatnot that swiveled in different directions on both ends. Post pics of what you have and explain how you supposedly adjusted them back to stock length.
recneps
10-09-2005, 03:06 PM
I had a clunky noise in my suspension for months now....I finally diagnosed what it was...the upper joint in the front left stock endlink was shot.
So i replaced all the endlinks with a set of "hotchkis" ones i got from a guy in charlotte (even though hotchkis is printed nowwhere on the links themselves). It got rid of the front noise a little...now all my endlinks are making a little noise.
am i preloading the swaybar? is that this noise?
btw...i dont know how i feel bout these endlinks, they should twist seperate directions on each end...and they didn't...so in essence you just made it taller or shorter but not really any real length adjustment. Seeing as this is how they were when i was putting them on..i just set them to stock length.
if anyone can help me please let me know what i can do.
yeah post pics, i coudlnt see how you would be preloading the sway unless you were on very uneven ground.
also who did you buy it from in charlotte, if you dont mind me asking.
vegeta4ss
10-09-2005, 04:58 PM
b1mmer sold them to me off his celica.
maybe im just stupid and dont know how to work them. Anyways i will get pics tomorrow pending that i can borrow a friends camera.
Trevinous
10-09-2005, 05:43 PM
I have the same problem. Tein is out of stock on the oem end links you speak of. I have been in touch with them for a couple months. They should be sending some to the USA in a couple weeks here. I hate the noise sooo much too.
DopeCelicaGT
10-09-2005, 07:13 PM
^^^Why would you want OEM spec endlinks on a lowered car???
I have the same problem. Tein is out of stock on the oem end links you speak of. I have been in touch with them for a couple months. They should be sending some to the USA in a couple weeks here. I hate the noise sooo much too.
Explain to us how you are going back and adjusting them.
^^^that person means Tein is out of endlinks. The ones that come with thier coilovers. He/she needs to replace them due to noises associated with them.
Adjusting the endlinks is near impossible on your own with a couple of jacks.
I have adjusted the endlinks in every increment from 9 and 1/4" to a full 10" ball joint to ball joint and still haven't got it right. I think I might have seriously screwed something up running at 10". They need to be adjusted on the "ground" to preload the bar, but that's impossible in a driveway.
Tein endlinks suck because they are weak for their coilovers and they have a rounded shaft in the middle thats hard to adjust. No grip. I'm not surprise they are out of stock. I've gone through two sets.
There is a noticeable difference in how your car behaves and handles adjusting those. Tein comes preset, but what is preset about the ride height we set or our cars.
I won't even attempt adjusting the endlinks anymore. I'm going to get everything set up professionally. Not professionally installed, but set up also and that's not counting rings on the collar of the coilover per corner.
I just need to know what coilovers I'm going to be using.
This is the only way to do it.
Blue Bomber
10-10-2005, 04:30 AM
They need to be adjusted on the "ground" to preload the bar,The suspension needs to be preloaded to adjust the sway properly, not the bar. You CAN preload the bar, but only to adjust the stiffness/response of it. You first need to get it aligned correctly for it to be fully effective. Tein endlinks suck because they are weak for their coilovers and they have a rounded shaft in the middle thats hard to adjust. No grip. :werd:
vegeta4ss
10-10-2005, 07:44 AM
alignment is good i had it done as soon as i put these endlinks on.
Jesse IL
10-10-2005, 08:08 AM
The way I adjusted my rear Hotchkis endlinks was I had the car up on an alignment rack. With the car in the air, you can access all the mounting points with the wheels on the car. I simply put the bar where I wanted it and installed the endlinks so that there weas no preload. I found that my ST rear sway bar was not straight, and the adjustable links were definitely necessary. I realize nobody has access to an alignment rack (I have a friend at Just Tires) but from what I've seen, most guys who work at places like Just Tires are pretty cool and will help you out. What I'd do is pay for an alignment and take the car in with no endlinks on it. Once the alignment is done, have them install the endlinks. If you slip the guy a little money, he'll probably hook you up.
DopeCelicaGT
10-10-2005, 07:53 PM
The way I adjusted my rear Hotchkis endlinks was I had the car up on an alignment rack. With the car in the air, you can access all the mounting points with the wheels on the car. I simply put the bar where I wanted it and installed the endlinks so that there weas no preload. I found that my ST rear sway bar was not straight, and the adjustable links were definitely necessary. I realize nobody has access to an alignment rack (I have a friend at Just Tires) but from what I've seen, most guys who work at places like Just Tires are pretty cool and will help you out. What I'd do is pay for an alignment and take the car in with no endlinks on it. Once the alignment is done, have them install the endlinks. If you slip the guy a little money, he'll probably hook you up.
Ok I am majorly confused about what you guys mean when you say I installed my swaybar and made sure it was straight or whatever. What do you mean by straight? I thought they were supposed to be parallel with the ground, you know pretty level. Then someone told me that the endlinks were supposed to be parallel with the ground, which I have no idea what in the hell they are smoking as that is impossible, since the endlinks are straight up and down. Anyways I am jsut confused and something is dangerously wrong with my car. At 80 mph going around even mediocre turns on the interstate hte car starts to bob up and down out of control, it is really hard to explain but I don't feel like I have any control over the car at all. It is that bad. I don't think it is the coilovers either as they are stiff as hell, very rough IMO, rougher than the Hotchkis stuff was so then I thought well maybe I am hitting the bumpstops but it is never a hard jar on the interstate which is where it would be more likely to hit the bumpstops, so I dunno. As long as you are driving straight on the interstate at like 80 mph it is ok feels like a Cadillac but lowered. However, try to take it around a turn and it can prove to be a PITA, takes some skill to drive it right now. I dunno I have about had it with trying to figure this out. I know some of you are like, "just by something else and start over," well my problem with that is, "we are not all made of money." I have other **** to worry about than this car.
vegeta4ss
10-11-2005, 04:30 AM
ditto....
i end up spending way much more than i want in my car.
once i solve this it will be a long vacation for parts.
Jesse IL
10-11-2005, 09:37 AM
By the sway bar being straight, I mean that with the car on the ground and level, with both sides of the suspension adjusted the same, you can move the bar wherever you want and hook up one endlink. If the bar is straight (or bent corectly if you prefer that), you should be able to attach the other endlink. What you'll find is that often times, the endlink will be too short or too long, necessitating either compressing the suspension to install it, which will preload the whole thing and cause you car to no longer sit level, or adjusting the suspension so that you can attach the endlinks. With adjustable endlinks, you can properly level and corner weight the car, and then later attach the endlinks so nothing is preloaded.
If someone told you the endlinks should be parallel to the ground, they're probably thinking of a Corvette. Also, cars can ride and handle poorly if they are over-lowered. But most likely, you have too little damping and that's why the car is floaty. Running heavy wheels will make you require more damping. Also, tiers with stiff sidewalls will make the car ride like crap, which will cause most people to reduce damping in an effort to make the car ride better. On real roads (not a racetrack), you'll get the best compromise of handling and comfort running super lightweight wheels with some tires that have a nice sidewall on them.
vegeta4ss
10-12-2005, 01:38 PM
considering I bought my new endlinks used for 80 bucks, I might have gotten sold a blown set.
cliffs notes: had front clunky noise in front left suspension. Turned out to be left stock endlink upper joint. Replaced all endlinks with some i bought used. They have no name on them so i dont know what they are, just black with ball joints. Now i have same clunky noise mostly in rear...and some in the front right. So i fixed one noise and made 3 new ones.
blue bomber do you still sell your heavy duty endlinks? Im way broke right now but in a couple weeks maybe if you have a set i could purchase them.
Trevinous
10-23-2005, 12:03 AM
Yeah. I am waiting for Tein to get the end links back in stock so i can switch the whole rods oout and fix the clunking problem for good. And get it professionally installed so they can check the length and all that jazz.
Jesse IL
10-23-2005, 06:01 AM
considering I bought my new endlinks used
Well stop buying new used parts. You parts are confused and don't know what they are :chuckles:
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