"Stupidru" (Schm1an)
10/16/2014 at 13:19 • Filed to: None
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"Stupidru" (Schm1an)
10/16/2014 at 13:19 • Filed to: None | 0
| 25 |
Last weekend we took our Forester down to my in-laws for a weekend and on the way down I noticed at slow speeds the front creeks and rattles over bumps. I figured out that it's either the sway bar bushing or the endlinks. From prior experience I know Energy Suspension has some great bushings (as long as they're greasable) so I'm going with those. Now as far as the endlinks are concerned, I can either buy Energy Suspension endlinks which are made from "Hyper-Flex" polyurethane (non greasable) or OE replacement parts (Moog/Mevotech) from Rockauto which are greasable... both parts are the same cost, give or take, so which one would you choose and why?
Thanks!
Schep9d
> Stupidru
10/16/2014 at 13:20 |
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Save yourself some $ and get the Moogs. I am running them front and rear on 24/22mm sway bars on my legacy gt wagon. They are much beefier then stock and cheaper then kartboy/whiteline/energy adjustables.
thismightbemylastburner
> Stupidru
10/16/2014 at 13:22 |
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Confirm your suspicion before selecting the remedy. I can think of a dozen other things that cause squeeks and rattles in the front end.
Trevor Slattery, ACTOR
> Stupidru
10/16/2014 at 13:24 |
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If you are married and/or have kids, go with stock bushings. And the low speed squeak is the sway bar bushings 80% of the time. I would inspect the end links and replace only if signs of wear are apparent.
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Stupidru
> thismightbemylastburner
10/16/2014 at 13:25 |
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Well I've had busted endlinks and sway bar bushings that have needed grease before, so I'm familiar with the noise and symptoms, but I will take a peek underneath some night to confirm. At 85k miles it wouldn't hurt to replace them anyway, even if they're not the culprit
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Stupidru
> Schep9d
10/16/2014 at 13:27 |
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Sir, you're breaking a grown man's heart by saying you have a Legacy GT wagon running sway bars that are bigger than stock (I know this because I had a GT sedan, and became intimately close with everything suspension-related on that car). I hope you love and cherish that vehicle until they stop making replacement parts for it. I have tried, but I cannot find a vehicle that I've liked better than my LGT, even at the $30k range.
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Stupidru
> Trevor Slattery, ACTOR
10/16/2014 at 13:30 |
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Married but no kids yet. My wife drives this car and hasn't said a word to me about it, even though I'd had a hunch something was up since mid-summer.
Regardless, since it IS my wife's vehicle I don't think OE replacement bushings would be the worst thing, but the gearhead inside of me knows that greasable polyurethane bushings are the best performance part. What would you look for when inspecting an endlink? I can hear clunking when I turn the wheel so I have a feeling the endlink is the culprit here
HammerheadFistpunch
> Stupidru
10/16/2014 at 13:32 |
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my only advice is to stay away from kartboy. Pieces of ever lovin junk.
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thismightbemylastburner
> Stupidru
10/16/2014 at 13:33 |
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That sounds more like it. Also, unless your subaru is lowered, avoid adjustable heim joints. They will only cause more noise and won't utalize the main purpose of removing preload in the anti-sway bar.
Takuro Spirit
> Stupidru
10/16/2014 at 13:35 |
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Being a Subaru I would recommend Whiteline.
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Schep9d
> Stupidru
10/16/2014 at 13:37 |
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I turned down a 6k over book $ offer on my wagon a few weeks ago. I've tried the new Vulva V60, used lsf, 328xi wagon, and a few others. Always end in disappointment. Maybe its me. I love the raw feeling the car has, fantastic grip (sti six speed with front LSD ftw), and dirt cheap insurance costs. Although I have dumped a Corolla worth of cash into a nine year old car to get it that way.
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Stupidru
> thismightbemylastburner
10/16/2014 at 13:41 |
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This is the wife's car, so I've been told I can't mod it. I can only fix it
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Stupidru
> Schep9d
10/16/2014 at 13:46 |
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You're the man. I am incredibly jealous of what you've done with yours. Stay classy sir!
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Stupidru
> thismightbemylastburner
10/16/2014 at 13:49 |
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So since the ES endlinks are adjustable Heim joints, avoid them? What if I adjust them to OE length?
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Stupidru
> Schep9d
10/16/2014 at 13:53 |
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One more thing- you have the Moogs. Do they actually come with the zerk fittings? How often do they need re-greasing? Impressions on them?
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thismightbemylastburner
> Stupidru
10/16/2014 at 13:54 |
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I'd go with OE links. The long suspension travel on the Forester will cause them to loosen up fairly frequently and they will chatter. Adj end links are known to be noisy, but are accepted as such because they are performance parts. I have to zero-out the links on my car once every two weeks or they get loud. You might be able to put enough thread locker on them to keep them in spec, but its just over complicating the fix.
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Stupidru
> HammerheadFistpunch
10/16/2014 at 13:54 |
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Not even going to consider Kartboy, just because of price
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Stupidru
> Takuro Spirit
10/16/2014 at 13:54 |
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Not even going to consider Whiteline, just because of price
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Trevor Slattery, ACTOR
> Stupidru
10/16/2014 at 13:55 |
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Standard end links usually have a rubber boot like a tie rod end. Check and make sure the boot is not ruptured first. Then give them a good tug to see if the have any play. They usually make clunking sounds, not squeaks, when bad.
But most of the time it is the sway bar bushings. They dry rot and the bar squeaks when it rotates in the bushing.
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thismightbemylastburner
> Takuro Spirit
10/16/2014 at 14:00 |
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Those are what I have on my NC. They are good. But, they are pricy and noisy. But not as noisy as the 949 end links I had on my NB.
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Stupidru
> thismightbemylastburner
10/16/2014 at 14:00 |
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Sounds like a problem I'd much rather not deal with. I'll just get the Moog fixed endlinks - thanks!
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Schep9d
> Stupidru
10/16/2014 at 14:03 |
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They do come with zerk fittings. I just use Lucas marine grease on them twice a year. No unusual noises from them yet. They are probably 2mm beefier then stock. Work just as good as any other after market solid endlinks.
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Stupidru
> Trevor Slattery, ACTOR
10/16/2014 at 14:04 |
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Wow, I've never seen an endlink bent like that! Also never heard of the boot ripping, but I suppose anything is possible.. My suspicion is the clunking is from the endlink, and the rattle/squeak from the bushing being so dry-rotted that the sway bar has quite a bit of play in it like the image you've posted. The bushings I replaced on my car's rear sway bar looked like they were half gone
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Stupidru
> Schep9d
10/16/2014 at 14:04 |
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Great- thanks so much!
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Trevor Slattery, ACTOR
> Stupidru
10/16/2014 at 14:10 |
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They can rip just like tie rod end boots. Have taken some off of my personal cars. Boot gets ripped, dirt gets in and then things go bad. Sounds like you are on the right track. I need to do a whole front suspension on my VW in the next two weekends. I have new control arms with bushings, inner and outer tie rods and lower ball joints to put in. I already did the sway bar bushings. The end links look ok, ,but I will take a look at them when I get them off. I have clunking as well, but I think it is control arm bushings and not the end links.
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thismightbemylastburner
> Stupidru
10/16/2014 at 14:17 |
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That should be perfect. Good luck!