jamesis350

So I read the forums and decided to install my fsport rear sway bar myself. I've done a lot of mechanical work myself so I thought this will be a walk in the park. So I put my car onto ramps, and no matter what I did, I couldn't get the nut off of the end link. Then I decided to remove the end link since it couldn't be that hard to put back on.

I have the fsport bar, mounted onto the end links but for the life of me, I can't get the end link into the LCA. Am I missing something? Or Am i just suppose to the jam the end link in? Any ideas?? I really don't want to have to go to the dealer to have this installed. And I don't know a local guy. If anyone has suggestions on a local guy, please let me know. I'm in chicago and will drive 25 miles around the area. Thanks so much in advance. Oh yes and my car is a is350 2006 if it matters.

Bigrahizzl

iTrader: (8)

did u try WD-40?

kuuqi

If I understood what you said correctly...You may want to jack the car up and put a small jack underneath the LCA to move it up and down. It makes it significantly easier to align the bolts.

As far as bolts getting stuck, you may want to try some PB blaster or WD-40 (PB works better in my opinion). The bolt is easier torqued too tightly, rusted or worst case frozen. PB will solve any minor rusting. If it's absolutely stuck, unfortunately a shop will have to go at it with a torch. If the torch doesn't work then they'll have to cut it.

Shahryar

I am dealing with the exact same thing. It was 70+ degrees her in MD/dc area and I took the rhino ramps, a torque wrench, and a socket set to work. The plan was to do the install during lunch. I got under there and could not get the sway bar links off for the life of me. I moved to the front and took all the engine under covers off and couldnt get that one off either. So i gave up, put the engine under covers in the trunk (kind of nervous on how i am going to put them back on) and went back to work.

On way home i stopped by advance auto parts and picked up pb blaster. The guy told me to soak it overnight. My cousin's on his way to help me try one more time to pull it off. I have my car on the ramps right now in the garage with worklihts on.

If we can't pull them off we'll soak them. I was told to avoid soaking the rubber

Bigrahizzl

iTrader: (8)

^^^ try some WD-40 its works very well.

simple

iTrader: (2)

To the OP, when u jack up ur car, the weight of the wheels are pulling the LCA down so u'll need to use the jack to jack up the LCA so u can install the endlink (like kuuqi mentioned). U'll always want to break loose the nut vs forcing/torquing it loose, example would be using a hammer and hitting the end of the wrench (other end on the nut) to break the nut loose.

Deathrow23

iTrader: (8)

i installed my sway bar last weekend, yeah, same thing you did, i read prev post, that it was easier to take the end link off, so i did.....then i wedged the old sway between 2 tree branches/stumps ( or between something thats not gonna move ). i used my lug nut cross bar to remove the end link nut. hardest part was like you said, putting the end link back into the LCA, you pretty much have to line it up even, and pull down, once you see the nut hole, insert screwdriver into hole to line up with other side. (hope this helps)

jamesis350

Hmmm.... thanks everyone for the advice.

I got the nut off of the end link and old sway bar, but that was with the end link already removed from the lca.

To simple, i didn't jack the car up. The car is on rhino ramps. Would it be easier to jack one LCA up? or even jack one side of the car up to lower the LCA?

to Deathrow23, what do you mean pull down? pull down on what? its like stuck on the very top of the lca, almost seems like the end link is too small to fit into the LCA

I'm having a problem even getting the end links to even align and get into the LCA. Im thinking of using some strong wire, thread it from the hole, through the link, and out the other hole and yank. Hopefully that'll work. If you guys have any ideas, please don't hesitate to leave a comment

thanks again!

Shahryar

My cousin came over and we put a lot of the pb blaster on both of the pairs of the screw and nut that are in the link on both sides in the rear. On the rear left my cousin was able to loosen the bolt but he said he couldn't get it off because the whole screw was spinning. On the right rear, even with all the pb blaster we put on we still couldnt even loosen that bolt in the link. We gave up, put pb blaster on the front screw/nuts in the links and said we'll try again tomorrow. I just wish I could have gotten everything done today becaus ei have an alignment scheduled at 10am. I'm thinking it probably would be better to have sway bars installed before an alignment? Also my engine under covering is still off...not sure how big a deal that is either.

I'll try to post up some pics tomorrow if it helps explain what I'm struggling with.



UPDATE: 2/19/2011 AM: Thanks, maybe I'll give this a shot if the PB blaster doesn't do the job again. They've had overnight to soak but the prob is that it's cold for the next couple days.

Deathrow23

iTrader: (8)

I meant push down, sorry, i was on Rhino ramps too, and underneath the car, so i lined it up where its suppose to be, and just put on some gloves and pushed down really hard. its just that top part of the LCA that seems to small for it to fit.

GSteg

iTrader: (15)

Post the pictures!

jamesis350

there is a little allen wrench hole on the bolt. youre suppose to stick a 6 or 7mm allen wrench into the bolt, to hold it so the screw doesn't spin. Then use a crescent wrench or vise grips to remove the nut. these rusted bolts are such a pain in the ***. You can try a torch but be careful not to burn the rubber.

Shahryar

^ ah thanks for the info, when I went to advance auto parts to pick the PB blaster yesterday, I was speaking with the guy there who was a Mazda mechanic and he also told me to grab the Vice Grips and Allen Wrench set but said I may not need them. I picked them both up and we used the Vice Grips (I'll show where in a picture) but didn't know how/when to use the allen wrench

simple

iTrader: (2)

What I did was jack the car up and put it on jack stands, that way the both the LCA was hanging downward (with the weight of the tires). Undid all the bolts, took the sway bar out. When I'd installed the sway bar back in, I'd used the jack to jack up one side of the LCA to match the endlink, bolt it back in then did the same with the other side. Hope that makes sense...
As for taking off the endlink from the sway bar, u'll need to use the close end of the wrench on the nut, at the same time a allen wrench through the opening of the bolt so the bolt/allen screw won't spin freely (where the close wrench is around).

509IS350

iTrader: (5)

Did you heat up the bolt before