Odd Clicking Noise

[Peteoz]

I adjusted my driving lights tonight, and while out test riding I noticed an odd clicking noise coming from near the left shock. If I push down on the left board I get a loud click. If I take the weight off the left board, I get another loud click as it apparently "returns". Nothing happens on the right side. It happens every time you apply weight to the left board.

It sounds and feels (if you put your hand on it) as though it is coming from the Helm joint on the BajaRon sway bar, but I can't see how it could be.

Anyone ever experienced anything like this before I sleep on it and get it up on the lift tomorrow?

Pete

[Peter Aawen]

It'll probably be easier to see/check once you get it up in the air, but I'd suggest your first step should be to check that all the bolts & nuts down there are tight?!? Don't forget those bolts holding the middle of the sway bar to the chassis; but also check the bolts on the inner ends of the 'A' arms & everything holding the boards to the frame.... In fact, check anything down there that could be loose - you might be surprised at how far sounds & the 'feel' of rattles etc can be transferred around the chassis/frame!!

Good Luck! :thumbup:

[billybovine]

Sounds like a loose sway bar to me. Check the bolts..

[Chupaca]

I know...:mad: but you will better see when you get under there. As mentioned check all the area of the swaybar as something may have been missed or not tightened when the change was made. I have seen zip ties that the excess was not cut off that will do that and I know on some of the hiem joints the mounting bolts were reversed when installing the new swaybar so the threaded side is to the inside....then is could be the brake pads on the wheel...:dontknow:

[Bob Denman]

Most likely, it's the end-link, that attaches the Anti-SwayBar up to the lower A-Arm.
You should be able to get to it without raising the front-end of your bike, but don't get caught napping under there in the shade! :D

[Peteoz]

Thanks very much, guys......yeah, removing and checking the Helm bolts will be my first course of action this morning. I couldn't feel anything loose last night.

......and there are a couple of cable ties around that area, Gene, so I'll check them as well. I never thought of that one ;)

Pete

[Peteoz]

It'll probably be easier to see/check once you get it up in the air, but I'd suggest your first step should be to check that all the bolts & nuts down there are tight?!? Don't forget those bolts holding the middle of the sway bar to the chassis; but also check the bolts on the inner ends of the 'A' arms & everything holding the boards to the frame.... In fact, check anything down there that could be loose - you might be surprised at how far sounds & the 'feel' of rattles etc can be transferred around the chassis/frame!!

Good Luck! :thumbup:

yeah.....I had The Chosen One down on the floor listening (ears like a cat), while I pushed the boards and then I tried, Peter. It's near impossible to isolate by ear as you say, but you could feel the strongest vibration when holding the Helm joint.

[Jim&Teresa]

I had an early (2014) version of BahaRon's swaybar with the original heim joints he supplied. One did go bad and I had an excess gap / clearance on one heim joint that clicked and made some noise like you described...easy to check -- jack the bike up and check each heim joint for looseness.

BahaRon was excellent and shipped out new (better design) ones right away and they've been fine..

By the way, I had no vibration or steering issues at all...just the clicking noise from the looseness. I could not feel any vibration in the bike at all - just the noise once in awhile.

Just one more thing to check for you - good luck!!!

[Peteoz]

Thanks Jim. I am able to twist both helm joints at an angle....hard to describe. See photos below.....that's not what you mean by looseness, is it?

[Peteoz]

P.s. If I remove the bottom Helm bolt the noise goes away.

[Peteoz]

Ahhhhhh. I just took the Helm right out and it is very loose at the top swivel. I'll talk to Ron....thanks guys.

[Peteoz]

The Helm is definitely the problem. I just put one of my original F3-L Helms in and all is OK. Gee that bloody Ron sells some rubbish....I'll have to get rid of my Bajaron sway bar now! WHAT AM I SAYING ???:roflblack:..... New Helms already on the way from Ron :thumbup:

[Peter Aawen]

Good to hear you've identified it! And you certainly can't complain about Ron's exemplary service, can you?!? :thumbup:

But Pete, altho I'm not expecting this to have any bearing whatsoever on your current noise issue - but just looking at those pics, are you sure that you've got the right bolts in there?? Or at least the bolts in the right place?? My top & bottom bolts thru the Heim links & the Sway bar are both close to the same length, & both show some thread beyond the Nylock nuts, about the same as your top bolt. Since your bottom bolt doesn't do that, or seem to even engage the nylock section of the nut, isn't that bolt a little short?? If it is & the bolt you have in the top is a touch longer than the bolt in the bottom, wouldn't it be better to swap them around?? That way, by putting the longer bolt in the bottom of the link, it could engage the locking ring in the nylock nut. ATM it doesn't even look like the thread is engaging in the nylock at all, so that bolt might come undone over time, & I'm pretty certain that if it does, you'll get more than just a little clicking?!? :shocked:

I know pics can be deceiving, but still.... Just sayin' :dontknow:

Ps: are you having auto-correct issues too - changing HeIm to HeLm?!? I think I've finally convinced the auto correct thing that I want it spelt HeIm, but for a while there I was seriously considering a global change to make 'em all read 'Rose Joint'! :gaah:

[Peteoz]

Good to hear you've identified it! And you certainly can't complain about Ron's exemplary service, can you?!? :thumbup:

But Pete, altho I'm not expecting this to have any bearing whatsoever on your current noise issue - but just looking at those pics, are you sure that you've got the right bolts in there?? Or at least the bolts in the right place?? My top & bottom bolts thru the Heim links & the Sway bar are both close to the same length, & both show some thread beyond the Nylock nuts, about the same as your top bolt. Since your bottom bolt doesn't do that, or seem to even engage the nylock section of the nut, isn't that bolt a little short?? If it is & the bolt you have in the top is a touch longer than the bolt in the bottom, wouldn't it be better to swap them around?? That way, by putting the longer bolt in the bottom of the link, it could engage the locking ring in the nylock nut. ATM it doesn't even look like the thread is engaging in the nylock at all, so that bolt might come undone over time, & I'm pretty certain that if it does, you'll get more than just a little clicking?!? :shocked:

I know pics can be deceiving, but still.... Just sayin' :dontknow:

Ps: are you having auto-correct issues too - changing HeIm to HeLm?!? I think I've finally convinced the auto correct thing that I want it spelt HeIm, but for a while there I was seriously considering a global change to make 'em all read 'Rose Joint'! :gaah:

Trust your eagle eye to pick that up;). Thanks for the concern Peter, but it's a non issue. I had loosened the bottom bolt and it was sitting there hand tight while I took the photos re twisting the Helm links. I should have mentioned that..... sorry......Both bolts really are the same length and show the same amount of thread when tightened (which they now are :thumbup:)

[Peter Aawen]

..... Thanks for the concern Peter, but it's a non issue. I had loosened the bottom bolt and it was sitting there hand tight....

Bewdy! :thumbup: That explains it all. :clap:

[SpyderAnn01]

Peter A I was wondering the same thing. Did he use the long bolts from Ron on the top instead of the bottom? I don't recall seeing so many threads on the top bolt.