Well, I did...

Not really lose it but, the passenger inner bushing deformed enough to squeeze loose from the the mounting clamp and boy when I tell you it made a horrible noise, "Clunk-Clunk-Clunk!'

I attended the NASA-X at Giants stadium yesterday (rainy and colld as Hell,) and on my 7th run (second to last) just as I applied the brakes before making the right into the box and throttling through the finish, I felt this deep clunking. It sounded horrible and continued to do this as rodney, Matt and I test drove it around slowly and applied the brakes to try to source the problem.

At first I and others thought that it might have been the brakes, rodney thought immediately that it was at the least a suspension or stabilizer bar issue. BINGO! But, at the time he/we couldn't see anything wrong. Motor mounts, motor, brakes, transmission and all seemed fine as did the wheels, brakes, wheel hubs and assemblies...

Then we got the car back to rodney's house afterwards and up higher and drier with better lighting for closer inspection, he found that the only thing that was loose or stood out as a possible issue was the passenger side inner stabilizer bar bushing had deformed and squeezed it's way out of the mounting point and moved a minimum of 1/4 of an inch. This would explain the clunking and horrible sounds. It actually squeezed back in before our return home and the clunk had all but dissappeared.

I contacted King today and unfortunately they don't have the front inner bushings in stock and didn't know when they would be back in stock, so I've ordered new stock ones for the amazing inflated NY dealership price of $9. a piece and they will be in tomorrow and installed in time for before next weekend.

I'll let you guys know how it goes.

One good thing is that this happened BEFORE the expo when I was doing like 40 to 50 MPH in a controlled autocross and not 90 to 100 MPH where I might not have been able to source the parts as quickly and or have adversely affected my Expo experience.

Anyone esle have an issue like this? I've even heard of some people having problems of squeaking or similar clunking sounds when they drove in the wet and the stock bushings got wet and worked themselves loose. But, I've not heard of my particular issue as of yet.

Trust me I was scared shitless after it happened but, relieved when I found out what it seems to be.


A.

 

Glad you find the problem before it get worst......do u have aftermarket front stab. bar or just stock bar? how could the bushing gone so fast in a 2000 car ?

 

Yeah I was glad too, especially before the expo Oscar.

My suspension is totally stock, with stock bar and stock bushings. It is a 2001 and has 31,K miles. Just Dunno...

A.

 

That happened to my former '96 Teg LS, one if the stock bushings popped out. I put it back in and it never happened again. Must not have been in straight from the factory?