Daizen sway bars installed: my suspension now sounds like a squeaky bed!
 

It sounds like a bed that has been worn out and has squeaky springs. It also kind of sounds like a worn out strut, although that can't be possible since the noise wasn't there at all before installing the sway bars and now it's very noticable.

So far I haven't had them on there long enough to tell you the ins and outs of when I hear the noise and when I don't, but I do know I hear it most when accelerating or doing anything where weight is transfered from the front of the car to the rear. When turning or hitting bumps I may barely hear the noise, but it's not nearly as noticable.

It also seems like it is very loud when I'm driving my car for the first time in a few hours or more, but after driving it for a while, the noise decreases.

I called the shop that installed the sway bars for me and they said they used the supplied grease on the bushings both before they installed the bar and after.

hmmm... any ideas?

First thing that comes to mind is the bushing. The PU ones are very squeaky and you have to be almost overly generous with the grease. Not sure if there is a solution since the shop already said they used it. Not sure how much they put on though and unless they are willing to check that and put more on, you'd have to do it yourself.

did you put on A LOT OF grease? and you can't tighten up the bushing too much, you just have to know how much to tighten it

with their bushings their is little grooves on the inside of them , what rom was saying is very true , you need to make there so much of DAIZENS supplied grease in the bushing that it oozes out .. the entire bushings needs to greased and as far as making sure the proper trq is applied is also critical , if my memory serves me right i believe it was between 18-21 ft lbs for the front and i believe 13-15 in the rear , if those brackets are over tightened it will crush the bushing against the bar itself and they will make noise

UPDATE

I took it back to the shop and they used some sort of grease that they said was much better, plus they remounted the sway bars using 21 ft-lbs up front and 13 ft-lbs in the rear whereas before he was using around 35-40 ft-lbs for both. End result: it's quiet as you could possibly imagine.

He said he was a little skiddish about using such little force, but that's what I read after searching around here a little while and it seems to have worked.

Why in the world can't they include decent instructions that come along with these things... I shouldn't have to search a message board to find out what ft-lb to apply to the bolts if it's going to make them squeak otherwise.

:egads:

umm.... i don't know what to say, but from what i have seen, most experienced shops they see it and they know how tight those things have to be. they don't even need to use a tq wrench for that

They do have some pretty detailed instructions!!

Not sure about their "better" stuff, haven't seen anything that was as purpose-made as the grease that comes with it.

It's pretty much impossible that they would squeak like that after initial installation unless they just plain didn't grease them and are pulling your leg now after the fact.

This one would have to be seen to be believed.

i kinda agree with todd on this one , i have installed 3 sets on mine and a couple of friends and not one squeak also mine has been on for almost a year and not one peep out of them

hmmm... well I checked around and it seems most sway bar installs recommend around 30-35 ft-lb of torque to fasten the bushings. So I don't really blame them for not knowing that anything over 21 ft-lb in the front and 13 ft-lb in the rear was too much.

Either that or maybe they just didn't grease the bushings up very well before or the grease that was supplied with it wasn't good enough?

He also said the first time he didn't grease the mounting brackets, but he said he did this time just to be sure.

Since we tried 3 new things all at the same time, I don't know which one it was, but what matters now is my car is quiet as stock and according to this guy will remain that way just as long, if not longer, than it would have with the stock sway bars.:thumb:

Hate to dig up a really old thread (but after all, it is Halloween, eh...).
I now have the squeaky old bed problem too. The only thing I can attribute it to is the Daizens.

WHere can I get more of the clear white grease that they supply? (NOT Lithium). That stuff is nasty, you can't get it off of your hands, and I never thought I'd have any squeaks.

Jerry

How long have you had your Daizen sway bars? I am really interested in these but I do love a quiet ride.

i have the daizen for more than 2 yrs. been quiet all the time. as long as it's greased well and maintained well, there is no noise at all

Had them about 8 months. I fixed the squeaking problem by spraying all around the bushings with spray teflon lube, then again with penetrating oil. No more squeaks. Too much trouble to take them apart and re-grease. I'll probably just spray them every oil change.