UPP sport springs and sway bars, clunk from car on bumps-HELP!

[Huskyfan]

Installed UPP sport springs on my Model 3P. Also installed their front and rear sway bars. Since then every time i encounter almos any bump in the road, to include such benign things as a slightly lower manhole cover, etc. it makes a loud thud or clunk.

Installed per their instructions. Everything torqued to spec. After a few days of driving and clunking i rechecked torque and ensured all to spec. Still does it.

Could it be the urethane bushings in the sway bar mounts? Can i just use the rubber bushings instead of the urethane?

Defective ball joints on sway bar ends?

The car sounds like a 30 year old poser Honda worked on by a pimply faced 16 year old boy, not a performance machine.

I believe it started after sway bars, since i don’t remember issue with just springs.

 

[tlr1000]

did you try adjusting the noise isolating plastic covers on the springs to make sure they are at the recommended position?

 

[nj1266]

Installed UPP sport springs on my Model 3P. Also installed their front and rear sway bars. Since then every time i encounter almos any bump in the road, to include such benign things as a slightly lower manhole cover, etc. it makes a loud thud or clunk.

Installed per their instructions. Everything torqued to spec. After a few days of driving and clunking i rechecked torque and ensured all to spec. Still does it.

Could it be the urethane bushings in the sway bar mounts? Can i just use the rubber bushings instead of the urethane?

Defective ball joints on sway bar ends?

The car sounds like a 30 year old poser Honda worked on by a pimply faced 16 year old boy, not a performance machine.

I believe it started after sway bars, since i don’t remember issue with just springs.

Disconnect the sway bars at the end links and test if the car still does it. If it doesn’t, then it is the sway bars. Start with the front ones and test then do the rears And test.

 

[Bigtuna00]

Sway Bars, End Links, and Rear Control Arms Installation & Impression

 

[Huskyfan]

Sway Bars, End Links, and Rear Control Arms Installation & Impression

I’ve been reading this thread you referred me to, but had not seen this most recent bunch of messages, to include your issues. I’ve emailed UPP and asked they send me some new bushings, etc. I’ also purchased last week (prior to seeing your message) some new adjustable length sway bar links. I’ll prolly just wait until UPP sends me the new bushings prior to installing the sway bar links. I guess it gives me something to do during Covid lock down.

 

[UnpluggedP]

Hi Husky Fan, we are closed for 4th of July but as a small business owner I try to be available even when closed and your message has reached me. Your email sent during our holiday closure will be responded to by our dedicated team when we reopen next week but I would like to assure you that we will support you 110% every step of the way for the aftersales support that we pride ourselves in.

We guarantee silent operation and full satisfaction of all of our products and we will ensure our full support.

To move rapidly we will provide new bushings to verify completely silent operation of the sway bars (as there was an earlier small production batch of sway bars that we found had occasionally been reported to have some noise and we’ve since switched bushing source).

While we can’t be certain that the noise you are hearing is from our sway bars, for purposes of speed I will proceed regardless and we will ship you the new replacement bushings ASAP. In the event that it is our sway bar that is making noise then the only cause we’ve ever seen was from one particular irregular batch of front bushings and thankfully is a very fast swap out and fix. You have a lifetime warranty on our sway bars and we will make sure they operate perfectly and silently for years to come. I look forward to next week following up to ensure your car is riding perfect and silent as we expect it to.

I’ll PM you directly my personal contact info so that I may be of service if you need anything at all.

Have a great 4th of July!

Sincerely,
Ben Schaffer
Unplugged Performance

 

[Huskyfan]

Ok. U should have my contact info for where to mail replacement bushings.

 

[tlr1000]

That is what I call service! Kudos to UP.

 

[TwoK4drSi]

Ok. U should have my contact info for where to mail replacement bushings.

Did you actually figure out what is the problem before demanding new bushings? From the posts here and the other thread you seem very impatient.

 

[Huskyfan]

You sound a bit judge mental. Thanks UPP for the great support.

 

[Huskyfan]

Did you actually figure out what is the problem before demanding new bushings? From the posts here and the other thread you seem very impatient.

Perhaps they are confident that the problem is not my installation or their springs, but a much greater likelihood it could be the bushings on the sway bars. Rather than debating it and having me do unnecessary troubleshooting, based on their assessment of my ability, the date of my purchase, year of car, etc they decided it made more sense to send me the most likely solution to the problem (and display great customer service) than be petty and have me “troubleshoot”. Right or wrong issue, they have a very great advocate that has no issue telling them of their great service.

 

[JD M3]

I suspect it's the springs. I recently installed UP lowering springs (mild) without sway bars. At first everything was ok, but a few weeks later I went over a large bump and *clunk*. Now the clinking is more frequent. Not over every bump but usually on later sizes ones.

 

[Huskyfan]

I had the springs for about a month without the sway bars. I remember no issues. I’ve checked the plastic wrap around the springs, also all the torque settings. Not my first rodeo; it certainly seems like the sway bar bushings, having too much play or slack. Prolly a harder material than Tesla’s, which contributes to the noise when too loose

 

[Huskyfan]

BTW, UPP amazing customer service. It’s obvious, you truly care about your customers, your products, and your reputation. Happy 4th of July. Be safe!!!

 

[tlr1000]

any more noise?

 

[Huskyfan]

any more noise?

Interesting u ask. I discovered upon replacing bushings that one of two the studs used to affix the bushing had become cracked at the frame, and pretty much would not torque down. Suspect it was due to over torquing due to lack of clear instructions or my ignorance/lack of detail.

I used a drill and thread cutter into the hole left by the welded in stud that twisted out and replaced with a threaded stud. Torqued down fine. Checked right side bracket. one of studs appeared to be below stated torque requirement by UPP but refused to get any tighter.

Car was fine over bumps for about a week. Suspect right bracket stud is now loose or broken. Now I have clunk from right side.

Torqued it down to what UPP instructions said. Used high quality torque wrench.

tomorrow gonna check that bracket. Could be something else. Ugh. Hoping it’s clunk/play slop in front CV joints. Seems to be very throttle load dependent.

 

[tlr1000]

Interesting u ask. I discovered upon replacing bushings that one of two the studs used to affix the bushing had become cracked at the frame, and pretty much would not torque down. Suspect it was due to over torquing due to lack of clear instructions or my ignorance/lack of detail.

I used a drill and thread cutter into the hole left by the welded in stud that twisted out and replaced with a threaded stud. Torqued down fine. Checked right side bracket. one of studs appeared to be below stated torque requirement by UPP but refused to get any tighter.

Car was fine over bumps for about a week. Suspect right bracket stud is now loose or broken. Now I have clunk from right side.

Torqued it down to what UPP instructions said. Used high quality torque wrench.

tomorrow gonna check that bracket. Could be something else. Ugh. Hoping it’s clunk/play slop in front CV joints. Seems to be very throttle load dependent.

Sorry to hear about your troubles. I assume you're referring to the rear bushing bracket bolts? What was the torque spec you used? The other potential noise source that seems common is axle bolts needing retorquing so you may want to check that while you're there.

 

[Huskyfan]

No, I’m referring to the front bushing bracket bolts. Torqued them to the figures in the UPP instruction manual. The left front bracket stud pulled out. Replaced with a threaded stud. I believe the right one is now loose. I checked its torque values with two wrenches so I’m confident that it was not caused by my going higher than the specified amount (73 foot/lbs I believe).

I’ve tried torquing the axle bolts, but they felt tight and i did not want to chance over tightening those. Any idea the torque value?

It at times also seems like it could be the CV joints clunking, clicking. Heard those have issues too. Once i make sure my modifications (the sway bars and springs I’ve installed) are not the issue i plan to make a service appointment to have Tesla service check the axle bolts and the CV joints. I’ve got a cracked windshield that needs replacing, so figured I’d send it in for that too.

 

[tlr1000]

OK, I misunderstood. When I read "bolt" I automatically thought rear as the rear bushing brackets use bolts whereas the front uses nuts. But when you mention the threaded stud, it all makes sense. The reference to 73 ft-lbs is for the end-link nuts and not the bushing bolts/nuts. UPs instructions never came with a recommended torque value for the bushing bracket nuts/bolts but I believe they are about 26ftlbs so if you cranked them to 73 I can see that could cause issues. When I removed the front nuts holding down the bushing bracket, there was not too much resistance and certainly not 73 ft-lbs.

The axle bolt (32mm?) is a much higher torque setting and I don't recall the spec but more than the wheel lug nuts. Guessing its somewhere around 180 ft-lbs.

 

[Huskyfan]

You know i just read the install PDF before i posted earlier and again was fooled/confused to believe the nuts on the bracket should be tightened, as i had done, to 73 foot-pounds. Then i read your post. Then i read the PDF again. You are correct. Not 73. No where does their install PDF state the torque for those nuts. Now I’m almost certain the right one has broken loose or is about to. Time to pull out the thread cutter again.

amazing that UPP would not specify that torque value.

I guess the good news is that my repair is stronger than the OEM solution.