Can't handle the rod end clunks anymore ... Options

[BumpaD_Z28]

So I just returned from the Sandhills Open road challenge in Nebraska ...

The roads in Nebraska, including the two race courses, are NOT quite as nice as in Utah.

The rod end clunks / pops / bangs on my rear suspension has now become unbearable, and I would like to "fix" it / shut it up before the SCCC next month

Currently the car has

Alumunim LCA's with rod ends both sides
Aluminum PHR with rod ends both sides

I've always just went full rod end, (same setup on my 3rd gen also), BECAUSE RACECAR ! , But I'm getting older :)

OPINIONS PLEASE ! : (cost IS somewhat of a factor, too many projects!)

1. Replace all the rod ends with new FK's (anyone have part #'s ?)

2. Replace chassis side with Poly ends http://umiperformance.com/catalog/index.ph...products_id=262

3. Go to arms with some sort of "joint" / "ball" / "rotator"

4. Poly ended LCAs

~DaVe

This post has been edited by BumpaD_Z28: Aug 16 2016, 05:34 AM

[trackbird]

1. Replace all the rod ends with new FK's (anyone have part #'s ?)

I used to be able to order FK's from Hotpart for members. I can check. They were great rod ends, but they are still rod ends. I never wore a set out, but I had those on the Teal Terror so it didn't see a lot of mileage.

2. Replace chassis side with Poly ends http://umiperformance.com/catalog/index.ph...products_id=262

Those might just do the trick. I need to get back under my car and install the UMI poly/rotojoint LCA's that I have in the box. I think they will be silent with very minimal (if any) "binding". The PHB scribes an arc so the front poly "could" get a little sticky. I don't think I'll ever really see it. And the rotojoints on the rear will allow the axle to drop into a pothole on one side and still let things rotate and twist. Or that's how I'm looking at it....guess I better get back to work.

3. Go to arms with some sort of "joint" / "ball" / "rotator"

Rotojoint/rotojoint is an option. You can get a spanner wrench so you can tighten them down to adjust for wear if they start to clunk. I have a rotojoint/rotojoint PHB and it's silent so far (though a Heim/Heim PHB only adds a bit of vibration in most cases, and not clunking like the LCA's). I almost tried rotojoints on both ends of the LCA's. But my wife warned me that it better not clunk and bang and I better not make her hate this car. (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) So....safety first. (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/2thumbs.gif)

4. Poly ended LCAs[/b]

~DaVe

Poly/poly will certainly bind. I'd absolutely avoid that one.

[landstuhltaylor]

Had poly/poly and it sucked, noisy as hell. No sounds coming from the J&M LCAs so far.

[JimMueller]

I use FK Rod JMX series with the PTFE liner, specifically PN's JMX12T and JMXL12T, in my daily driver, along with these rod-end seals to extend the life.

http://www.fkrodends.com/JMXJMXL15.html
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sit-ws7500/overview/

[rocky]

I talked to Sam about this not long ago. He suggested the Roto/poly. It sounded like this is the best option for noise and movement

[79T/A]

If you want a quieter ride, I would avoid heim joints in every location except the PHB. I never really noticed an increase in NVH from a rod end PHB on an otherwise stock car. Just make sure you use a high quality heim like FK, Aurora, or QA1 and make sure the hardware is tight. Seals-It makes rod end seals, and they make rod end boots that are awesome and keep the rod end completely covered from the elements.

http://www.sealsit.com/rod-end-boots.html (Make sure to get the install tool. Trust me.)

The quietest LCA I ever used was stock with 1LE solid bushings. They perform pretty decently. I ran roto-joints in my car briefly, but I can't comment on the NVH quality because my car is spherical bearing/solid motor mount/rod end everything. It makes a lot of noise. Poly/Rod seems like the best compromise of comfort and performance.

[BumpaD_Z28]

AS an update to this I ended up ordering these:

http://umiperformance.com/catalog/index.ph...products_id=105

Poly on chassis end, rod end on axle end ...

and WOW ! WOW ! WOW !

Clunks are almost completely GONE (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) ... the other rod end / rod end arms were just plain worn out (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

Next will be the matching Poly/Rod end panhard rod and car should feel "new" again

P.S. took 3rd place in the 130 mph class at SSCC 129.9772 MPH, 0.4364 seconds late

[trackbird]

Next will be the matching Poly/Rod end panhard rod and car should feel "new" again

P.S. took 3rd place in the 130 mph class at SSCC 129.9772 MPH, 0.4364 seconds late

Just put the roto joint version on it or fresh rod ends (the PHB).

First, climb under the car and shake the phb. Really give it a good shake (or tap it with a dead blow rubber mallet) and see if it clunks. I've run Heim/Heim PHB's for years without anything more than a slight increase in vibration (but nothing objectionable, it was just enough that I could barely put my finger on it). It might just need refreshed.

The rotojoint PHB I'm running has been completely silent. I've not taken it autocrossing, but I've loaded the suspension pretty hard a few times in corners (and two pavement dips on back roads that resulted in landing "flat" on the SFCs, it was just a spot in the road where the pavement sank, but I found them at 55 mph or so). The rotojoints are still silent (and wife approved).

It really has been fun building a car that really handles well that makes no unusual noises....none.

[Honda93]

AS an update to this I ended up ordering these:

http://umiperformance.com/catalog/index.ph...products_id=105

Poly on chassis end, rod end on axle end ...

and WOW ! WOW ! WOW !

Clunks are almost completely GONE (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) ... the other rod end / rod end arms were just plain worn out (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

Next will be the matching Poly/Rod end panhard rod and car should feel "new" again

P.S. took 3rd place in the 130 mph class at SSCC 129.9772 MPH, 0.4364 seconds late

After almost a year, how are things holding up? I've been considering these or the poly/RotoJoint (2036) units. Was your decision to get traditional rod ends made out of price considerations or that rod ends are a known quantity, especially the QA1 pieces UMI uses?

[BumpaD_Z28]

AS an update to this I ended up ordering these:

http://umiperformance.com/catalog/index.ph...products_id=105

Poly on chassis end, rod end on axle end ...

and WOW ! WOW ! WOW !

Clunks are almost completely GONE (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) ... the other rod end / rod end arms were just plain worn out (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

Next will be the matching Poly/Rod end panhard rod and car should feel "new" again

P.S. took 3rd place in the 130 mph class at SSCC 129.9772 MPH, 0.4364 seconds late

After almost a year, how are things holding up? I've been considering these or the poly/RotoJoint (2036) units. Was your decision to get traditional rod ends made out of price considerations or that rod ends are a known quantity, especially the QA1 pieces UMI uses?

Well, they have held up GREAT ! ... BUT to be honest the car hasn't seen any miles, after the Sept road race it pretty much sat until "spring" then I decided to pull it down to the shortblock and do a heads / cam / intake build (which was like flushing money down the toilet, but that's another story), ... anyhow the car is running again now, but I bet the parts have less than 1000 miles on them.

I decided to get the rod ends just because I've used the rod / rod combos on other cars before this one, and initially on this car, ... I like rod ends "free movement" but once they are worn the clunking does become pretty unbearable

~DaVe

This post has been edited by BumpaD_Z28: Jul 11 2017, 01:25 PM

[ws6transam]

Hey, I just wanted to pipe up and give a thumbs-up for the UMI combination poly joint / Roto-joint setup. I've put a bit over 1000 miles on these parts and they are way quieter than the rod ended LCA / panhard rods that I took off the car. The rod ends on my old stuff are still good and tight on the LCA's, but one of the panhard rod ends had gotten sloppy. You could literally feel the rear axle moving around under the car and it was quite disconcerting. Now it's nice and tight.

Tonight I had to adjust one of the rotojoints: It had an audible clunk when we were diagnosing stuff in the shop at Drivetrain Specialties (DTS) in Warren last Wednesday. All it took to fix the clunk was a loosening of the 1/8 inch set screw, and a 1/8 turn of the optional adjuster spanner. It snugged right up! Now, on-ramps and off-ramps are fun again.

So consider me a happy customer. The car is still solid and NVH is so much better.