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  1. #1
    Senior Member Whamhammer's Avatar
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    '02 Trans Am WS-6, 6M

    Heim joint/Roto-joint excessive popping of ft A arms

    Hello all, my aftermarkter tubular ft control arms have heim/root joints on them, and the make popping noises, especially at lower speeds/non-highway roads. My wife actually started to complain about it today, and I have to admit it sounded like popping corn in the microwave. I was told poping was normal for these joints but should it be this noticeable, especially with only 4 months or so on the car?

    If they are good, are there some sort of boot kit that I can put over them to reduce the noise?

  2. #2
    Senior Member 98TransAmWs-6's Avatar
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    98 TA WS6/ 01 C5 Corvette

    What are they torqued down to? Also a arms or control arms?

    Sent from my HTC6535LVW using Tapatalk
    1998 Trans Am WS6 - Phantom
    421 CI LQ9, Tick Performance Custom Cam, TFS 255cc LS3 heads, Kooks 2" LT headers, Kooks 3" True Duals w/ high flow cats, FTP 104 lid, Speed Density Tune, 4" silicon tube, LS6 VCT, FAST 102 Intake, NW 102 TB, Oil Catch Can, SLP Bilstein Shocks w/ Vogtland Springs, CTS-V 4-piston Calipers w/C6 Z06 rotors, Stainless Steel Brake Lines, R1 concepts premium rotors, Hawk HP+ brake pads, VFN WSQ Hood, C5-R timing chain, SLP oil pump, E85 tune, Walbro 450 fuel pump, Deatschwerkz 95# injectors, Breathless performance headlights, Frost Tune, !HVAC.
    (Coming Soon) BMR DSL, UMI TQ Arm
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  3. #3
    Senior Member 98TransAmWs-6's Avatar
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    98 TA WS6/ 01 C5 Corvette

    Also did you grease them up using the fittings?

    Sent from my HTC6535LVW using Tapatalk

  4. #4
    Senior Member Whamhammer's Avatar
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    '02 Trans Am WS-6, 6M

    Quote Originally Posted by 98TransAmWs-6 View Post
    What are they torqued down to? Also a arms or control arms?

    Sent from my HTC6535LVW using Tapatalk
    They are the front upper and lower control arms, and they bolt to the suspension crossmember/k member.

  5. #5
    Senior Member 98TransAmWs-6's Avatar
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    98 TA WS6/ 01 C5 Corvette

    I know where those bolt to lol. Just you said lower control arms and those are on the rear suspension but you also said a arms. Just wanted to clarify. So both the upper and lower a arms are noisy did you grease them up properly? Did they get torqued to spec? They will be noisier than stock. How much more are we talking about?

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  6. #6
    Veteran pajeff02's Avatar
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    '02 WS.6 / '07 Suburban

    We have a bunch of miles on our tubular front suspension and there is zero noise. Sounds like something is loose.

  7. #7
    Senior Member Whamhammer's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by 98TransAmWs-6 View Post
    I know where those bolt to lol. Just you said lower control arms and those are on the rear suspension but you also said a arms. Just wanted to clarify. So both the upper and lower a arms are noisy did you grease them up properly? Did they get torqued to spec? They will be noisier than stock. How much more are we talking about?

    Sent from my HTC6535LVW using Tapatalk
    The noise is fairly obvious, and very hard to miss, with the windows up, and radio on (at reasonable levels), with the windows down its even worse, yesterday's trip with the T-Tops off, my wife said it sounded " like the car was about to come apart".

    They were installed by my performance shop in December. I don't remember noise at first but I remember pulling my car over in my works parking lot because I thought something had broken on the car but everything looked good (that was late February).

    I Had an oil change later that week, (at another shop that I have do simple oil changes and stuff) and had that local shop look at everything, to make sure I didn't miss anything. That shop found that a front shock bushing had shifted, and told me to go back to the other shop.

    I went back to the performance shop, and they warrantied the shock, and I still heard the popping after I was pulling away from the shop, so I came back and his helper and I "shook" the car down and found it was the arms (he thought the upper), and he called the shop owner who said that Heim joints are usually noisy, and that if it got worse to let them know. The helper did lube that sides fitting.

    The main reason that I wanted tubular upper and powers was the OEM's were 150k miles old, and I wanted lighter and stronger suspension parts but wouldn't have been against a poly-bushinged arm, and still am not.

    All of the forums that I have read on the net are saying that Heims are not a good fit for a street/daily driver, which the car is.

  8. #8
    Senior Member raynor139's Avatar
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    What brand are they out of curiosity? I have UMI tubulars a arms on mine for close to a year now and they don't make any noise.
    Mods - Lid, Skip Shift Eliminator, MGW shifter, UMI SFCs, Founders Lower Control Arms, Founders Panhard Bar, Founders Adj. Torque Arm, UMI Torque arm mount, MWC Drive shaft safety loop, KONI Yellows, Strano Springs, Strano Sway bars, UMI Upper and lower A Arms, 160 thermostat, TSP headers and TSP true duals Monster stage 2 clutch, racetronix fuel pump, Strange S60 rear axle and tune by Frost.

  9. #9
    Senior Member Whamhammer's Avatar
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    '02 Trans Am WS-6, 6M

    Quote Originally Posted by raynor139 View Post
    What brand are they out of curiosity? I have UMI tubulars a arms on mine for close to a year now and they don't make any noise.
    They are Spohn's upper and lower front control (A) arms.

  10. #10
    Senior Member 98TransAmWs-6's Avatar
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    98 TA WS6/ 01 C5 Corvette

    They sound like they are either not greased up enough, not installed properly (ie not torqued down to the right ft lbs) or something is wrong with the actual product.

    Sent from my HTC6535LVW using Tapatalk

  11. #11
    Veteran pajeff02's Avatar
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    '02 WS.6 / '07 Suburban

    ^^ Agree. Something isn't right.

  12. #12
    Senior Member Whamhammer's Avatar
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    '02 Trans Am WS-6, 6M

    Quote Originally Posted by pajeff02 View Post
    ^^ Agree. Something isn't right.
    I am working to have the shop look at it soon; not sure if I have to replace the end joints, if I am going to stick with them, or just get the poly-bushinged ones. It's a shame that the don't have bushinged end joint replacements available.

  13. #13
    Senior Member raynor139's Avatar
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    2002 Trans Am WS6 M6

    Have you tried contacting spohn about the noise yet and see what they say?

  14. #14
    Senior Member Whamhammer's Avatar
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    '02 Trans Am WS-6, 6M

    Quote Originally Posted by raynor139 View Post
    Have you tried contacting spohn about the noise yet and see what they say?
    To be honest, I haven't, I bought them (and the install) through the shop, and because the shop has a relationship with Spohn, and Spohn has no warranty, the shop might have more leverage with Spohn than I. Also, if the shop can put it up in the lift and see it, there will be a better info stream before calling the manufacturer.

    At least that's my thought, I might call Spohn tomorrow if I can break free enough but I would feel better once he shop owner gets a look-see

  15. #15
    Veteran pajeff02's Avatar
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    '02 WS.6 / '07 Suburban

    Too bad you are 4-5 hours away... my garage is always open.

  16. #16
    Senior Member Whamhammer's Avatar
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    '02 Trans Am WS-6, 6M

    Quote Originally Posted by pajeff02 View Post
    Too bad you are 4-5 hours away... my garage is always open.
    I appreciate the sentiment, the though did cross my mind but five hours of nonstop hearing of popcorn popping would probably drive me insane(r).

    I'm hoping I can call the shop tomorrow, been swamped with meetings and teleconferences the last two days :/

  17. #17
    Senior Member 98TransAmWs-6's Avatar
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    Spohn has no warranty? I'd buy umi for future parts if I were you. Hopefully the shop figures it out.

    Sent from my HTC6535LVW using Tapatalk

  18. #18
    Senior Member Whamhammer's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by 98TransAmWs-6 View Post
    Spohn has no warranty? I'd buy umi for future parts if I were you. Hopefully the shop figures it out.

    Sent from my HTC6535LVW using Tapatalk
    Yeah, I was surprised to read that there was zero warranty, not even for a short period of time for defects. Spohns web site statement said it had to do with the possible levels of high stress conditions that a race car can put on an item. They seem to be taking an "off-road only" application for the parts.

  19. #19
    Senior Member Whamhammer's Avatar
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    '02 Trans Am WS-6, 6M

    Quote Originally Posted by Whamhammer View Post
    Yeah, I was surprised to read that there was zero warranty, not even for a short period of time for defects. Spohns web site statement said it had to do with the possible levels of high stress conditions that a race car can put on an item. They seem to be taking an "off-road only" application for the parts.
    Update , the speed shop that I've been dealing with has move waaaaay south of Richmond; I pretty much can't go back to the shop, its almost three states away.

    How hard is it to diagnose these heim join hobbies?

  20. #20
    Senior Member Whamhammer's Avatar
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    '02 Trans Am WS-6, 6M

    Quote Originally Posted by Whamhammer View Post
    Update , the speed shop that I've been dealing with has move waaaaay south of Richmond; I pretty much can't go back to the shop, its almost three states away.

    How hard is it to diagnose these heim join hobbies?
    I just turned the wheel and looked at the a arms, the uppers are ,Spohn non adjustable, and look like the are Polly bushings, I don't even think Spohn offers nonajustable with heim joints, the powers are adjustable with heim joints.

    Would:

    A) the uppers be able to "pop" with poly bushings?

    B) would the bottom be able to be tightened while on the ground, with the number wheel on?

    I have pix, and can upload if anyone thinks it will help.

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