I have noticed with the Powell XXX rear sway bar that the rear seems to clunk over bumps. Seems to happen at slower speeds just drining around town over bumps in the road. Kinda makes a pop/clunk, not metal on metal ting sound though. Just wanted to see if anyone else has the same issue cause im not seeing any worn out bushings or loose bolts.

milwaukee scca event 2 6-17 - YouTube

Video from the weekend! The cobalt felt amazing, ended up taking the win in F by .9 of a second. A lot considering the guy i beat is the same one i only won by .056 at the lincoln tour. Still feel like there was some time left out there though.

Lovin the cobalt

 

Good driving man! That course looked really fun. Sorry but I can't help out with the rear clunk, I have the hardcore bar and don't experience it. But question; what is the F class? Is it one of the street tire classes?

 

I've got a similar sound. It only happens at slower speeds where the suspension actuates a decent amount, like entering a driveway at an angle or driving over an uneven manhole cover. I've got the TTR bar. I just always assumed it was a body panel or some interior panel moving when I drive over the bumps. Now that I think about it, I can't remember it happening when both wheels move (like if I hit a speed bump straight on).

 

Thanks!

F is our front wheel drive street tire class.

 

that sounds very similar. Sounds like its not the powell par issue maybe more of any rear bar on the car. We' ll See what other people say as well.

 

Totally silent, unless my exhaust hits the beam. XXX for me, and Konis.

 

hmm cool. well then im not sure cause everything is tight. Might have to do a bit more searching.

 

I know this may sound condescending, but have you checked your spare tire, jack, and battery?

 

Check the exhaust. With the car lowered on the ground, or on wood planks, try to fit your fingers between the exhaust and twisting rear beam. Good chance that you'll find it's just a finger's width. Won't clunk if you twist it, usually, but if you go over something that causes both sides to move up, like a speed bump, you'll hear it.

 

I don't have my spare tire or jack in there anymore so that kind of elimates that

As for the battery I have a 15 lb braille battery ratcheted down in the trunk so I know that's not moving at all.

They are good ideas, just not plausable reasons for the noise in my car.

 

I thought about that as well but when I was autocrossing it still did it. Autocross you have to take the stuff out of the trunk.

 

if both wheels hit the same hole like a speed bump there is no sound, only when one hits and the other doesnt. Something to look into though thanks!

I know with the muffler delete the exhaust does sway a little more since all i have is a turn down from where i cut it.

 

That's the opposite of what typically happens when the exhaust contacts the beam. You can always just jack the car up and look to see if you have marks on the exhaust. You have the little spacers on the sway bar to keep it away from the beam right?

If you really want to check, just unbolt the bar and go for a drive. I really don't know how the bar would cause noise though.

 

XXX here on stock shocks, no sounds at all.

 

Another quiet XXX here, all 600 bangs and rattles come from my front suspension lol

 

Hardcore here, Pedders, Stock dampeners. Not a sound. I notice the bar itself is angled down from the beam to where it couldn't really hit the beam. XXX may be different?

 

I hear it too and have a similar setup, same scenarios. I'm going to check the install again, my car may not have been perfectly level during installation but I remember there was an issue with the front of the bar hitting the beam so John added some spacers to keep the bar from getting pulled up into the twb holes where the bolts at the front go. Do you have washers on the front between the bar and twb?

 

ahhh see my bar didnt have washers with it!! The collars that the bolts go through stick up a few mm from the bars tube... if you get what I am saying lol. Yeah I think Ill have to look into that, some washers and take it off make sure its the bar.

 

Newer hardcore bars (like mine) come with them already welded on. Is yours older?

I guess the first question I should ask is - Is the XXX the same design as the hardcore, just different thickness or tube diameter? Am I comparing apples to apples?

 

yeah mine is brand new this year. the collar that sticks out might be the washer thats welded on there.

 

With my 3" exhaust on the car it always hits the rear beam when you jack the car up you can see it.

 

lots to look into. Thanks for all the info everyone!! Super busy this week with moving and Grand-Am is at Road America this weekend so once i get to looking at the car deeper ill keep everyone posted!

 

Sorry for the delay, but here are some pics. Note that the washer is just on the side towards the front of the car, to til the bar a little bit down from the twisting rear beam.

 

no problem! thanks for the picks, my work blocks them though so i cant see them right now lol.

 

torque bolts to 50 ft lbs, and yes later bars are welded in spacers but the gap to the V beam is variable because the Vbeam is not that precise in its dimension.

most of the banging at the rear I see and hear is exhaust that comes in to our shop, sometimes its a bad shock, sometimes its the twisting beam pivot bushing and sometimes its junk in the trunk.