Front sway bar install

[TT Gasman]

Guys I have been battling this bar for the last 2 days. In the course of changing out all of the fuel lines on the car ( another topic altogether) I found the front sway bar bushings falling apart. Easy enough to remove the broken chunks of bushing and work the bar out. Now I have new OEM rubber bushings and I can't seem to get the bar back into place no matter how much brute force I can muster. One source suggested removing the A arm, that seems like a lot of work. Is there an easier way? I searched and have not found the answer. TIA

[JFairman]

Smear vasaline on the bar and inside the bushings and then start one side and push it through farther than it will be when done and then wrestle with the other end to get it started.
It's a lot of work and it can be done with one person.

[TT Gasman]

I'm to that point now but can't seem to make that last 1/4"
In tried jacking up the a arm to no avail. I may have to take down the entire control arm tomorrow.

[billjam]

I struggled with that last 1/4" as well so I just removed it!
I ground about 1/8" off each end of the bar and rounded it off the ends a bit. You'll see that when it is installed, there is extra length protruding through the rubber bushes so no harm in removing some of that.

This pic is after I trimmed and radiused the end.

[Tt surgeon]

That's a good idea!

[PrimeMvr]

I had this same battle Friday night. I tried every angle, left side first, right side first, ratchet strap to compress it. I finally gave up, pulled one arm off and then it was a piece 'o cake. Putting the arm back on was pretty easy because there is extra leverage.

The crap of it was I had just replaced all the control arm bushings with ER polybronze, so it was a 'doh' moment. I should have done it that way to begin with and I would have saved myself a few hours of aggravation.

[Robbbyg]

I had same problem
Here is an Easy way to put it on

Put one end in
At other end take off rubber grommet bushing thingy then put that end in the hole, it will fit now as there is extra clearance because of the bushing removal.
When its in get the rubber bushing and put vaseline over it and put it on the bar and slide and tap and slide tap, hit tap until it goes all the way in, She might moan a bit but thats ok she will still enjoy it.. hang on where was i? oh yes do the above (without the woman) or you could if you wanted to

[Ronnie's.930]

Originally Posted by TT Gasman

I'm to that point now but can't seem to make that last 1/4"

When the last quarter inch just won't go you usually just need to squirt a little more lube in there (water based, of course)!

[TT Gasman]

Thanks all I used a Robbys method, it worked but it was a biatch. Next time I'll just drop the control arm.