OSUTX440

All,
I installed my UCA last night and it makes a "clunk" noise when I am at low speeds when I hit bumps. I don't hear it at high speeds...that may be because of my exhaust. But besides tightening it up, does anyone have any thoughts?

Or is that to be expected with some NHV when installing a new UCA?

Thanks, Matt

gmoran1469

What UCA did you install? The fixed or the adjustable? If it's the adjustable make damn sure the jam nuts are tight and that you used the spacers for the bolt. If you took off anything during the install other than the UCA make sure those are tight as well. I've done my fair share of stuff like not tightening a jam nut on my panhard - clunk - loosening a rear sway bar link to install my watts link and not torquing the bolt back down - clunk - blowing my front end-links and riding on them while blown - clunk -.

I run a steeda adj. UCA with a roto-joint UCA bell housing bushing as well as the billet alu. LCA's with the roto-joints on the rear-end side and poly on the body. It's clunky to a point but the clunk is just the slack in the drivetrain translating through the car. Nothing to be done about it really if everything is tight. A single piece DS will help take some slack out. It's more about pedal work once you start swapping out the stock rubber for poly or stronger to keep the clunk down.

tj@steeda

If you tightened everything up ... please let me know how it goes. We have had several instances of the nut being loose after install.

You can reach me at tim@steeda.com.

Best Regards,

TJ

OSUTX440

It is the adjustable uca. I will get under my car tomorrow to tighten everything to double check. I'll be honest. The steeda directions and diagrams are total garbage. I followed other directions on their website for the GT500 uca. At any rate. My guess is the clunk is at the point where the uca meets the axle. There are no bushings or spacers there, just metal on metal with the bolt holding it in place.

Any thoughts, TJ or G?

gmoran1469

There should be a rubber bushing in the bell housing. I replaced my rubber bushing with a poly one, then upgraded to a roto-joint after that to reduce bind. I can still make the rear clunk but I think anyone can do that with their stang. Just one of the drawbacks of have a solid rear axle with a 3-link.

OSUTX440

Yeah, i think I may have confused you, G. There is a poly bushing at the bottom of the "Y", under the bolt that you get to by getting the back seat out.

there is no bushings or anything at the top of the "Y" that connects to the axle...or at least not on mine. Are you trying to tell me there should be? Because all I have there is the original factory bolt.

gmoran1469

The UCA connects at two points, the unibody bracket, and the rear end. The unibody bracket connects to the UCA via a poly or delrin bushing depending on which one you bought, or even a roto-joint. You have the poly. IIRC there are two spacers that get installed with that side of the UCA. Make sure those were installed if needed. The poly bushing uses a smaller bolt IIRC hence the need for the spacers.

On the rear end side there is a rubber bushing that is set into the rear end. That can also be replaced because if you look at it, the bolt hole isn't a hole but is slightly oblong due to the way they make it. It's not a tube, it's a piece of rolled metal that doesn't meet perfectly. This can be part of your clunk as well. I replaced this bushing with a poly bushing and then more recently I swapped it to a roto-join bushing.

My LCA's and UCA on the rear end side are all roto joint and I did that to reduce bind when cornering. Rubber bushings don't like to rotate and poly bushings even more so.

OSUTX440

I retightened everything. Re greased everything. Took it out and ther was little NVH issues. I set the pinion angle. I think I got that down. I hoping that solves my issues.