Stock Front Sway Bar Install

[powella]

Hi,

I've been wrestling with my front stock sway bar for about a week now. I just dont seem to be able to flex it enough to get it into the bushes on each side!!! I'm now also trying to work out a way to use wratchet straps, but they just slide off

Does anyone have any top tips?

cheers
Alex

[juanbenae]

drop the top of the strut out of the tower so the A-arms will dangle. gives you more room to work. get some lithium grease and grease one side and run it past were you'd think it should go on that side until the otherside lines up better. you might just try dropping a single a-arm and trying that. if i recall i used a big C clamp to center the thing after i got it in both holes. the grease is the key. lubrication makes any job easier.

good luck

[Zeke]

I think it's actually easier if the suspension is in the normal at rest position. You'd need ramps or a ramp lift. You should make any ride height and corner balance adjustments before installing the bar. If the bar wants to change you corner balance, shim one of the inside bushings or tweak the bar (not an easy task).

For the inside bushings, I like these:

http://www.energysuspension.com/pages/swaybbct.html

[moneymanager]

Would help to tell us what year you're dealing with.
If it's a post 74, with the later non-thru-the-body sway bar, I worked on mine for about a week before taking it to a garage. It's a piece of cake on a lift, but trying to do the install when you're only a foot off the ground is nearly impossible. You need to be a couple of feet up to be able to bend the bar into position.

[motorracer]

HI if its the bottom i used ky put them on sway bar then pushed them threw the mounts was a little slippery took about five min.

[burgermeister]

If it's the late style bar, why not just unbolt one of the A-arms? Takes about 5 minutes, and once one arm is dangling by the balljoint, the bar goes in without a hitch.

[Peter Zimmermann]

Originally Posted by burgermeister

If it's the late style bar, why not just unbolt one of the A-arms? Takes about 5 minutes, and once one arm is dangling by the balljoint, the bar goes in without a hitch.

Bingo!

[powella]

Thanks very much for the quick response guys, hadn't considered dropping an arm. Will give it a go, always like using the 1m breaker bar!!! I won't modify any alignment in that area will I?

[powella]

Sorry forgot to mention it's an 88 carrera

[Peter Zimmermann]

Originally Posted by powella

Thanks very much for the quick response guys, hadn't considered dropping an arm. Will give it a go, always like using the 1m breaker bar!!! I won't modify any alignment in that area will I?

The alignment will be affected, but if you make a set of marks the control arm will go back to where it was close enough so that a re-alignment won't be an immediate concern.

[powella]

cheers Peter

[juanbenae]

thats why you drop the entire strut out of the tower! no alignment or dealing with the castle nut or wedge pin...... yeah its a bit more bulky, but saves a lot of headaches....

[burgermeister]

Castle nut? Wedge pin? I leave the balljoint in the strut and on the arm. I just undo the 3 bolts for the front bushing and the single bolt for the rear. In my experience (limited to my car), the arm only fits in in 1 location, and the alignment stays unaffected.

[LM3929]

Check for a previous post where one fellow used a come a long to compress the sway bar just enought to get it into the bushing.

Lorne M.

[arbita1]

I had a huge problem getting mine in. I was thinking about come alongs and all sorts of other things people had recommended.

In the end someone recommend a simple solution and it worked easily:

1. Lubricate the bushings and the end of the sway bars with silicon spray.

2. Push one side in...but push it in further than where it needs to go.

3. This should let the other end be closer to the hole and easier to push into it.

I think it took one or two tries but it worked for me. Try it before you go crazy with other stuff.

Here are my threads on the topic for your refrence:

Need Front OEM Sway Bar Installation Tips

http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforums/911-forum/376720-need-front-oem-sway-bar-installation-tips.html