Anti Roll Bar Advice

I've recently replaced both drop linkages and replaced the bushes with new orange ones on my front anti roll bar. I did this hoping to get rid of a knocking noise as the bar knocks against the right hand strut.

What i've noticed while replacing these is that the roll bar is not totally centralised and sits to the right. On the left hand side there's a stop that presumably stops the bar going too far left, but there is not one on the right hand side of the bar. Am i missing something?

I remember Northen Irelander mentioning something about placing a jubille clip somewhere, is this what i'd need to do myself in this situation? N.I... if you're reading help from the expert would be appreciated lol.

A strong clamp would probably do the trick, i was trying to think what would be stronger than a jubilee clip and fit around the anti roll bar? ideally something smooth edged to stop it cutting into the poly bush. A smaller version of a seat clamp off a bicycle would be ideal. Any ideas guys?

Yes for some reason the bar drifts to the right hand side once the stop has snapped off. I've used NIs jubilee clip idea combined with a very big washer which has to have a slot hacksawed in it so it can be bent and fitted to the bar between the jubilee clip and the AR bar bush. Once the washer has been bent back to normal shape it looks like a reasonable bodge.
A trip to marine chandler might produce a better clamp for the purpose.

Yeah jubilee clip is the way to go, its only to stop lateral movement, there isn't a lot of force acting against the stop guide.

Without the stops it's free floating AR bar, that's what your knocking is

Both sides of my AR bar were off jubilee clip was the first thing I found in my toolbox, there are slightly heavier duty ones (12mm clasp/strap bar is 22mm diameter, .

Dann's washer bodge sounds good

They don't make U-clamps for 22mm bar,

A piece of thread bar bent round and some sort of saddle on the other
side. The sort of thing you see holding the axles on to kids go-carts

Thanks for your info guys!

I shall pop down to B&Q after work and get the strongest clips i can find, and some pretty large washers by the sounds of it lol. Thanks for the washer tip Dann!

Cheers for confirming the diameter N.I.... saves me getting my caliper out tonight! I think i might put two clips on the side of each bush, more room for failure if one breaks then.

The bushes haven't gone to waste though, the ride is quite a lot nicer as i think they needed replacing anyway! And i'm glad i replaced the linkages before the nuts and bolts corroded anymore than they already had! I had a nightmare getting the left hand side linkage off.

B&Q are not cheap, around £6 for two, they are the chunky type though

If you're fitting two on each side then off-set them by 180 degrees

Be sure to slap on some black paint for any MOT inspections, they are stronger than the OE guides, but in case some jobs-worth has his say

I've just thought of the perfect thing actually. Might be a bit of a nuisance to fit one, but i remember on some of my old mountain bike handlebars (22mm diam) i had some race braces which clamped on. They had a smooth outer edge and being brace brackets, are designed to be damn strong.

I noticed the ends of the ARB going a tad rusty so i'll get my hammerite out pretty soon and give it all a good paint!

crewebiker said:

I've just thought of the perfect thing actually. Might be a bit of a nuisance to fit one, but i remember on some of my old mountain bike handlebars (22mm diam) i had some race braces which clamped on. They had a smooth outer edge and being brace brackets, are designed to be damn strong.

I noticed the ends of the ARB going a tad rusty so i'll get my hammerite out pretty soon and give it all a good paint!

Click to expand...

:nopics:

Obviously the pic above shows handlebars with the braces, but you can buy the braces on their own for about £14.99 and then it's a case of removing the clamps (where the two allen screws are). I think it'd be a bit more of a permanent fixture than the jubilee clips and would look a bit tidier too, although a bit more expensive.

BUT... After putting a jubilee clip on my ARB and perfectly centralising it...

THE KNOCK IS STILL THERE! :doh:

Pulled back onto the driveway after a short test run on a pothole filled street near my house, with a very wide left turn in the street, and the bar was still centralised so the clip worked.

So it turns our it wasn't caused by my ARB anyway, although i still feel better for sorting that out before it became more of an issue. But now i've no idea what is causing the knocking lol. It doesn't knock when going in a straight line, or turning right. Any ideas guys?

Is the bar still fouling on the shock strut when the front wheels are off the ground?

Bent bar?? Maybe

I've jacked it up both sides so the wheels are off the ground and the shocks are fully extended and the ARB looks normal now, still central as well. In fact cornering has improved a hell of a lot since i've fitted new linkages and bushes, but the knocking is still there on left turns.

Could it possibly be wheel bearings or ball joints etc?

you're gonna have to get down there and investigate with a pry bar, be sure to put us out of our misery when you find out

Had a good poke around yesterday, even got under the control arm and pretended to bench press it lol. But couldn't find anything as the control arm was moving up and down.

I remember you replacing your ball joint recently and did you mention that only made a noise when turning left?

Might give that a try next...

Knocking noise on my TD4 was rectified with a new drivers side upper ball joint...... worth giving 'em a wiggle?

Steve

cheers for the tip synapse, do you mean the one that attaches to the steering rod? track rod end or something like that? That would probably make sense as the steering has to be involved somehow cos of the only left turn thing.

Yep, track rod end - found some up and down movement in that, replaced it and no more thuds and bangs. Cost about £11 from local factors and about half an hour to do,

Worth a go methinks..? (might need to redo the tracking afterwards tho')

S

Cheers Synapse, will get one ordered on the tinternet and see if that makes a difference.

Check 'em for any play first, I don't want to be responsible for you wasting your money!

Steve

Don't worry about that, if i keep on replacing parts i'll have more or less a whole new freelander soon. One less part to replace in the future even if it's not that eh?

hi there last month I forked out for a new ARB and fitted new bushes to it but still had the clunk . it turns out a drop link I had bought of Ebay was pretty mince and was cream crackered after 4 weeks , I bought a slightly more expensive one ,which the seller on Ebay said he didn't sell Monkey Metal products , and that was the noise totally cured .
hope this helps
p.s.
my mechanic mate went ballistic after I had bought the new ARB and said he would have wrapped some tape on the slight corrosion that you get under the ARB bushes and that would allow the clamps to get a proper "grip" and stop the ARB moving as it can with time corrosion.
S. Scotland

Is the "knocking" regular,i.e. associated with drive shaft rotation or random from road related bumps?