I got started on installation of the Eibach sway bar kit today. For no particular reason, I started with the front.
1) The day before, I sprayed the bolts holding the belly pan with PB Blaster and shot some silicone spray into the bushings at the ends of the sway bar.
2) Raise front of car, support on jack stands. Remove the belly pan under the front crossmember. (4 bolts, use 11 mm socket.)
3) Remove the 2 remaining bolts holding the thick steel strut and middle bushings of the old sway bar. (11 mm socket.) These are visible after the belly pan is removed.
4) The old sway bar is now only held in place by the bushings at the ends of the bar (on the control arms). Due to the geometry of the bushings and OE sway bar, the bar resists removal. I ended up prying gently but firmly with a crow bar and some wood block spacers. The bar eventually popped out at the left end. With one end free, the other end essentially fell out.
5) Remove the old sway bar bushings from the end loops on the control arms. I found it was easiest to push these out from the front side using a large screwdriver. Push a bit of the bushing in near where it is split, then keep working around the outside until the bushing pops out. Clean the inside of the bushing end loop.
6) Apply the supplied grease to the inside of the new middle bushings and to the sway bar, then slip them onto the bar just outboard of the collars.
7) Using the supplied washers and the original bolt and lockwasher, secure one end of the new bushing brackets over the new bushings to the thick steel strut.
----------------------------------------
A little persuasion with a crowbar...
And the old bar is out.
From the FRONT side of of the control arm:
Starting at the split in the bushing, use a large screwdriver to push the bushing into the end loop.
Working around the bushing, pushing it into the end loop...bit by bit.
And the bushing pops out.
Old and new front sway bars. Middle bushings with brackets came out with the sway bar. The heavy metal brackets and bolts will be re-used. The Eibach kit includes replacement U-brackets.
New front sway bar (solid) is 24 mm.
Applying grease to the new bushing using the Porsche applicator tool.
Next step: Install the new front sway bar. stay tuned...
Zeusdog