Sway bar end link removal

[talon614]

I tried to replace the front right tonight and did nothing but strip the bolt!! what do I do?

 

[silvereclipse]

I did the exact same thing over x-mas break installing pro-kits and AGX's. I had to hack through the link and then saw some slots through the bolt to try and get the nut off. The nut had become part of the bolt. I got half of the nut saw off the bolt and pounded the other half with a tap or somethin for a while till it finally came off. Of course i had to go to the dealership and buy a new $33 sway bar link. Good luck.

 

[SlowSpyder]

to remove the old style endlink, insert an allen wrench into the bolt and use a 14 mm wrench to loosen the nut. the allen wrench will keep the bolt from spinning. there is another endlink that has a 14mm size head on the bolt. just put a 14mm wrench on that to hold it from moving and use another wrench to remove the but

 

[talon614]

This is what was lef tof my old one POWER GRINDER IS THE ONLY WAY TO GO!

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[Jeff_Jeske]

So I am installing my addco rear sway bar and the sway bar endlinks woudldn't break free without the help of the sawzall.

What is the cheapest place to get replacement rear sway bar endlinks?

Any sources online? I live in the sticks....the closest mitsu dealer is an hour away.

JJ

(98 GSX AWD)

 

[Church]

torch it. if you get a bolt red hot they will sometimes break, if not burn it off and buy a new one. Its the last resort usually. I think i had to cut out my entire front suspension when i put my teins in.

 

[98TsiAWD]

Ok just to make sure, you know there is a 14mm nut on the backside you need to hold onto with an open end wrench, while taking the nut off the toher side?

 

[kre8ive_kustomz]

all i did was heat em up and go to town, when the wrench breaks free on the back ..... as much as i hate to use the words vise grips...... use a set nice and tight, heat some more then start loosening. when the vise grips hits the knuckle it wont move so go to town. a nice little trick, when the vise grips is in place, use a floor jack on your socket, puts a lot less stress on the nut and frees right up. sounds wierd... yes, but works well too, my this is the only thing that worked on both my driver and pass side. good luck

 

[MNGSX]

Just use a nut splitter.

I also used a dremel cut off wheel to cut most of the way thru the nut on two flats. Grab the splitter putting the spike in the dremel crack and pop... the nut falls off with no damaged threads or links in under 5 minutes per side... Just wire brush the threads to make running home the new nuts easier.

 

[polarmoment]

So I am installing my addco rear sway bar and the sway bar endlinks woudldn't break free without the help of the sawzall.

What is the cheapest place to get replacement rear sway bar endlinks?

Any sources online? I live in the sticks....the closest mitsu dealer is an hour away.

JJ

(98 GSX AWD)

you could buy some rod ends from a race supply shop (jegs, summit, pegasus, etc) and use a piece of tapped or threaded rod to link them together. that would work out to about $15/corner.

each corner you'd need 2 of
these
you'll need some 3/8-24 threaded rod (available at any hardware store), 2 jam nuts (these can be stainless steel), some grade 8 bolts/nuts to attach them to the arm/bar, and some washers for clearance. whatever you do for the load bearing bolts/threaded rod, do NOT use stainless steel. mild steel for the threaded rod is just fine (about $4 for a 3' long rod, cut it to length with a saw and screw a nut off the cut end to clean up the threads). squirt some oil into some rubber tubing and put it over the threaded part to prevent it from corroding.

mcmaster-carr also sells linkages similar to what you'd need to use, but their load ratings are lower than what you'd want for swaybars- and they're more expensive.

(oh and Jeff, stevens point isn't the sticks. i grew up in rapids man. THAT's the sticks )

 

[98eclipsekidd08]

Ok I think this is a common problem but... when searched only found like 3 threads on the problem I am having. When removing old suspention for my new tokico set up i stripped out the back nut on the sway bar end link. I tried vise grips still nothingm so I resorted to a sawzall. This cut right through the top one but the bottom nut is tought, I went through 3 blades already. So my question is, is this a common problem and is there any easyer way to break off the bolt or to cut through it. I already have new ones ordered so Im not worried to destroy the old ones, thanks in advance

 

[turbosax2]

I used a Dremel with reinforced cutoff wheels. It took awhile, but I got it.

 

[bmoha2]

Dremel with reinforced cutoff wheel. It's a pain in the ass!

 

[bmoha2]

And as little and weird as it is the Dremel with those wheels works very well for it. Cut the side with the Bolt on it til there is no bolt left and then center punch it and voila! out it comes. Might have to smack it a few times, maybe even hard as it might be a little corroded seized in place.

 

[98eclipsekidd08]

I saw sometihng in another thread saying to use some sort of nut breaker? Has anyone tried this approach. I have never even heard of that tool before.

 

[ricktb]

I bought a dremel for the exact same reason, worked great.

 

[dsmfa9nutter]

SAWZALL ftw!

 

[98eclipsekidd08]

I just got mine off today sawzall worked best for me, although the dremmel did work good to. I tried both sawzall was best IMO. Just have someone spraying it with blaster to keep it somewhat cool and lubricated for easyer cut.

 

[jjrock5]

Holy crap it seems everybody has problems on the 2g with these...

I thought I was a jackass for using a cutoff wheel to destroy perfectly good links to install my Prokits last night.

Those bastards are on there tight. Now Advance Auto parts is chrging me $50 per link for Moog links... that sounds WAY too expensive.

 

[KPWSerpiente]

They are a pain and I'm not ashamed to admit I cut my last set off (everything on the front suspension was a rusted mess).

I replaced them with the one's that MachV sells for $26 a piece for the fronts and $25 a piece for the rears. I am 99% sure both sets were Beck/Arnley.

End links

-T

 

[PieEyedPiper]

Holy crap it seems everybody has problems on the 2g with these...

I thought I was a jackass for using a cutoff wheel to destroy perfectly good links to install my Prokits last night.

Those bastards are on there tight. Now Advance Auto parts is chrging me $50 per link for Moog links... that sounds WAY too expensive.

Why is it I'm seeing posts about people having to remove/disconnect/destroy their endlinks to install lowering springs?
Also, for those looking for endlinks, go check out Mach V Motorsports - High Performance Car Parts

EDIT: whoops, didn't see the above post with the endlink info

 

[jjrock5]

Why is it I'm seeing posts about people having to remove/disconnect/destroy their endlinks to install lowering springs?
Also, for those looking for endlinks, go check out Mach V Motorsports - High Performance Car Parts

EDIT: whoops, didn't see the above post with the endlink info

Have you had better luck replacing spring without having to destroy the links? I think it may be due to age and the style link you have. I've recently seen som links have a nut where the ball joint is to grab onto while you loosen the mounting nut...

The ones i have do not have that nut, only a washer style setup. I know I have the allen hole on the center of the bolt but that thing stripped out within a few turns. Sucked.

Oh and I found those same links you guys posted about on Rockauto.com for about $15 a piece.

 

[PieEyedPiper]

Have you had better luck replacing spring without having to destroy the links? I think it may be due to age and the style link you have. I've recently seen som links have a nut where the ball joint is to grab onto while you loosen the mounting nut...

The ones i have do not have that nut, only a washer style setup. I know I have the allen hole on the center of the bolt but that thing stripped out within a few turns. Sucked.

Oh and I found those same links you guys posted about on Rockauto.com for about $15 a piece.

Good job on finding another source. You just looked up 95-99 endlinks?


But, the truth is, I never had to even look at my endlinks when I installed my Illuminas +Prokit setup. This is all news to me. I wonder why that was the case for me and not others?

 

[KPWSerpiente]

Oh and I found those same links you guys posted about on Rockauto.com for about $15 a piece.

Good find. Not a surprise they are sold cheaper. I didn't look around because I'm close to MachV and wanted them that same day. Hopefully I never have to replace them again but that info is good for someone else.

But, the truth is, I never had to even look at my endlinks when I installed my Illuminas +Prokit setup. This is all news to me. I wonder why that was the case for me and not others?

You don't need to touch them for a simple swap of the struts/springs. I'm guessing other people were doing a few other things down there.
-T

 

[PieEyedPiper]

Good find. Not a surprise they are sold cheaper. I didn't look around because I'm close to MachV and wanted them that same day. Hopefully I never have to replace them again but that info is good for someone else.




You don't need to touch them for a simple swap of the struts/springs. I'm guessing other people were doing a few other things down there.
-T

Like what? I've removed xfer cases, DP's, manifolds, turbos, cv's, transmissions, lower control arms, lateral control arms, upper control arms, camber kits, the works. Pretty much anything that can be bolted to my car has been unbolted from the car.
Except the sway bars and the links.

Is there a clearance issue maybe? Like suppose there are two ways or directions to pivot the assembly during re-install and one of those ways is not obvious and the other is obvious but the links have to come off? I dunno but I want to!