Pfadt End Links

[SSSoon]

Originally Posted by SSSoon

I took my end links off and sent them back to Pfadt, who found some play in the bronze lower rod end and in one of the upper rod ends. They sent them back with these parts replaced and I put 'em back on yesterday. Super quiet. Problem solved.

Great customer service!

Long term update. I posted the above in January. The end links were super quiet for a week or so and then started making noise again. (sigh). Have had them on and off a bunch of times, removed sway bar and re-greased, checked all sorts of stuff - no dice. They make noise, period.

Last Thursday, one of them made a LOT of noise. Went around a corner into a parking lot at ordinary speeds and BANG, sound went off like a massive bottom-out, almost like a shot went off. Put it up on a hoist Friday AM and found that one end link bolt had snapped.

Put OEM end links back on, no noise. Problem solved.

Here's a pic of what a toasted Pfadt end link looks like. No idea what would cause this to fail (I am sure the Pfadt people will say I overtorqued the bolts, but I didn't) but at this point I am so sick of Pfadt "OEM-Quiet operation" end links that even if they replaced the snapped bolt, I wouldn't put them back on. Don't know how someone can sell a product that they claim is "OEM-Quiet" when it absolutely, guaranteed, is not. And when you spend a lot of time on the phone with them they are very nice but can't solve the problem. The end links make noise. Period.

Starting to think about going to a ZL1/1LE setup.

[hypurone]

Originally Posted by SSSoon

Long term update. I posted the above in January. The end links were super quiet for a week or so and then started making noise again. (sigh). Have had them on and off a bunch of times, removed sway bar and re-greased, checked all sorts of stuff - no dice. They make noise, period.

Last Thursday, one of them made a LOT of noise. Went around a corner into a parking lot at ordinary speeds and BANG, sound went off like a massive bottom-out, almost like a shot went off. Put it up on a hoist Friday AM and found that one end link bolt had snapped.

Put OEM end links back on, no noise. Problem solved.

Here's a pic of what a toasted Pfadt end link looks like. No idea what would cause this to fail (I am sure the Pfadt people will say I overtorqued the bolts, but I didn't) but at this point I am so sick of Pfadt "OEM-Quiet operation" end links that even if they replaced the snapped bolt, I wouldn't put them back on. Don't know how someone can sell a product that they claim is "OEM-Quiet" when it absolutely, guaranteed, is not. And when you spend a lot of time on the phone with them they are very nice but can't solve the problem. The end links make noise. Period.

Starting to think about going to a ZL1/1LE setup.

I have the same problem. Been thru several sets (including their NEW design) and same as you, quiet for a few hundred miles then noisy again! I too am fed up with them and looking for other end links. Don't really feel like changing bars again and buying new c-arms.

[SSSoon]

Originally Posted by hypurone

I have the same problem. Been thru several sets (including their NEW design) and same as you, quiet for a few hundred miles then noisy again! I too am fed up with them and looking for other end links. Don't really feel like changing bars again and buying new c-arms.

Bugs me that someone can advertise something and then it doesn't do what they say it does but they can just say, "oh well" and keep your money.

I haven't done anything with suspension since the last post. I think I'm just gonna go have fun on the track this summer and think about suspension stuff over the winter.

[jeremywes]

Get ya a set of these
http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showth...=proven+wicked

I have beat the crap out of mine and nothing but perfect, silent operation

They make rear end links too
http://provenwicked.com/product_deta...=&CID=OA==&VID=

[Doc]

When you guys say noisy, what kind of noise? Lately I've noticed what sounds like a loud pop, almost like someone whacked the rear chassis with a metal hammer, when I go over certain kinds of rough roads, or especially when making a slow turn into a driveway. It sounds like it's coming from the back on the driver's side. My first thought was it might be sway bars (I have the Pfadt bars and endlinks) but I looked under there and can't see anything that looks broken or loose.

[SSSoon]

Originally Posted by Doc

When you guys say noisy, what kind of noise? Lately I've noticed what sounds like a loud pop, almost like someone whacked the rear chassis with a metal hammer, when I go over certain kinds of rough roads, or especially when making a slow turn into a driveway. It sounds like it's coming from the back on the driver's side. My first thought was it might be sway bars (I have the Pfadt bars and endlinks) but I looked under there and can't see anything that looks broken or loose.

For me, noisy was "pop-pop-pop" sounds whenever the car was going over even slightly uneven surfaces. It was the weight being transferred back and forth across the sway bar and the end link ends were internally loose. Each shift made a distinct pop.

The loud BANG I got (described a few messages back I think) was when I was making a slow turn into a parking lot where the entrance was higher on the right hand side than the left. I guess it put a lot of weight on the sway bar and the bolt on one end let loose. Sounded like a shot went off. You would definitely see a busted bolt if it happened to you.

What kind of bushings do you have? I have heard from some guys who do a lot of HPDEs that eventually your bushings are so loose that if you lift the car up off the ground, the bushings can actually fall out (believe it or not). This was guys who ran Mustangs, so no idea how their bushings work. But the point was that bushings can wear out and maybe they are so loose that you are getting big shifts back and forth? A wild guess, but all I got right now.

Pete

[mojatto]

I bought an used Pfadt End Link Kit but it's not complete.

Can anyone help me?

I post photos

[mojatto]

Up

[Doc]

Contact Pfadt; they'll know.

[xtreme2s]

Originally Posted by SSSoon

For me, noisy was "pop-pop-pop" sounds whenever the car was going over even slightly uneven surfaces. It was the weight being transferred back and forth across the sway bar and the end link ends were internally loose. Each shift made a distinct pop.

The loud BANG I got (described a few messages back I think) was when I was making a slow turn into a parking lot where the entrance was higher on the right hand side than the left. I guess it put a lot of weight on the sway bar and the bolt on one end let loose. Sounded like a shot went off. You would definitely see a busted bolt if it happened to you.

What kind of bushings do you have? I have heard from some guys who do a lot of HPDEs that eventually your bushings are so loose that if you lift the car up off the ground, the bushings can actually fall out (believe it or not). This was guys who ran Mustangs, so no idea how their bushings work. But the point was that bushings can wear out and maybe they are so loose that you are getting big shifts back and forth? A wild guess, but all I got right now.

Pete

So over the winter, Livernois Motorsports installed a complete new version Stage 4 coil over for me. It also makes the "pop pop pop" on any entering a driveway or difference in road change. I had on my 67 Camaro, Global West's "heim joint" rear springs with these bushings. Also made this noise, and I hated it. If this is the normal noise for these sways, then I'll remove and look to find other option. I drive mine alot, and its annoying.

I've been so busy this summer, yet to call Pfadt direct for solution. I was hoping they been at C5Fest, but this year they did not participate

Tim

[SSSoon]

Originally Posted by xtreme2s

So over the winter, Livernois Motorsports installed a complete new version Stage 4 coil over for me. It also makes the "pop pop pop" on any entering a driveway or difference in road change. I had on my 67 Camaro, Global West's "heim joint" rear springs with these bushings. Also made this noise, and I hated it. If this is the normal noise for these sways, then I'll remove and look to find other option. I drive mine alot, and its annoying.

I've been so busy this summer, yet to call Pfadt direct for solution. I was hoping they been at C5Fest, but this year they did not participate

Tim

it's the end links. pop, pop, pop. Went back to OEM, perfectly silent. Gotta buy someone else's end links sometime but have other stuff to do first.

Pfadt tech support was very communicative but in the end nothing fixed the popping.

[xtreme2s]

Originally Posted by SSSoon

it's the end links. pop, pop, pop. Went back to OEM, perfectly silent. Gotta buy someone else's end links sometime but have other stuff to do first.

Pfadt tech support was very communicative but in the end nothing fixed the popping.

Yes.... thats they way I'm feeling also. But will make the contact attempt first.

[Doc]

Originally Posted by SSSoon

For me, noisy was "pop-pop-pop" sounds whenever the car was going over even slightly uneven surfaces. It was the weight being transferred back and forth across the sway bar and the end link ends were internally loose. Each shift made a distinct pop.

The loud BANG I got (described a few messages back I think) was when I was making a slow turn into a parking lot where the entrance was higher on the right hand side than the left. I guess it put a lot of weight on the sway bar and the bolt on one end let loose. Sounded like a shot went off. You would definitely see a busted bolt if it happened to you.

What kind of bushings do you have? I have heard from some guys who do a lot of HPDEs that eventually your bushings are so loose that if you lift the car up off the ground, the bushings can actually fall out (believe it or not). This was guys who ran Mustangs, so no idea how their bushings work. But the point was that bushings can wear out and maybe they are so loose that you are getting big shifts back and forth? A wild guess, but all I got right now.

Pete

I have Pedder's bushings throughout. Based on what everyone is saying mine sounds the same way so I'm guessing it's the Pfadt endlinks. With all the engineering, experience and skill the guys at Pfadt Racing have, I simply can't believe they aren't able to make endlinks that work. Other companies can, so they should be able to. It doesn't make sense to have to spend another $300 to buy endlinks to replace endlinks from a RACING specialty company that's been in business for years.

I'll contact Pfadt and make some noise. They've GOT to be able to figure this out and fix it.

[xtreme2s]

Originally Posted by Doc

I have Pedder's bushings throughout. Based on what everyone is saying mine sounds the same way so I'm guessing it's the Pfadt endlinks. With all the engineering, experience and skill the guys at Pfadt Racing have, I simply can't believe they aren't able to make endlinks that work. Other companies can, so they should be able to. It doesn't make sense to have to spend another $300 to buy endlinks to replace endlinks from a RACING specialty company that's been in business for years.

I'll contact Pfadt and make some noise. They've GOT to be able to figure this out and fix it.

Yup, I agree!

After I get thru this week of dealing with friend's sudden death, I'm going to solve this one way or another. With paving company re-doing asphalt at night, the highway in front of my business, and signs ... "Uneven Road" ... the annoying pop pop pop has increased now, that I've parked the Camaro. Did reach under to look and feel the links, the quick inspection, seeing nothing out of place.

Did watch the video link from earlier post with-in this thread on Proven Wicked's links. (sure have a better understanding of these).