Sway bars causing rocking noise?
 

The sway bars got installed a month ago, mostly by a friend, and then I finished up.

Anywho, here's the deal:

1) When it was first installed, my friend did all of the rear and most of the front bits. He had to go to work, so I finished up (so I didn't see a lot of the work done around the undertray, so I don't know where the screws mentioned below came from). I pretty much just had to screw a few end links in, and put the car back together. Well, I ended up with four remaining screws that I have no idea where they came from. My friend said said it's from the undertray, but I can't find any holes where screws are supposed to be.

2) The rocking noise started almost immediately after I drove off. I shrugged it off for a bit, thinking that maybe those four screws came from the radiator support. Took it to Tom Roush Mazda (where a few RX-8 experts reside), and they said that my end links were the problem, as they were not adjusted for height, and were thus hitting the struts. Fair enough.

3) Fixed the height issue on Saturday myself, and the rocking noise is STILL there to my disappointment. I don't think it's the end links anymore, since I fail to see what they can hit when they're adjusted for minimum height.

4) The noise only comes on when I go over any changes in height. So bumps, humps, even the smallest cracks on the road. So pretty much when the suspension has to compress.

5) When I took off the endlinks completely and went for a drive, the noise was completely gone. I can't drive around without endlinks, because the first time we did that, we got a 30mph drift. Admittedly, we were screwing around then.

Any ideas?

These are Agency Power sway bars btw.

well obviously it's the endlinks since the noise went away with them off. are they the stock endlinks? i know it's stupid to say, but make sure they're tight. are the holes too big for the endlinks? do the joints have play??

These are Agency Power sway bars and end links. Yes, they're tight, I just checked it Saturday too.

The joints have a bearing in it, that allows movement.

Make certain that the noise isn't coming from your lower control arm. There are a couple of us that have had that brake. It makes a noise when going around the corner. I had mine checked out a month before warranty was to expire. I month after it expired, it broke.

Picture of end link in question:

http://www.vividracing.com/catalog/w...8linkscar1.jpg

I don't think it's that...

But I'll check it out.

It broke at the pivot point, where the alignment adjusters are.

Is the noise coming from the front or the rear ?

the reason I ask is that there is a possibility that your friend might've installed the rear sways upside down. it will make a lot of noise when you do(and eventually, the rear sways will break)

It's coming from the front. If it was the rear, I'd know. I was watching the whole way, and my friend isn't some nub. This guy has owned more cars than I can count, and he is also a major in Mechanical Engineering at Purdue.

Im not judging your friend's ability, but everybody makes mistake once in a while. :)

If its the front, check and make sure your end link's length isn't too long. I have no experience in AP links, I have Autoexes (which is much shorter). There should be a spec for the links. I know my Autoexe does (the instruction tells ya the longest and shortest settings)

My front links are adjustable, and are currently adjusted for the shortest length possible. These were apparently tested on the Pepsi RX-8 race car, and you know how low they go. :p

i know it's a bit of work, but try putting the stock endlinks in and see if the noise goes away. process of elimination...

Pepsi Rx-8 was more like a show car, not really a street car.

and you think they give a shit about noises coming from a show car? most of the time these show cars were never driven. they just tow them back to the truck and drive them away.

Shortest length doesnt mean it will give ya the best handling. you need to adjust it to meet your needs. I spent 5 days to adjust my endlinks.

Take a picture of the end links you installed.

the pepsi rx8 competed in the american touge...but still, that doesn't mean anything ;)

i would try the stock ones first, that way you're taking the AP endlinks outta the picture. if it still clunks with the stockers, then move onto the next possible cause. does it sound like a metal clunk? or like a rubbing knock? polyurethane bushings will cause a shitload of noise if not properly lubed. try using teflon tape wrapped around the sway bar, then slide the bushing over top.