rear sway bar endlinks

[luigisho]

Ok I have everything basically loose on the rear suspension except the rear endlinks. When I torque on the bottom nut the whole thing rotates. So I try to get a wrench on the top nut and the whole thing still rotates. I'm really close to taking a sawzall to it since I'm at the end of my fuse with this little thing. Anyone have any useful tips on removing this thing?

 

[sdpatt]

You will find a flat on the long rod of the link where you apply counter torque with an open end or Crescent wrench. If replacing the struts and/or springs, you only need to remove the upper nut on the sway bar end links. Only if you are replacing the sway bar, link or end link bushings do you need to remove the lower nut.

 

[SHOZ123]

If you are going to junk them a sawzall is just the ticket.

 

[projectSHO89]

Sawzall will only work (easily) on certain styles of endlinks.

ViceGrips are important additions to almost any toolbox.

If you have an O'Reilly's around, you can get excellent store branded Moogs for only 8 bucks or so per side.

Steve

 

[shojuan]

projectSHO89:
If you have an O'Reilly's around, you can get excellent store branded Moogs for only 8 bucks or so per side.

No O'Reilly's around here! cuss cuss finger

Fortunately all the endlinks and TPR stuff was long ago paid for and forgotten hehehe. At least the rockauto pricing wasn't too bad.

Louis, just grip the flats with a wrench if you've got flats like Scott says. Or vicegrip it like Steve says. I find that when working on cars a bunch o' beers helps me focus on the job at hand too. beer beer

 

[luigisho]

Thanks again guys. No Flats on these. I had a crescent wrench on top but the rod kept spinning. I'm going to get new Moog endlinks from Rock Auto. I'm tired of pussyfooting around with this rusted junk. New hardware.. and use the sawzall to make me feel better. I haven't been under the rear of this since I did a fuel pump 2 years ago and I forgot how much rust is back there. And the bushings all look like garbage.

 

[DHMag]

just my .02

the Moog links are just a long bolt, thin (very thin) steel sleeve, and 4 washers. i had a similar type of end link on my truck before, and it bent very easily. i went to Ford and bought the OE units for roughly 22 a piece. comes with nuts, washers, and poly bushings.

 

[SHO--ripper]

Get them from MidwestSHO. I like mine. They stiffened up the rear a bit.

 

[LOUDSHO92]

There is a nut on the top and one on the bottom. I think on one I ended up spinning the two or something. If holding a wrench on both ends doesnt work then you need to vise grip the rod and work off the first nut. Hope this helps.

The SS upgrade was just a bolt and sleave with bushings. Theirs seemed to be an upgrade and was thick enough. The bolt barely fit into the bushings.

<small>[ July 22, 2003, 07:05 PM: Message edited by: LOUDSHO92 ]</small>