How much rattling/clunking is normal for control arms with heim joints?

[axeman]

i just put uppers and lowers on. i seem to have quite a bit of rattling and clunking going on with my upper control arms. the lowers i bought new, they are upr adjustable with the heim joint in the front and a poly in the back. the uppers i bought used(low milage) from a freind and are jds double adjustable with the heim joint in the front and polys in the back.

the car didn't seem to make much noise until today. i just got done readjusting my pinion angle from -1* to -3*. now all of the sudden it seems to rattle and clunk pretty good. at low speeds, if you get on and off the gas you can really feel some movement. so, i jacked the car up and put jackstands under the rear axle tube. then i rocked the body back and forth and there seems to be very little play within the heim joints(uppers). but i can definatly feel a little. i put all new control arm bolts on and they are tight. no movement there. i'm just wondering what the normal amount of sound is with heim joints. any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[89MustangGX]

That sounds like the normal setup to me ... I just put on uppers and lowers myself -- all metal up top, and a metal and poly on the bottom. My pinion angle is at about -2 -- which sounded like a good start with more solid bushings. I hear ALL of the road noise and rearend noise -- but I also had my backseat out when I drove it yesterday (first time!) ... along with no sound deadening or tar on the floor.

 

[axeman]

i don't mind a little road noise, and actually i was more than happy with the amount of noise. just the other day when my pinion angle was at -1* there wasn't much noise or play. all i did was change my pinion angle to -3*, and for some reason i have alot of rattling and clunking going on back there. maybe i'll change it back, atleast to see what it does.

 

[89MustangGX]

Well, can try and see. I don't have much experience with my pinion angle -- mine was between -1.5*- -2* degrees, so I just left it for now. Maybe after some testing I will play with it some if I think it might help.

 

[NoSloCoupes]

They make some noise, thats for sure. I run the spherical housing bushings, heim joints on the uppers and lowers(poly on the axle tube side). Just bouncing the rear of my car up and down sitting still its noisy as hell. Doesn't bother me tho. While cruising i never heard them, maybe the exhaust had something to do with that.

 

[axeman]

well, i readjusted my pinion angle. it is now at -2*. for some reason the noise doesn't seem to be as noticable. i guess i'll just live with it. also, i just put these control arms on and my poly bushings are already squeeking after a couple hundred miles oh well.

 

[cevtv]

also, i just put these control arms on and my poly bushings are already squeeking after a couple hundred miles oh well.

Did you grease them?

 

[axeman]

yup, i lubed them up pretty good with the sticky crap that was supplied with the polys i bought. i'm guessing it's the poly bushings sqeeking, because that sqeek wasn't there before the control arm swap.

 

[cevtv]

yup, i lubed them up pretty good with the sticky crap that was supplied with the polys i bought. i'm guessing it's the poly bushings sqeeking, because that sqeek wasn't there before the control arm swap.

Are they the 3 piece bushings? UPR says they won't squeak. I'm just getting nervous because I'm about to order the Metco lowers, and they have poly bushings......I don't want any noises.....

 

[axeman]

i'm not sure if they are 3 piece or not. those came installed on the arms. you can look into it. the squeeking may be my uppers though. i installed some prothane 2 piece polys.