So my g35 has been lowered for a while now, was using SPC upper front arms, but found those too hard to dial in by myself unless they were done at the alignment shop. The sliding bolt is way too touchy.

Next I tried the Kinetix front upper control arms, they were awesome for the first 5 months. Easy to adjust because you could reference where you started by the number of turns on the ball joint. Then the Crunching and Creaking noises started going 0-10mph when starting and stopping. Lubing the bushings does not help. The ball joint is also hitting the inside of the fender so I had to hammer that out. Still need a little more positive so more hammering is required.

Now I am stuck, don't know which arm to go to now. The SPL arms for $700 are way too much. But worth it?

What other arm should I try??????????

What I am thinking of doing is adding a hard bushing to the Kinetic. Or a bushing similar to the SPC. But one of the reason is ditched SPC was because of the bushings it used.

 

i have 2006 350z
19 x 9.5 work vsxx 225-35-19
19 x 11 work vsxx 245-35-19

megan coilovers

2 " drop F & R

i had ichiba BS front upper control arms and blown bushings

i put SPL front upper control arms last month with SPL front tie rod ends

WINNING

 

No problems with Cusco thus far.

 

Speaking of the SPL tie rod ends, they look two-sided. What makes them different than OEM, or what makes them more adjustable than OEM?

I will try to look at as many upper control arms as I can to see whats up

 

What about replacing the bushings in the Kinetix...if you arent already set on new arms of course.

 

Yea I could do that but I think it's the rod end on the arm that is making the CRUNCHING sounds...the red bushings have so much silicone grease on them

 

What version of the Kinetix do you have? I have the Silver Version 2 with the red 1/2 boot. My driver's side has a "knock" and I'm thinking of updating to the black full boot one for $30 on their site.

 

I have the Silver ones with red bushings and the full black boot over the rod end. I still think it's the rod end making the crunching noises

 

So the noise seems like its coming from the ball joint on the A-arm? Not sure what you mean by "rod end."

If so you can just get a new ball joint... https://conceptzperformance.com/Cart...on.php?II=7976

 

That is the part I am talking about. Technically it may be a rod end, a ball joint is only one sided- has a base and a nut on top. They just list is as a ball joint.

The arms are very noisy within a year...would hate to get a new joint for it and have the problem come back. I have seen people here spray lithium grease in the black boot and it seemed to help with the noise. Every time I step on the gas from a red light of stop sign, there is a crunching noise. Sometimes it come from the right, sometimes the left

 

Just go with SPL. They are the nicest suspension component I have ever owned. Mine are silent so far and they are the smallest profile arm available so no more slamming your sheet metal. As for setting the camber, just make sure you use equal amounts of shims on each side, any difference that shows up on the alignment rack is negligible.

 

I sprayed some white lithium grease under the black boot coating the rod end, only did this one time over 10,000 miles ago and mine have been noise free from the day I did that.

 

Just looked at the kinetix joint under the boot, I agree technically it is a spherical "rod end!"

For $60 it seems like an easy fix. There is NOTHING more annoying and cringe inducing than the sound of a crunchy ball joint!