always having to retighten endlink nuts

[MicaSp33d]

i dunno about anybody else, but about every few weeks i will have to retighten my rear endlink nuts because of clunking and creeking. After retightening them, everything will be good for another few weeks. The clunking and creeking will come back depending on how often and hard i push the car. Right now im averaging about 3-4 weeks sometimes more before having to retighten them again. How about you guys? ... any advise would be great too.

also i don't have the stock endlinks, i have awr endlinks. It only came with one washer to go between the endlink nut and the bar, so i added another washer where the actual endlink meet the bar and it seems to help a lot with keeping the noise away, but then comes back. Without that second washer, it will be every 1 to 2 weeks.

note that i always tighten them down to spec

 

[shane02pro5]

Get some loctite blue threadlocker on there.

 

[MicaSp33d]

forgot to mention that the nuts has that plastic ring at the ends to keep them put ... i guess i should just put some loctite anyways

 

[MikeHTally]

Get some loctite blue threadlocker on there.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
What he said.

 

[nhluhr]

You know what's better than loctite?

Nordlock.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgwmuZuJ02I
http://www.nord-lock.com/

And they are easier to remove when you want to take them off.

The problem with Loctite is that the surfaces have to be really clean and unlubed for the stuff to work. And removing a loctite'd bolt when you need to is slightly more of a PITA. But a tube of loctite is a lot cheaper than Nordlocks, which are about $5 per set.

 

[Antonio DiMarco]

Very cool

You know what's better than loctite?

Nordlock.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgwmuZuJ02I
http://www.nord-lock.com/

And they are easier to remove when you want to take them off.

The problem with Loctite is that the surfaces have to be really clean and unlubed for the stuff to work. And removing a loctite'd bolt when you need to is slightly more of a PITA. But a tube of loctite is a lot cheaper than Nordlocks, which are about $5 per set.

Not only is that a cool product but the detail it communicates surrounding proper bolt prep before loctite can work gives me some insight into what may have been the root cause behind the MS3 engine mount failures. I doubt it takes much foreign matter on the bolt to render loctite useless. Especially in a factory environment. AT least that's one possible root cause.

 

[shane02pro5]

Very cool but i have never had a loctited bolt loosen on me and i never prep!

 

[nhluhr]

^^^ I've had swaybar endlink nuts loosen repeatedly despite loctite.

(not on the MS3, but on my STI's)

 

[Southbay]

It happened to me once, at about 2K miles. I tightened 'em down, and since then (now at 10K), there's been no recurrence.

 

[turbo23]

I used blue loctite when I changed my sway bar. When I threw on my springs, I disconnected the sway bar, and I had to physically use force to get the nuts off. The Blue loctite did exactly what it was supposed to do. I also have never had a bolt loosen that I loctited.

 

[MicaSp33d]

well a few days ago and took out my endlink nuts and loctite it down. I still get the creeking noise. It mostly happens when im backing out of a slanted drive way or a dirt road. Any other ideas?

well what im gonna do it just uninstall my whole bar and just check everything out .. and reinstall.

 

[MikeHTally]

Did you lube the bushings on the brackets?

 

[MicaSp33d]

yes i did when i put them in. Thats what i was thinking ... bushing probably needs more grease. I'll find out when i take it out.

 

[jwdp54]

my endlink nut keeps coming off also. but for some reason only the the left one. i also put loctite on but it's not working.... i think when i upgrade my sway bar i'm just going to get the awr endlinks.

 

[MicaSp33d]

problem fixed ... it was the rear sway's bushing bracket that needs to be tightened. I just took it completely out just in case anyways and put it back it. No more noise ... lets see for how long.

 

[MicaSp33d]

my endlink nut keeps coming off also. but for some reason only the the left one. i also put loctite on but it's not working.... i think when i upgrade my sway bar i'm just going to get the awr endlinks.

what color loctite are you using? .. if the blue is not holding .. use the red.

 

[jwdp54]

blue so i will get red and try that tomorrow. thanks

 

[ericrapp]

3d makes a good call. Also be sure the threads are dry. Loctite will not work if there is grease or lubricant present. I had same problem and the red 262 worked for mine.