Please identify suspension set-up on my Shelby? Dealer claims it is causing issue

[smokin03]

My car has been making a popping noise when any load is put on it. This happens mostly at low rpm's during shifting or just getting on it a little while rolling. During hard high rpm's I can not hear it. It is coming from the rear end area as good as I can tell. The dealer replaced both the drive shaft and differential, still no fix. They have now determined it is coming from the after market rear suspension that is on the car. Which was on there when I bought it from them a month earlier. I would like to know exactly what set-up it is and the manufacturer. I have taken some pics from the back of the car. I hope this is enough for someone to know the set-up.

 

[07 Black Beauty]

Panhard looks like a BMR piece.

 

[VFORCEJOHN]

Looks like BMR to me. Hard to tell from those pics. It does look like it has the solid heim ends on the rear of the lower arms, which are known to make noise and NVH.

perhaps better pics of the lowers and possibly the upper would be needed to fully see what you have.

 

[Snoopy49]

Those LWR control arms have Heim joints, which would increase NVH but should not create the popping sound unless the bolts or adjustment lock nuts were loose. An UCA could cause the same thing if the same items were loose.
You need to get the car up in the air on a lift or on jack stands to really take a good look at the suspension. Depending on how long the condition has lasted, if it were a loose bolt, you will have remove the bolt and check the bolt hole for elongation.

NVH - Noise, Vibration and Harshness
UCA - Upper Control Arms.

 

[smokin03]

The dealer had it on the lift to show me what he thought was a little play, right in the joint. He said he checked everything and it was tight, but if you grab a hold of the drivers side connecting rod and put a lot of weight on it, it would move just a slight amount. It seemed right in the connecting joint. The passenger side would not do this. I don't know if that is where the noise is coming from or not. It doesn't have any effect on the drive-ability, but it is driving me crazy because I know it should not make that noise. I will try to get some better pics up. Ultimately I just want to get it checked out by someone who knows what they are doing. It has been a challenge finding that someone close to Grand Rapids.

 

[BMR Tech]

It may be some excessive play in one of the rod-ends on those TCA021 LCA.

If you want to order new bearings for the LCA from me, I will throw in (4) of our protoype Elastomer Bushings for the front side of the LCA at no additional charge (where the red is) so you can completely rebuild / freshen them up.

On top of that, if you will grab the Seals It RERS3 boots from Summit, and install those over the bearings when re-installing the LCA, they will help with NVH, AND ensure a longer life of the bearings by reducing contamination.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SIT-RERS3/

I think with the new front Elastomer bushings, new fresh bearings, and the Seals It boots....you will be a very happy camper.

 

[BMR Tech]

Oh and, holy smokes.

What - do like 90% of the GT500's out there run BMR?

:0

lol

 

[bklynpanman]

Popping? You have a UCA ? I like my bmr setup. It DOES pop and squeak though. Set up perfectly

 

[Ky GT500]

Yep,,,I'm seeing BMR stuff also,,,,re-grease all your fittings,,,,I had noise last year and talked to Kelly/BMR and greased all my fittings and it quieted them down.

 

[MovingZen]

It may be some excessive play in one of the rod-ends on those TCA021 LCA.

If you want to order new bearings for the LCA from me, I will throw in (4) of our protoype Elastomer Bushings for the front side of the LCA at no additional charge (where the red is) so you can completely rebuild / freshen them up.

On top of that, if you will grab the Seals It RERS3 boots from Summit, and install those over the bearings when re-installing the LCA, they will help with NVH, AND ensure a longer life of the bearings by reducing contamination.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SIT-RERS3/

I think with the new front Elastomer bushings, new fresh bearings, and the Seals It boots....you will be a very happy camper.

Say, I think I'm hearing a popping noise in my suspension! Do you have any elastomer bushings that will fit my right knee and a couple of the disks in my back? :beer:

 

[Turbosnake95]

Oh and, holy smokes.

What - do like 90% of the GT500's out there run BMR?

Trying to.... ;-)

 

[smokin03]

Anyone local or close to me that could help me out with this, would be awesome. I don't have much room in my garage to do anything other than minor stuff. Plus I am just not that diverse when it comes to suspension. I have had some people give me a few shops on the east side of Michigan, but none by me in Grand Rapids. I don't really want to drive and leave my car somewhere I can't check up on.

 

[SCALECRAFT]

Go with what BMR rep said. And you would have a fresh system.

By the way. The sway bar looks like it could hit the panhard. Does it???

You already got a new drive shaft and diff out of it!!!!

I just installed and centered my 14 GT500 rear end with a Cortex watts linkage. I did it in my garage with the car up on jack stands and wood under the tire (in case, So. CAL, earthquake country) ... I have not worked on cars for over 30 years. But what makes it easy is the internet/youtube and members/vendors that help.

You CAN do it! Just be patient and remove one piece and replace at a time....

Do the work, then if you want have someone check it out.

A car like this, you should get to know it's workings.

 

[smokin03]

I know , good advice. I did everything on my 03 terminator. This car just scares me, probably because it cost so much and I don't want to mess anything up. I should just stop being chicken shit.

 

[Ky GT500]

I know , good advice. I did everything on my 03 terminator. This car just scares me, probably because it cost so much and I don't want to mess anything up. I should just stop being chicken shit.

Take your time, pay attention to what you're doing, ask questions, get to know your car.

 

[SVT_28]

Yep,,,I'm seeing BMR stuff also,,,,re-grease all your fittings,,,,I had noise last year and talked to Kelly/BMR and greased all my fittings and it quieted them down.

KY/all, I like the stance and set-up of your suspension and was thinking of going along the same route, as many people have a similar set-up, but after reading this thread, it seems that there are "noise" issues with parts of this set-up. For everyone who is using BMR.... is this a common issue that just comes with this mod or what?

 

[mrl859]

KY/all, I like the stance and set-up of your suspension and was thinking of going along the same route, as many people have a similar set-up, but after reading this thread, it seems that there are "noise" issues with parts of this set-up. For everyone who is using BMR.... is this a common issue that just comes with this mod or what?

I just bought a used 2013 with Ford Racing lowering springs, BMR adjustable LCA, UCA, and panhard rod. It popped and creaked like crazy. I have removed and returned all to stock and everything is quiet as it should be. At age 25, it was all about ride height, looks, and perceived handling improvements. Thirty years later, not so much. As I always tell my son, ALL modifications are a compromise. After market suspension components with joints and plastic bushings WILL be noisy. If that's ok, do it. If not, think twice.

 

[SVT_28]

I just bought a used 2013 with Ford Racing lowering springs, BMR adjustable LCA, UCA, and panhard rod. It popped and creaked like crazy. I have removed and returned all to stock and everything is quiet as it should be. At age 25, it was all about ride height, looks, and perceived handling improvements. Thirty years later, not so much. As I always tell my son, ALL modifications are a compromise. After market suspension components with joints and plastic bushings WILL be noisy. If that's ok, do it. If not, think twice.

Thanks for the advice. It would bug me to hear unnecessary noises and make me feel like something is always wrong with the, but the 4x4 look kills me as well...tough choices! Like you, compromises....

 

[railroad]

BMR offers less than hard core suspension components. A lot of owners buy the all out racing items and are not prepared for the transmission of all the sounds that come with them.

 

[SVT_28]

Do all of the sounds make the car sound like shit, or are all the sounds manageable. I don't want to be driving around and it sounding like my car has problems.