[JLease]

So I purchased the BMR springs/LCA's/relo brackets and installed them a few months ago. Ever since I put them in I've had a crazy clunk sound from the back end. Of course I took everything out to double and triple check but everything was installed correctly. I brought the car to Les Schwabs to get it aligned and they just called to say that the LCA was moving forward to back as if the original bolt in the front of the LCA wasn't big enough for the LCA hole. Does this make sense? Does BMR have bolts that take up that room? I am thinking about putting everything back to original just to get rid of that crappy noise.

 

[scramblr]

Sometimes after an install the bolt may come a bit loose. If not tightened up, overtime the back and forth could wear out the bolt. I'd first try to tighten it and if that doesn't work just get a new bolt. I had one come a bit loose on me about a month after the install and got that clunking sound. Tightened it up and all has been well for three years.

 

[JLease]

Mine is good from side to side movement, they said it was from front to back movement. Weird, I know

 

[DRock]

Im going to poinnt you in what i think is the right way and tell you that they were talking about your Upper Control Arm and the you SHOULD get a new one but i dont you are hurting anything now.

Search clunk or something and you will find out why it does this. something about ford using the wrong sized bolt or something.

 

[07stanggt]

I'm with him.


You stiffened up one part of your suspension. It brought out a weakness in another part. As for the supplied bolts, you resuse the stock bolts in the front and to hold the relocation brakets on. Then bmr supplies one set of bolts? Is that what you recieved. Its hard to really say online if your dealership is telling you something and you dont have the car to check it yourself. Personally I would pick the car up and look at this yourself. Then post what you find out. PM me if you need more help, or you could PM dennis from BMR he is on this forum.

Im going to poinnt you in what i think is the right way and tell you that they were talking about your Upper Control Arm and the you SHOULD get a new one but i dont you are hurting anything now.

Search clunk or something and you will find out why it does this. something about ford using the wrong sized bolt or something.

 

[JLease]

Just got done from picking up the ride, after I talked with them and showed them what I saw before dropping it off. They agreed that the LCA had side to side movement and not back to front movement. There is a 1/8 to 1/16th gap in the vehicle bracket where the LCA mates to the car. I have it tightened to 130 lbs and even a washer to ensure the gap gets filled but no avial, still a gap. That seems to be what makes the clunking noise. I even sliced off the first section of the bump stop to see if that would help, helped out immensely just didn't take care of the entire clunk. What to do?

 

[07stanggt]

Just got done from picking up the ride, after I talked with them and showed them what I saw before dropping it off. They agreed that the LCA had side to side movement and not back to front movement. There is a 1/8 to 1/16th gap in the vehicle bracket where the LCA mates to the car. I have it tightened to 130 lbs and even a washer to ensure the gap gets filled but no avial, still a gap. That seems to be what makes the clunking noise. I even sliced off the first section of the bump stop to see if that would help, helped out immensely just didn't take care of the entire clunk. What to do?

You have the offset on the rear of the arm to the inside correct?

I still say the clunk is being made by the upper? Is it when you accelerate or sometime going over a bump?

 

[DRock]

Take the lower control arm on left and put it on the right and vice versa? Dont they only work one way but go on both ways?

 

[IronStomach]

Dont they only work one way but go on both ways?

Yes. That's what 07Stanggt was saying by offset. You can't just use either side.


JLease: no offense, but did you read the instructions that came with the parts? I was amazed at how complicated the instructions were when I put my CHE LCAs on. In the end I'm glad I followed the instructions, no problems to date -- and it was my first time under a car aside from basic oil changes.

And if you have to use a washer to balance out a part made for your car... then there's either something wrong with the part, wrong wong with the car or it's put in wrong. :dunno

 

[fullboogie]

Yep, check to see whether you reversed the LCA's (left for right). I did this with the first arm I installed then noticed it wasn't right. So much for reading the directions ahead of time, right?

 

[JLease]

I am going to look again tonight after I take some medicine for this damn Swine Flu. I did put the LCA's in with the BMR logo to the outside (cuz that's the way it should look) but I will try them on the other side. ****!

 

[07stanggt]

Then its a very good chance you have them on wrong. The engraving is usually on the inside. Its been that way on almost every arm i have handled. becuase thats actually the part that will be seen the most. You need that fixed PDQ.

 

[07stanggt]

No guess work involved in it. You can look under the car and know right away if its right. There is a offset. It goes facing inside. See in these pics.

 

[JLease]

So if I do have them backwards (I am thinking you guys just may be right). I could just take one off and turn it around right? I don't have to take them both off and swap them left side to right side.

 

[07stanggt]

So if I do have them backwards (I am thinking you guys just may be right). I could just take one off and turn it around right? I don't have to take them both off and swap them left side to right side.

The spacer as you can tell from the picture is just something you put on. So just turning it around would not affect the "performance" but the BMR will be up side down and the grease fittings would be up top.

 

[BMR Sales]

The spacer goes on the rearend side towards the inside of the car. Due to production variations sometimes the control arm buckets are wider than they should be. It is ok to put a washer between the bushing and the bucket. Make sure that the bolt is torqued to 130 ft lbs. Ford say the bolts are a one time use torque to yield bolt. If you have any issues let me know.

 

[JLease]

Okay I double checked everything and I was correct in the first place. The spacers are on the inside assend (and yes the BMR is facing outward.....still). I guess I can read instructions and have pieces that don't fit like they should. Dissapointed in these BMR products, 5 flipping times I've taken them apart and refit them. ****! Do I just put the stockers back on and live life to the fullest!? Of course all of this is said with a clogged nose and screaming head pain from the swine flu...but you get the jist