When I get on the bike (2024 RT, 3,000 miles), or rock it side to side, there's a bang/clank noise from somewhere in the front end. I have the Baja Ron sway bar, but the noise isn't coming from that. It feels like it's from the top of the shock tower, or maybe the top of the A-arms. I put a little silicone spray on the rubber bushings, but it made no difference. I need to get someone else to sit on it while I can look and feel around from underneath, but I just wondered if anyone else has had this and knows what might be causing this kind of noise? Bike rides smooth and solid, but makes unexpected noises when it's sitting and I get on, etc.
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Anyone else have or know what this Front end banging/clanking noise might be?
- Thread starter jfischer
- Start date
There's nothing in the frunk. It really sounds like metal on metal.
I'll double check, but the sound really sounds like it's coming from up higher in the front end. I do have the Ultra sway bar.
BajaRon
Well-known member
Sound radiates. If you can put a hand on the various components as someone rocks the bike (be careful. Start rocking gently and increase until the sound can be heard).
It could be a sway bar component if the fittings were not tightened correctly. Or it could be an upper shock bushing gone bad. Put your hand on the end link on both sides as if one of these are loose, it will give a clink, metal on metal sound. If a bushing is loose, it will sound more like a wooden shoe on a wooden floor.
If we can help. let us know. You can always call the shop for information.
It could be a sway bar component if the fittings were not tightened correctly. Or it could be an upper shock bushing gone bad. Put your hand on the end link on both sides as if one of these are loose, it will give a clink, metal on metal sound. If a bushing is loose, it will sound more like a wooden shoe on a wooden floor.
If we can help. let us know. You can always call the shop for information.
TheMariner
Active member
Thanks! I will try having someone rock the bike while I monitor those bushings to see if that's the culprit.
BajaRon
Well-known member
If you find the bushing(s) to be the issue. I highly recommend making sure they are correctly tightened before doing anything else. If it is our bar kit, then be sure there is no gap in the split where the bushing bolt goes through the bushing. And there should be a slight dimple raised at this same location. If there is a gap in the split where the bushing bolt goes through the bushing, then the bushing bolt needs to be tightened until you get the end result mentioned above.
I'm not a fan of the grease approach. You may get rid of the noise. But you're not curing the problem. That bushing is still moving around. And eventually, you may have a bigger issue to deal with. We've never had a bushing, correctly tightened, make any noise.
We find this issue most common with dealer installed bar kits, because customers are very careful to follow the enclosed directions to the letter, and they will call us if they have any questions, something we highly recommend. Whereas dealer techs tend to feel that they, being highly trained, do not need to consult the instructions and they often install the bar kit the way they think it should be done...
You are welcome to contact us if you think we might be of further help.
BajaRon
Well-known member
Check your bushings anyway. There were some instructions that went out without the information provided in my previous post. The bushings are right there at the end of the sway bar channel; and you'll be able to see right away if they meet the recommended criteria. If they don't, just tighten them as instructed and try rocking the Spyder again. Though the noise you describe does not sound like bushings, they are so easy to check, it's a good way to start your search.
That does appear to be it. Sound/vibration definitely seems to be coming from driver side sway bar bushing when someone rocks the bike and I'm under it. I will re-check the bushing and tightness of the bolts. According to the guy in the video no amount of tightening will stop this, so we'll see I guess or resort to some grease.
I put some white lithium grease on the bar and bushing and re-assembed. Noise is still there. Took it apart again and slid the bushing out of the channel and the noise goes away so I'm 99% sure it's this bushing.
I tightened the bolt going through the bushing about as much as I felt comfortable doing, didn't want to snap that bolt. I do not see any torque specs in the instructions for this bolt. Maybe I'm not tightening it enough but was afraid to keep going based on feel.
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BajaRon
Well-known member
Grease is the only thing that will wear these bushing out. They are made of Delrin which is self lubricating. But grease attracts dirt and combines to create an abrasive substance.
If the bushings are tightened properly, they will not make any noise. You say you've tightened the bushing bolt as much as you feel necessary. But if the slit in the bushing where the bolt goes through the bushing is not completely closed and compressed slightly, enough to make a slight dimple in the Delrin, then you have not tightened the bushing bolt sufficiently and it will continue to make noise.
If you send me a picture of the bushings, I can tell you if they are tightened properly or not.
I tightened them as much as I felt comfortable tightening them for fear of over-torquing them since I didn't want to snap the bolt. I guess there's no hard and fast torque value for this bolt and it's more of a visual check kind of thing?
Do you have any pictures on your web site maybe of the state of these bushings when they are properly tightened so I have a target to shoot for? Obviously mine needs to be tightened more since it still clunks. I just don't want to over-do it is all, but get to the point where it doesn't clunk any longer. Or is it safe to just give the bolt a turn or two and test for clunkage and keep going until it stops?
Thanks again!
You mention the slit where the bolt goes through. The lower half of the bushing, where the bolt hole is, is already closed? The top of the bushing is where the slit is but the pressure from the bolt would be more towards the bottom. Mine are installed as shown below, with the slit facing up towards the top of the bike. I don't see how they could possibly go any other way, but
The slit at the top of the bushing is definitely not completely closed. I can put the blade of a small flat-blade screwdriver in that gap even after tightening the crap out of that lower bolt.
WTF am I doing wrong?
Thanks!
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OK, I'll try to get a pic of that area tomorrow. Is the gap at the top of the bushing "normal" anyway? I don't recall if the instructions had an actual torque value for the arm bolts, but as I remember they were pretty tight. I'll throw a torque wrench on them too and make sure they're good.
Thanks!
TheMariner
Active member
Just to be clear, Spyder Extras say to grease the OUTSIDE of the bushing where it fits in the channel, not the inside of the bushing surface where the sway bar runs. BajaRon is 100% correct when he said Delrin is self-lubricating and grease between the bushing and the sway bar will attract dirt and accelerate wear.... he knows his product better than anyone else, so if you have one of his swar bars you should follow what he says first before trying anything else.
I should have said that I have a Spyder Extras sway bar (came fitted to the Spyder when I bought it) so I followed their recommendations.
Here's a pic of the lower part of the bushing. There is a definite pronounced bulge there. The right side looks about the same.
I put my digital torque wrench on the hex arm bolts at 180 in/pounds and they were definitely not there. I ran both sides up to 180. And on my initial test, the noise is gone! I can't believe that might have been it, for as much as an absolute ***** those were to even get onto the bar. I looked at my instructions and don't see a torque spec for these bolts, maybe it's there and I'm just dense.
But anyway, tightening the arm bolts seems to be the root cause based on a quick test anyway. I have not touched the lower bolt where the bushing is, the only thing that changed was tightening the arm bolts. I will take it out today and see how she fares.
I also wiped out as much of the grease as I could, so I don't think it'll be much of an issue with attracting dirt, etc.
Thanks again!
I put my digital torque wrench on the hex arm bolts at 180 in/pounds and they were definitely not there. I ran both sides up to 180. And on my initial test, the noise is gone! I can't believe that might have been it, for as much as an absolute ***** those were to even get onto the bar. I looked at my instructions and don't see a torque spec for these bolts, maybe it's there and I'm just dense.
But anyway, tightening the arm bolts seems to be the root cause based on a quick test anyway. I have not touched the lower bolt where the bushing is, the only thing that changed was tightening the arm bolts. I will take it out today and see how she fares.
I also wiped out as much of the grease as I could, so I don't think it'll be much of an issue with attracting dirt, etc.
Thanks again!
BajaRon
Well-known member
Early instructions did not have a torque value. The gap at the top is normal.
Sorry to be a pain. But the area I need to see is right were the bolt goes through the bushing. It's usually easier, and better lighted, to take the picture from the outboard side. That bulge in the bottom of the bushing can be there even if not fully tightened. Although I would say the bushing bolt is probably tight enough, I can't be sure without getting a better look.
I must say that I am surprised that torquing the arm bolt is the solution. But obviously that is possible. Again, our bad for not including torque values in the early instructions. We never had any issues during R&D with just getting the arm bolts reasonably tight. But we did start having arm issues with customer installs and that is when we came up with the torque values. An obvious oversight on our part.
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